State officials will be hopping on a bus and zig-zagging the state for their third annual "Makers on the Move" tour. The Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMED) spearhead the campaign and will be onboard.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., (WSIL) -- State officials will be hopping on a bus and zig-zag across the state for their third annual "Makers on the Move" tour. The Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMED) spearhead the campaign and will be onboard. They plan to make stops across the state at various manufacturing facilities, colleges and community centers to highlight how the industry benefits our communities and economics.
The tour kicks off on Friday, October 4, 2024, on a day nationally recognized as Manufacturing Day. The "Makers on the Move" bus starts in Springfield and makes its way across 2,500 miles of the state, making approximately 40 stops along the way. The public is welcome to attend the scheduled stops, but registration is required.
The stops will take place in our area on Thursday, October 10, 2024. On the lists of stops include Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation in Carbondale, Continental Tire in Mt. Vernon and at Rend Lake College in Ina.
According to IMA, manufacturing is the largest contributor to the state's Gross Domestic Product and generates almost $600 billion for the state's economy annually. IMA also claims that manufacturing accounts for almost a third of the jobs in Illinois.
