As October came to a close, we also reached the end of Manufacturing Month — a time to celebrate the makers of things big and small, from the electricity that powers your home to the medication that keeps you healthy to the vehicle that takes you wherever you need to go.

Manufacturing is the economic engine of Pennsylvania, fueling growth and prosperity across communities.

Manufacturing provides family-sustaining jobs for more than a half-million Pennsylvanians, making it our third largest employer. And manufacturing is Pennsylvania’s greatest economic sector in terms of statewide economic output — with more than $110 billion annually.

But manufacturing isn’t easy.

Manufacturers need to invest in their people to build the workforce of tomorrow and be eager to pair their highly skilled workforce with cutting-edge technologies to create the next-generation facilities of the future. But they need resources to help them achieve that goal.

“Pennsylvania’s Manufacturing Competitiveness Playbook” — www.pamanufacturingcouncil.com/playbook — gives state leaders a playbook for winning the future of manufacturing, laying out the issues manufacturers face and offering game-changing recommendations.

By implementing these common-sense recommendations, Pennsylvania again can be recognized for our industrial might not only in October but throughout the year — and every year for generations to come.

Dave Sweet, President, MECCO

Cranberry Township