Until
a
few
years
ago
whenever
I
heard
the
term
manufacturing
I
conjured
up
images
of
generic
warehouses
and
faceless
workers
performing
a
single
task
repeatedly
–
well
that
or
the
Honey
Bunches
of
Oats
lady.
After
re-locating
to
the
Southern
Tier
in
2016
I
realized
how
shallow
my
definition
was.
Like
my
faceless
workers
on
production
lines
my
knowledge
about
Chenango
County’s
manufacturing
industry
was
equally
pathetic;
I
realized
if
I
didn’t
know
how
to
define
manufacturing
or
its
role
in
Chenango
County
then
I
didn’t
know
a
lot
about
the
region
or
my
neighbors.
This
lack
of
knowledge
about
an
industry
synonymous
with
American
pride
is
why
the
Manufacturing
Institute,
with
the
Fabricators
&
Manufacturers
Association
developed
Manufacturing
Day
in
2012.
Held
on
the
first
Friday
in
October,
the
goals
of
Manufacturing
Day
are:
to
show
the
reality
of
modern
manufacturing
careers;
to
inspire
the
next
generation
of
manufacturers;
to
educate
the
public
about
the
important
role
manufacturers
play
in
our
daily
lives;
and
to
address
the
growing
skill
shortage
despite
the
high
volume
of
job
openings
in
the
sector.
On
Manufacturing
Day,
companies
large
and
small
open
their
facilities
to
our
nation’s
youth
and
teach
them
that
manufacturing
is
much
more
than
warehouses
and
production
lines.
But
what
is
manufacturing,
and
what
does
it
mean
for
Chenango
County?
At
its
simplest,
the
term
manufacture
means
to
make
something
from
raw
materials
by
hand
or
machinery.
I
manufacture
cupcakes
when
I
am
in
a
baking
mood,
my
friend
manufactures
face
masks
for
her
loved
ones;
at
its
simplest,
manufacturing
can
be
big
or
small.
When
talking
about
the
manufacturing
industry
in
Chenango
County
the
term
highlights
the
incredible
amount
of
innovation
and
creativity
within
our
borders,
as
well
as
the
county’s
role
in
the
production
of
goods
used
across
the
country.
Chenango
County
is
not
known
for
a
specific
type
of
manufacturing,
like
Detroit
and
cars,
but
rather
we
are
known
for
“Manufacturing”.
Chenango
County
is
home
to
no
less
than
80
manufacturers
and
employs
more
than
4,500
people
that
range
from
the
very
large
(check
out
Raymond
Corporation
in
Greene)
to
the
small
(head
on
over
to
Heartwood
Forest
Products
in
Sherburne),
from
yogurt
and
paint
production
to
the
creation
of
jet
engine
systems
and
medications.
We
do
it
all,
and
we
want
to
do
more.
One
of
the
most
frequently
purchased
artist
tools
from
New
York
to
California,
in
store
and
online,
was
developed
and
is
still
produced
in
the
town
of
New
Berlin.
In
1980
Sam
Golden
started
his
paint
company,
Golden
Artists
Colors,
Inc.
out
of
his
barn.
Over
the
next
ten
years
he
built
his
business
and
expanded
from
a
900
square
foot
barn
to
a
barn
and
two
factories
totaling
19,200
square
feet.
By
2008
they
had
launched
a
new
type
of
acrylic
paint;
as
of
2020
they
have
revolutionized
water
colors,
acquired
Williamsburg
Handmade
Oil
Colors,
and
become
one
of
4,000
companies
in
the
United
States
that
is
majority
owned
by
its
employees.
Currently
the
company
employs
201
people
ranging
from
paint
mixers,
and
shippers,
to
customer
service
representatives
and
quality
inspectors.
From
a
barn
in
small
town
New
Berlin
to
a
nationally
recognized
paint
manufacturer,
Golden
Artists
Colors,
Inc.
reflects
the
innovation
and
manufacturing
success
found
throughout
Chenango
County.
