Hmmmmmm, What Have I Been Saying?

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY DECLARES OCTOBER "MARYLAND MANUFACTURING MONTH”

BALTIMORE, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley issued a proclamation declaring October “Maryland Manufacturing Month” and kicked off a year-long focus on the State’s manufacturing industry.

“Manufacturing offers one of our greatest opportunities to strengthen our middle class, grow jobs and create new opportunities here in Maryland,” said Governor O’Malley. “To have a growing economy, we must also have a diverse economy which, at its core, must include a thriving manufacturing sector. I look forward to continuing to work with our industry stakeholders to turn the promise of manufacturing today into the reality of manufacturing tomorrow.”

Beginning today, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) will feature a monthly story on a manufacturer in the State on its business blog, MDBiz News. The series, titled “Maryland’s Next Generation Manufacturers,” will highlight companies employing the latest advancements in manufacturing. Click here to see this month’s story on Tulkoff Foods. In addition, DBED will issue a report later this year on the state of the manufacturing industry.

Governor O’Malley has implemented a number of initiatives to grow Maryland’s manufacturing industry. Last year, Governor O’Malley reinvigorated the Maryland Advisory Commission on Manufacturing Competitiveness, which is charged with advising the Governor on ways to encourage new and expanding manufacturing enterprises in Maryland. The 16-member Commission also recommends ways in which to retrain and educate Maryland workers for manufacturing jobs, support research, and foster the growth and viability of manufacturing enterprises in the State.

During this year’s legislative session, Governor O’Malley created the EARN (Employment Advancement Right Now) job training initiative – a joint effort with members of the Maryland General Assembly to create industry-led regional job creation and workforce development partnerships that help to identify common workforce needs for high-demand occupations such as construction, traditional and advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and health care; and develop and implement education or training strategies to address those shortages.

In 2012, Maryland had 3,694 manufacturers employing 108,985 people. Manufacturing accounts for almost $19 billion worth of output in 2012, or 6 percent of the State’s total GDP.