A group of local high school students came to tour Barron Industries on Manufacturing Day and some of them say they want to return to the Oxford, Michigan metal components manufacturing plant as employees. Celebrated annually on the first Friday in October, with events continuing throughout the month, Manufacturing Day is a national grassroots movement that demonstrates the reality of modern manufacturing careers. Barron is among 34 Oakland County advanced manufacturing facilities that opened their doors to 1000 students from 28 high schools. The event, aimed at inspiring the next generation of manufacturing professionals, allows students to learn about Barron's various manufacturing processes, from design to production.
"We're a one-stop shop for custom metal components," said President/CEO Bruce Barron. "Students are able to see the how parts are made and how they're used for things like aircraft, satellites, rockets and military vehicles."
The day started with an introduction of the family-owned company which dates back 100 years when Barron's grandfather started a Detroit iron foundry to service the automotive industry. Barron told the students that he started working in the foundry as a teenager and he came back to work in the family company after studying business and chemical engineering at university.
"Metal casting gets into your blood," he said. "I always loved to watch the molten metal being poured in the foundry and today we've added advanced manufacturing to the process, allowing us to produce precision machined castings and assemblies. In addition to pouring metal, we now do design, additive manufacturing, CNC machining, welding, assembly, inspection and non-destructive testing including computed radiography."
The students toured Barron's entire facility including the foundry where stainless steel and aluminum alloys are mixed, melted and poured into molds. They also visited the CNC facility and witnessed 5-axis milling as well as twin spindle and live turret turning. Interactive demonstrations included the 3D printing of patterns for keychains which were given to the students as souvenirs of the the day. Students also saw tensile testing where a metal bar was snapped apart to measure its strength, as well as, computed radiography where finished parts are x-rayed to check for defects. The day ended with a Q&A session with Barron Industries employees who shared their career journeys and the importance of STEM education in the manufacturing sector.
“Manufacturing Day is a great way for the students to see the innovative technologies in action," said Barron Process Engineer Joel Bixel who led the student tour. "Plus they were able to see how our parts are used for important applications that help improve lives and protect our military."
This was Barron's first year participating in the Oakland County Manufacturing Day organized by Oakland County Michigan Works!, the Oakland County Department of Economic Development, Oakland Schools and Oakland Community College. Since 2015, more than 10,000 students have participated in the Oakland initiative involving a total of 103 companies.
Addressing skills and applicant gaps
"The event not only highlights the importance of the manufacturing industry, but also shows students that there are many rewarding career opportunities available right in their own backyard," said Barron. "I gave the students my business card and told them to call me when they want to come here to work. They can start in an entry level position that requires no previous experience and work their way up to a skilled-trade or process engineer, like some of our long-term employees have."
Barron said his company takes advantage of government assistance programs like the state's Going PRO Talent Fund to provide partial funding of professional development annually for more than half of its workforce of 80 employees. The company also has a registered apprenticeship program for CNC machining in which apprentices are able to work while attending free college classes.
"We'll be needing many more machinists when we open our new 20-thousand square foot Aerospace and Defense Advanced Manufacturing Technical Center next year," said Barron. “We’re responding to the industry’s growing needs by investing in new facilities and technology to increase capacity."
Over the next decade, 3.8 million manufacturing workers will need to be hired in the United States. Manufacturing Day addresses the skills and applicant gaps by showing students that there are many rewarding career opportunities available right in their own backyard.