For Immediate Release
October 5, 2023
Contact: Narine Manukova
517-490-8232
manukovanarine@gmail.com
Williamston, MI – Bekum America Corporation, a global leader in designing and manufacturing blow molding machinery, will welcome high school students to its state-of-art facilities to celebrate
Manufacturing Day beginning at 8 a.m., on Friday, October 6th at Bekum America, located at 1140 West Grand River Avenue in Williamston. Students from Fowlerville, Corunna and Laingsburg school districts are expected to attend.
“We love to welcome students to Bekum America to celebrate Manufacturing Day!” said Steven D. London, Bekum America’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “From our newly expanded facility to our award-winning Apprenticeship Program, Bekum has a lot to offer to high school students and we are excited that so many students and teachers choose Bekum.”
Bekum’s event includes machine demonstrations, live interactive industrial games, a full tour, and a special presentation by Bekum’s leadership team. The goal each year is to provide students with awareness and education about the industry and potential career paths. During the event, students are also engaged in in hand on activities that expose them to a real-time manufacturing environment. For many, this is a very eye-opening experience, as there are some common misperceptions with manufacturing.
The Bekum Apprenticeship Program works with various area school districts including; the Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton County RESA, career centers, and local area high schools in Ingham, Livingston, Genesee and Oakland Counties, to identify and recruit students. Each apprentice must complete 8,000 hours of training and approximately 60 credit hours at Lansing Community College, working towards an associate degree. Bekum established its Apprenticeship Program in 1994. In May of 2001, according to the Department of Labor, Bekum America graduated the two youngest, active journeymen in the United States. Approximately 50 percent of Bekum's manufacturing workforce have graduated from the apprenticeship program or are currently registered in the program.
BEKUM America was established in 1979 with the mission to introduce top quality blow molding machinery, designed to produce plastic bottles, containers and other large plastic parts in the North
American marketplace, via blending German design and technology with American skill and ingenuity. Bekum’s customer base includes large multi-national customers, as well as owner/operator plastic bottle manufacturers.
