Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc., a manufacturer of exterior building products, announced plans to celebrate ‘National Manufacturing Day’ across its North American facilities throughout October, hosting events to honor its nearly 20,000 team members. 

“At Cornerstone Building Brands our people are the difference, dedicated to understanding and delivering on our customers’ needs by embodying a culture grounded in customer-centricity, interconnectedness and continuous improvement,” said Rose Lee, president and CEO of Cornerstone Building Brands. 

“Manufacturing Month is the perfect opportunity for future talent to learn more about the wide range of career opportunities available within the industry, as well as the specific goals our winning team of top-tier talent is working together to achieve,” Lee added.

MFG Day, an initiative of the Manufacturing Institute and supported by the National Association of Manufacturers, has been celebrated on the first Friday of October since 2012, Cornerstone said in a company news release on October 6. 

The company added that this year’s celebrations come “…at a particularly crucial time for the future of the modern manufacturing industry as thousands of jobs remain unfilled month-to-month.” According to the latest research from the Manufacturing Institute, this skills gap has led to more than 2.1 million U.S. manufacturing jobs that need to be filled by 2030.

Cornerstone said it is addressing the deficit by opening its doors to the next generation of manufacturing professionals. At its exterior siding facility in Jasper, Tenn., and its windows facility in North Brunswick, N.J., high school students, teachers and community leaders are invited to tour the facilities and experience the product development process hands-on. 

Company leadership will also attend to facilitate event activities and offer insight into available career and professional development opportunities.

“I’m proud to be part of a team that works together safely, inclusively and with integrity to ensure our products reach the highest quality levels every time,” said John Wallace, executive vice president, operational excellence, at Cornerstone. “We look forward to continuing this standard of excellence and welcoming the next generation to explore the many opportunities in an ever-evolving manufacturing industry.”

In addition to community events, the company wants to “shine a light” on its network of team members across North America dedicated to positively impacting their customers and communities. Throughout its 170-plus locations, Cornerstone says it plans to recognize team members by hosting team building and employee appreciation events, celebrating the work team members do daily as critical manufacturing industry members.

Manufacturing Month celebrations are one way the company says it “positively impacts” the communities where team members “live, work and play.” Through the company’s ‘Cornerstone Building Brands Cares’ initiatives, the company says it works with local partners and charitable organizations to donate building products, facilitate house builds and strengthen volunteer engagement. 

Cornerstone stated that the company has donated more than $3.1 million in products and resources, helping to build or remodel more than 670 homes in 90 communities through its ‘Home for Good’ project.

To learn more, visit cornerstonebuildingbrands.com.