Federal, state and local officials joined Chautauqua Lake High School (CLHS) students and staff in celebrating Manufacturing Day in October at the school's Baker Stuart Manufacturing Complex.
BPU Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto spoke briefly about the Retool WNY initiative and the ongoing efforts to market the region to new supply-chain manufacturers. She described the Retool WNY effort to assist existing companies with transforming their production lines to take advantage of emerging opportunities in clean tech/climate tech manufacturing.
Both CLHS Principal Rachel Curtin and faculty member Adam Gollwitzer credited their participation in the two Retool conferences as influential in collaborating with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to develop a new Environmental Sustainability in Manufacturing course. The new course is part of the curriculum in the high school's state-of-the-art manufacturing lab.
The Manufacturing Day celebration included demonstrations of equipment and production processes by students. The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) and Dream It, Do It WNY sponsored the event.
Pictured are Ellen Ditonto, Chris Lanski, President of Exdelco/Newbrook and MAST board member; Dale Gier (speaking), Owner, DRG Consulting and President of MAST.