Maintaining Makers: The Road Ahead for Local Manufacturing
A look at the road ahead for local manufacturing
By 2033, there will be 3.8 million new manufacturing positions, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
Nationally, the industry has struggled to fill jobs. This is why key efforts by local organizations such as VMA, First Coast Manufacturers Association and the Nassau County Economic Development Board focus on raising awareness and generating enthusiasm for the industry.
The hope is that with educational outreach programs, the industry, particularly in northeast Florida, will thrive with skilled workers in these roles.
To gain insight into the manufacturing sector along our coast, we interviewed three industry leaders to discuss their perspectives on the future of local manufacturing and the crucial role their organizations play in driving progress.
Lake Ray
First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA) president
If there’s one thing Lake Ray often hears, it’s how surprised people are about what’s made here in northeast Florida — everything from Pilot pens to bottled Bacardi.
“Much to everybody’s surprise, there are a lot of medical devices made here,” he says, noting Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson are two of hundreds of manufacturers in the area.
Yet, one of the future challenges Ray and other experts are seeing in the industry is filling those jobs within those types of manufacturing facilities in the future.
The manufacturing skills gap in the U.S. is estimated to leave 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, according to Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute.
“The challenges right now are the workforce,” he says. “The challenges are two-fold; the industry needs someone who has the skill set and is willing to work. Societally, and with COVID, people have pulled away and said they’ll sit at home and do work. We’ve lost this desire to go out and work. It’s a fundamental challenge.”
Luckily, Ray says, manufacturing industries are more than willing to train individuals. One example is FCMA’s Leadership Academy, which provides leadership training to front-line supervisors, team leads and mid-level managers. With many retiring in the next few years, the goal is to upskill the current talent in local manufacturing to help fill those gaps when retirees leave.
As for fresh talent, Ray sees companies like Johnson and Johnson going into high schools to promote joint education programs with colleges like Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). Such programs allow high school students to earn their diploma and an AA degree. Ray says it’s ideal for those who aren’t college-bound.
Those opportunities are a must, especially for filling in talent gaps; manufacturers need human workers skilled in the newest trends.
“We’re in the emerging fourth industrial age — it’s going to be everything from AI to digital platforming,” he says. Automation and AI play a massive role in creating more efficient manufacturing processes.
When a plant part breaks, sometimes it can take weeks to figure out what broke. With newer automation introductions, workers can plan with predictive failure monitoring systems and estimate when a part is close to replacement.
Even technologically advanced facilities still require human operators. Ray hopes that FCMA and other organizations can inspire and recruit top talent for the local manufacturing industry.
The Sunshine State is booming in manufacturing growth; according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Florida has grown its manufacturing employment by 23.3%. It’s lucrative, too: For every $1 spent in manufacturing, the economy benefits with a $2.69 return on investment.
“It’s a good career,” he says. “It’s a great place for a career path.”
Manufacturing by the Numbers
429,100 – The number of Florida manufacturing jobs in 2024
$74,588 – Annual industry wage for Florida manufacturing jobs
$64.48 billion – Total output from manufacturing in 2021
10th – Florida’s place as one of the nation’s largest manufacturing employers
Jessica Lovatt
Volusia Manufacturers Association president and CEO
One of the things Lovatt adores about VMA members is their willingness to cheer each other on.
Recently, Lovatt sent out a “quick pick survey” to all members. The surveys are a one-question problem asking for expertise from members. One of her more successful surveys included connecting two manufacturers to solve a big problem — one manufacturer’s air compressor breakage closed an entire product line. A repair tech couldn’t get to the site for two weeks.
Within an hour and a half of sending out the survey, another manufacturer brought over an air compressor to get assembly rolling again.
“Our whole community comes together so we can all thrive; that’s what I’m most proud of,” she says of VMA.
Additionally, she loves promoting local manufacturers in a positive light. It takes varied talents to make products here, and there’s room for all, she says.
“There’s a breadth of different products made in our area; we are super lucky,” she says. “We don’t have a group of manufacturers competing against each other. They talk to each other.”
She thinks of VMA’s recent “signing day” as similar to what high school or college athletes experience when recruited by a team. VMA’s FAME (Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education) program, an ‘earn while you learn’ model for students, has been wildly successful and popular.
Opportunities like the one experienced by a Daytona State College student who worked at Germfree in Ormond Beach, earning $45,000 while pursuing his studies, exemplify the potential for growth in the manufacturing sector. Upon obtaining his Advanced Manufacturing Technician degree, he was offered a position at a North Carolina company with a salary exceeding $90,000 annually and the opportunity to travel internationally.
Those are the types of opportunities available, and that will continue to arise as manufacturing embraces new tech that requires skills like automation usage.
“We don’t have enough humans to do all the jobs we need,” she says. “We need the human element because, at this point, automation can only do so much.”
Lovatt says the industry’s success will depend upon manufacturers encouraging one another while making the industry more appealing overall.
“It takes courage and the willingness to do the job,” she says. “If you are not willing to extend yourself to make yourself better, how are you supposed to be faster and stronger?”
Sherri Mitchell
Nassau County Economic Development Board’s executive director
Tours and happy hours are one way to get folks interested in manufacturing.
To spread awareness of the manufacturing industry’s value, the Nassau County Economic Development Board created MFG Day Florida!
Held each October during manufacturing month, the event invites teachers to get an inside look at local manufacturing facilities. The goal is to engage teachers and show them that local manufacturing work is a viable career to discuss with their students.
“That opens the eyes to the possibilities of a lucrative career in manufacturing,” says Mitchell.
One recent tour included stops at Florida Machine Works, Science First, Amelia Toffee and Marlin & Barrel Distillery, with a final stop at Salt Life Food Shack. Additionally, a happy hour feedback session allowed educators to share their thoughts.
“When we were able to take those teachers out of the classroom and explain what they [the manufacturers] do and the impact they make on the community, it was very eye-opening to them,” she says. “They were impressed and shocked at what was available here for their students.”
In recent years, the economic board has focused on partnering with the local school district and manufacturers to create a pipeline of future skilled candidates.
“I like to see that awareness is being addressed. Manufacturers are always going to have that bad reputation with people thinking it’s not a lucrative career,” she says.
Mitchell hopes the narrative will change with more events like MFG Day. This fall, she intends to lead students and teachers on tours to encourage stimulating conversations about local manufacturing prospects. That’s made easier when local high schools offer dual enrollment opportunities that allow students to accelerate their educational goals and include some technical courses, she says.
Michell anticipates an increase in demand for certifications focusing on automation, AI and related skills due to the board’s partnerships. Initiating early training for workers is crucial for Nassau manufacturers to establish a strong workforce pipeline.
“Not everyone is going to be doctors and lawyers,” she says.
Seraine Page
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