Your future in manufacturing does not necessarily mean working inside a factory. Dozens took part in the county-wide manufacturing day public tours on Friday that were organized by the Door County Economic Development Corporation. Therm-Tron-X, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Wire Tech were just some of the businesses that welcomed dozens of visitors to give them a taste of what happens behind their walls. It was part of the larger Door County Manufacturing Expo, which featured tours of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay campuses and a stop by the Department of Workforce Development’s Mobile Career Lab on Friday. Director of Business Development Julie Schmelzer says there are plenty of opportunities that are available in manufacturing that have nothing to do with machinery.

The DCEDC will be celebrating manufacturing all month long with trading cards sharing facts about different businesses and career paths and discounted beer for local laborers. Manufacturing is the biggest job sector in the state, representing approximately 20 percent of the state’s economy.

Picture courtesy of Door County Economic Development Corporation