2020 Bay Area Manufacturing Week – More Important Now than Ever

Every year in October, Manufacturing Day is held to highlight the value and importance of manufacturing in America.  This year, the 2020 Bay Area Manufacturing Week will be held from October 2 – 9^th.  Businesses and residents are encouraged to learn more and participate in the conversation through a handful of events (more below).

In past years, San Leandro businesses have opened their doors for tours, hosted the East Bay Manufacturing Day for students, and joined us to relax and network at Drake’s Barrel House.  While we are not able to visit facilities and gather in person this year, October is still a great time to learn more about manufacturing in San Leandro and the great jobs it offers. Businesses can also stay tuned for more information and updates from the City of San Leandro in an online forum in late October.

Manufacturing in San Leandro

San Leandro is building upon its deep manufacturing history, transforming into an innovation and advanced manufacturing hub, with exciting startup businesses pushing the envelope in hardware, food manufacturing, and the internet of things. The slogan, We Make Things, goes beyond San Leandro’s industrial sector, with the many innovative businesses, entrepreneurs, and students, who are working to find new solutions for business, environmental, and social problems.

San Leandro has a long industrial history, first in making plows and Caterpillar tractors, then in canning, and then in Chrysler vehicles. This has created a legacy of skills in metals and machining, food processing and distribution, and instruments and process controls. This is precisely why San Leandro continues to preserve around 23% of its land for industrial use, as the industrial/manufacturing sector continues to contribute significantly to San Leandro’s economy ($52 million 2014-2017).  Approximately 32% of San Leandro’s jobs are in the Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR) sectors, employing over 14,000 people with a median wage of $68,000.  Manufacturing jobs have historically been the cornerstone of the local economy, providing good living wages to persons with a diversity of skill and education levels and offering career pathways for advancement.

San Leandro boasts internationally-known food processing companies like Ghirardelli Chocolates, Coca-Cola, Arytza/Otis Spunkmeyer, and now Torani syrups; as well as advanced manufacturers including PCC Structurals, Energy Recovery, Porifera, Scandic Springs, Applied Fusion, and many more.  The local ecosystem also supports many innovative new businesses and makers at spaces such as Gate510, which provides flexible space and services to start-up businesses, makers, and artists in over 300,000 square feet of space (including 3-D printing companies Ivaldi and Gantri).

Now, more than ever, the valuable goods and services that San Leandro manufacturers offer are vital to our community.  At a time when the term ‘essential’ business has taken on new meaning, we are honored to know that many of our businesses offer essential goods and services and have worked to adapt their operations so that they can continue to operate safely during these difficult times.  Additionally, many businesses have adapted to provide vital equipment to help the community stay safe, with companies making items such as hand sanitizer, masks, and plastic shields.  Hear their stories in our previous post.  Among the top 20 employers in San Leandro, nearly half are manufacturers providing valuable food, equipment, and services to keep our community moving forward (with the remaining largest businesses in other essential sectors such as healthcare).

2020 Bay Area Manufacturing Week

Please join SFMade, MFG:SJ, the Bay Area Urban Manufacturing Initiative, and the 30+ partner cities and counties in paying tribute to the work that manufacturers do every day to create a safe and robust Bay Area during 2020 Bay Area Manufacturing Week, coming up from Friday, October 2nd through Friday, October 9th, 2020.

Click Here to see the full schedule of free events, including:

• Friday, October 2 – 11:00am – 12:30pm – Why Manufacturing Matters – Now and in the Future
• Tuesday, October 6 – 11:00am – 12:30pm – Driving Capital into Manufacturing – Why and How
• Thursday, October 8 – 11:00am – 12:30pm – Building Resiliency Into a Manufacturing Business
• Friday, October 9 – 11:00am – 12:30pm – Manufacturing as an Engine for Equity