Source: Blog – Alliance for American Manufacturing

A student does steel work at Ironworkers Local 29 during an apprenticeship in Dayton, Ohio, in October 2022. | Getty Images

AAM’s Brian Lombardozzi recounts his participation in the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s manufacturing summit.

On Thursday, April 17, I was invited to moderate a discussion between several stellar panelists at the 2025 Future of Manufacturing Summit held by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce, in Wooster, Ohio.  

This was the second annual summit that brought together thought leaders, industry experts, and policymakers to explore the transformative trends shaping Ohio’s manufacturing sector.

“Recognizing the significant manufacturing base in Ohio and the growing challenges and opportunities facing the manufacturing sector, we wanted to create an event that would foster collaboration between industry leaders, policymakers and educators in the manufacturing sector,” said Elizabeth Baumgartner, the Ohio chamber’s director of economic development and tax policy. “The goal was to address critical issues like workforce development, technological advancements and manufacturing innovation…. To spark conversations, forge partnerships and ultimately drive solutions that support the long-term success of manufacturing in Ohio.”

Samira Zimmerly, IOM, president and CEO of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce, partnered with the Ohio chamber to bring the Future of Manufacturing Summit to Wooster.

“We are committed to ensuring that this sector continues to thrive. With the support of our outstanding manufacturing and education partners, we are focused on preparing the next generation of workers for the demands of tomorrow’s workforce,” Zimmerly said. “Advancing manufacturing through innovation, technology and forward-thinking policy is essential, and hosting this important event in Wooster is a testament to our collective dedication to the future of this industry.”

The event included a strong representation of Wooster’s own leading voices on the panels, including Lynn Moomaw of Wayne County Schools Career Center who participated in the Bridging the Workforce Gap panel, which I moderated; State Representative Meredith Craig and State Senator Al Landis providing crucial perspectives on the Policy Advancements in Ohio’s Heartland panel; and Matt Wagner of Jarrett Logistics sharing insights on the Nearshoring and Diversification panel.

In addition to Wayne County Schools’ Moomaw, the panel I had the pleasure of moderating included Jeff Spain, senior director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Columbus State Community College (Central Ohio); Dr. Nichole Fifer, director of the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University; and Jama Cobb, work-based learning coordinator at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. In the hour we had for our discussion we touched on the challenges each of these experts face in aligning education with industry needs, creating pathways into manufacturing careers, building partnerships, collaborating with industry, preparing students for the future of manufacturing, and addressing regional workforce challenges.

I greatly appreciated the opportunity for the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) to participate in this manufacturing summit.  Both AAM and our stakeholders know that the importance of manufacturing to Ohio’s economy cannot be understated. I am happy to say that the conversation in which I participated, as well as the other panels and speakers throughout the day, showed that the future of manufacturing in Ohio is bright.

Full Article: Read More