MENDOTA, IL — Black Bros. Co. welcomed 20 local high schoolers to its headquarters as part of the ninth annual Discover Manufacturing Expo on Oct. 24. The event is a collaboration between North Central Regional Betterment Coalition and Illinois Valley Community College which aims to give students a better understanding of careers available as they ready to continue their education or enter the workforce. The visitors were provided a complete company overview, extensive facility tour, and brief machinery demonstration in the company’s test laboratory.
“It’s a win-win,” said Black Bros. Marketing Manager Clay Coss. “Students get to observe and experience firsthand the daily ins-and-outs of the manufacturing world — some aspects which they probably have never given much thought to — and we get to showcase our possibilities for success and advancement.”
Following the morning events at Black Bros., students loaded up and continued the day-long field trip at IVCC by participating in a career expo featuring a number of additional local manufacturers. There they ate lunch, listened to a keynote speaker, and met with numerous industry professionals for further questions and information.
“Like the world around us, manufacturing today has evolved into a very sophisticated, technology-driven process,” said Coss. “There are a ton of possibilities for young, motivated people, and they are changing every day. So, with the continued labor shortage and existing need for qualified workers, events like this are something we are eager to be part of.”
Established in 1882, Black Bros. is a world-renown manufacturer of high-quality laminating and roll coating machinery for a wide-array of markets.