New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Director Will Arvelo gave the following remarks earlier this month during the celebration of Manufacturing Day Oct. 2 at Filtrine Manufacturing Co., in Keene.
Manufacturing Month is New Hampshire’s homage to its rich history of making products that enrich and adds convenience to our lives; gives us better ways to do things, and keeps us safe.
We don’t need to look any further than here, at Filtrine Manufacturing, where, for more than a century, the Hansel family evolved water filtration into modern systems. Along the way, the company set an example for other manufacturers, in reducing their carbon footprint and using Green processes wherever possible.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire manufacturing was about 70,000 strong; had an output of $10 billion, and represented about 12 percent of our GSP. While there may be a slight dip in those numbers today, I say with confidence that our manufacturers are on the comeback from the pandemic, with innovations and new ways of doing business, ready to shape the future.
One year ago, we could not imagine how much the world would change, and how much New Hampshire industries would make a difference in fighting a global pandemic. Hundreds of our manufacturers quickly pivoted to meet the critical demand in the uncertain early weeks last winter, retooling their production lines and training employees with the singular focus in mind – to keep their communities, and especially frontline workers, safe.
You’re invited to the
18th annual Governor’s Advanced Manufacturing
and High Technology (Virtual) Summit Oct. 29
Keynote speaker: Douglas K. Woods, president,
The Association for Manufacturing Technology,
Manufacturing the Future: Transformative Technologies’ Role
in Accelerating Out of the COVID Crisis
Information, registration here.
Here in the Monadnock Region, Alene Candles in Milford made face shields; So-Clean in Peterborough made masks; Cole-Tac in Newport made gowns; distilleries and breweries around the state made hand sanitizer. There are too many to name in this short time, but each one of them has the gratitude of the Granite State for their dedication in adapting their systems to keep us all safe.
I urge everyone, when the opportunity arises, to thank their local manufacturers for all they do, and have done, over the past seven months to keep our communities, families, and frontline workers healthy and safe.
We know that most of our nearly 2,000 manufacturers, in all corners of the state, are on their way back to meet, or exceed, pre-pandemic levels of production. Your products are critical to bringing resiliency back to our supply chains.
We know that a trained workforce is critical now and reminds us that the future of manufacturing begins in our schools. We need to work with K-12 and higher education stakeholders to ensure that our future workforce will have the skills necessary to make New Hampshire the shining star of manufacturing in the Northeast.
As we celebrate National Manufacturing Day, and kick off New Hampshire Manufacturing Month, I want to thank all manufacturers for all you do. You are the backbone of our economy, significant employers in our communities, and neighbors we can count on in any situation.
Tags: economic development, Filtrine Manufacturing, Keene NH, manufacturing in NH