In November 2018, Mail Shark received a special visit from students at Daniel Boone Area Middle School. Their mission? To learn about the role manufacturing plays in our business. Since we do all of our own printing, finishing, and mail processing in-house, we were excited to welcome the students for a tour and to conduct interviews as part of a local competition called “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?”.
About The Competition
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” competition was created in 2013 by the Manufacturers Resource Center in Allentown, PA. The goal of the contest is to get students excited about manufacturing and the jobs that support it. To open their eyes to the wide variety of jobs manufacturers provide. Students work with local manufacturers to gain new perspectives. They then record their experiences and present them in a documentary video. All the videos are then uploaded to the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” website, where participants and the public can vote for their favorite one.
There are 16 regional “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” competitions scheduled around Pennsylvania for the 2018-2019 school year. Local sponsors and partners provide support for each contest. This year, Mail Shark was both a sponsor and a featured manufacturer for the program.
The Video
After shooting several interviews and footage of our facility, the students put together the video below. In it, they explore the integral role manufacturing plays in our business. Without it, we’d be unable to turn our customers’ marketing ideas into a physical reality.
The Awards Event
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” awards ceremony was held on March 5th, 2019 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Reading, PA. Students, parents, educators, featured manufacturers, and sponsors all gathered to celebrate manufacturing in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
The evening kicked off with an informal networking hour. Afterward, students, parents, and educators visited sponsors’ tables and enjoyed a dessert reception. The night ended with award presentations in a variety of categories. They included Videography, Team Spirit, Brand Placement, and the coveted Viewer’s Choice award. Sadly, our favorite students from Daniel Boone didn’t take home an award. But they did have a great time learning just how cool manufacturing is!
Being featured in this competition was a true honor for Mail Shark. We’re glad we had a chance to work with such amazing students, and to encourage young people to pursue manufacturing careers. We can’t wait to sponsor the event again next year!