Touting manufacturing as a vital economic driver for Berks County and the rest of Pennsylvania, Lisa Riggs, senior managing director of economic growth strategy and partnerships at Team PA, discussed opportunities and challenges facing the sector during the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s 10th annual Manufacturing Summit.
The half-day event was held Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College (RACC).
Riggs, the event’s keynote speaker, said the importance of manufacturing in Pennsylvania cannot be overstated, and support for it should be prioritized.
“There is a rich support system for manufacturers, and broad strategies should be put into place to organize that support,” she said.
She praised Berks County for recognizing the strength and importance of its manufacturing segment, noting that the annual summit is a fitting tribute.
Manufacturing accounts for about 20% of the GDP of Berks County and employs more workers than any other segment, according to the 2023 State of the Berks County Economy report, which was released in May. The average annual pay of workers in the sector is more than $10,000 higher than the average salary across all areas of employment.
Keith Stamm, GRCA’s director of workforce development, acknowledged that manufacturing is vital to the county’s financial health and said GRCA is anxious to support the industry.
“Our goal is to support manufacturing with best practices,” Stamm noted.
Across Pennsylvania, manufacturing accounts for 13% of the state’s economic output and employs 9.5% of Pennsylvania’s workers. Eighty-two percent of manufacturers across the state have 50 or fewer employees.
Manufacturing is one of five industry segments in the state that Team PA, a Harrisburg-based nonprofit, public-private partnership founded in 1997, identifies as possessing high-growth economic opportunities. The other segments are advanced agriculture, energy, life sciences and innovation and technology.
Team PA works to support innovative programs and collaborations that benefit these industry segments in an effort to improve Pennsylvania’s competitiveness and help assure its economic future.
Regarding manufacturing, Riggs noted that the field is incredibly diverse and faces challenges on varying levels.
Rapid changes affecting manufacturers are creating notable challenges for small and mid-sized businesses that struggle to keep up in areas such as automation and energy transition.
“These are big deals that must be addressed, but they are daunting propositions for many small and mid-sized manufacturers,” Riggs said. “We need to be sure these smaller businesses aren’t left out of collaboratives that can benefit them.”
Working collaboratively and across party lines to support manufacturing is vital to Pennsylvania’s financial interests, according to Riggs.
“The long-term economic health of Pennsylvania is not a partisan issue,” she said.
Riggs’ more than 20 years of experience in economic development has included roles as president of EDC Lancaster County and vice president of economic development for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
Panel Discussion and Breakout Sessions
The manufacturing summit also included a panel discussion titled “Designing a Talent Pipeline and Succession Plan for the Entire Organization.”
Terri Lampe Melcher, vice president of workforce development and continuing education at Reading Area Community College, and who oversees the college’s Schmidt Training and Technology Center, moderated the discussion. Speakers for the panel included Walter Banta of Brentwood; Audra Donato of MISCO Products Corp.; and Brenda Rosado of East Penn Manufacturing Co.
Summit attendees could choose from multiple breakout sessions that were held in the Schmidt Training and Technology Center.
Topics were “Factories of the Future: Focused Discussion on Adopting Automation;” “The Positive Outcomes of Appropriately Deploying Robots;” and “How to Ensure Your Team is Engaged.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
Robert Harrop, who recently retired from East Penn Manufacturing Co. as the company’s vice president of personnel, was awarded the GRCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the manufacturing summit.
Harrop, who spent 23 years at East Penn before relocating to Millsboro, Del., was responsible for duties including benefits, policies, employee relations, security, training, career development and recruitment strategies.
He encouraged collaboration among people in all aspects of manufacturing and thanked those who helped him achieve a successful career.
