All photos are taken by Brent Schacherer, courtesy of the Litchfield Independent Review
As a leading manufacturer and employer in Litchfield, MN, we know how important it is to get young people interested in the trades and manufacturing careers at early ages. Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy, and touches the lives of every single person throughout the world. As younger generations age into building careers, manufacturers need to demonstrate how rewarding, important and fruitful jobs in the manufacturing industry can be. That’s why, when we were asked to participate in the Lake Ripley Elementary School “Touch-a-Truck” event, we jumped at the chance. 
The event was planned by The Chamber serving Meeker County as a part of Minnesota’s many Manufacturing Month events. Tim Erickson, Truck Equipment Sales Manager at Towmaster, helped orchestrate the transportation of two trucks with snow plows to the Lake Ripley Elementary school parking lot. There, the school children were able to explore the inside and outside of trucks, ask questions about manufacturing, and grow their curiosity about the trades.
According to Enterprise Minnesota, manufacturing accounts directly or indirectly for 1,023,785 jobs in our state. Each manufacturing job supports 1.9 jobs in other sectors of the economy. In total, 33% of all Minnesota jobs are in, or supported, by manufacturing.
There are over 10,100 open ma
nufacturing jobs in Minnesota today. That’s why it is paramount to encourage the next generation of young folks to seriously consider a career in manufacturing.
“You can never start too early to introduce them to this kind of work,” said Erickson to the Litchfield Independent Review.
Some of the children had parents in the trades, some have never been inside of a truck before. This event was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about manufacturing and just how fun, challenging and rewarding the industry can be. The children loved exploring the truck cabs and beeping the horns. We hope that the students of Lake Ripley Elementary will remember this event and continue to explore their curiosity and interest in the industry.