Fall Leaves, Halloween, Snoop Dog and… Manufacturing Month!

When you think of October what usually comes to mind is fall leaves, Halloween costumes, Snoop Dogg’s birthday, and those little marshmallow pumpkins that are so sugar laden they hurt your teeth when you bite into them.

What should come to mind is that October is NATIONAL MANUFACTURING MONTH!

Manufacturing is the backbone of industry in Arizona, contributing over $24 billion to our state’s economy annually.

Nationally, U.S. creators and innovators supply 12.75 million jobs and create nearly 12 percent of the country’s annual GDP. It is a good time to be a manufacturer on the national scene and an even better time to be a manufacturer in Arizona. Just as importantly, it is a great time to be an employee involved in manufacturing as job growth is up, wages are rising, and new technologies are providing new opportunities.

Manufacturing is currently seeing a perfect storm of positivity as tax reform, coupled with several years of pent up demand, is resulting in companies big and small adding equipment, updating technology, and building out their workforce.

At Pivot Manufacturing, we are mirroring what is occurring state and nationwide. In 2017 and ’18, we invested in brand new (American made!) equipment and are seeing new opportunities manifest themselves due to our increased capabilities and capacity. This has resulted in winning work that has contributed to Pivot now having our largest backlog ever as well as the hiring of several new employees.

The wonderful thing about a growing economy is that it gives ground floor employees opportunities to start a career that a stagnant economy does not.

Our five most recent hires have included a shiny new ASU engineering grad, a young woman who is a recent Ethiopian immigrant, a trade school grad, a four-year Army veteran, and a young man covered head to toe in tattoos who is showing all the signs of becoming an excellent and skilled machinist someday. Equally as exciting as our new backlog, is the chance to give all of these young people opportunities to learn and develop a trade, skill, and a career.

While I might like to think this success is partially the result of my glowing personality and 55 hour work weeks, the truth is that the current business environment in Arizona and the U.S. is absolutely conducive to current and continued growth in manufacturing.  National tax reform coupled with a focus on making Arizona a business friendly environment has brought the state to our current level of success. But we can’t stop now. Success begets success, and we have to keep the momentum going.

We have to focus on keeping our P-12 kids improving at a rate faster than the national average, so they can have a chance at a rewarding career, whether it is as a machinist or to fill the engineering pipeline at our great universities.

Manufacturing month is the perfect opportunity to reflect on the rich history of manufacturing in our country, and its contributions to Arizona in particular.

The industry has provided an excellent career path for millions of individuals, has poured billions into the economy, and continues to produce the world’s innovations. I feel fortunate to work in manufacturing and to be an advocate for the state’s best creators and innovators.