Manufacturers launch digital series highlighting innovation

The National Association of Manufacturers and The Manufacturing Institute today launched a new video series, “Making The Future,” as part of their Creators Wanted virtual tour happening across the country.

The first episode, “On a Roll: How Manufacturers Solved the COVID-19 Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020,” highlights how the manufacturing industry’s quick thinking and rapid innovation helped solve the toilet paper crisis last year as millions of Americans, under lockdown restrictions due to the pandemic, began panic-buying household items.

The 15-minute video showcases the resourcefulness and hard work of the manufacturing industry and provides the first-hand accounts from representatives of the American Forest & Paper Association and Procter & Gamble, makers of Charmin on how modern manufacturers saved the day—focusing on how they helped shore up the ubiquitous toilet paper shortage.

“In the last year, the manufacturing industry rapidly evolved and adapted to the changing needs of Americans in real time. We all remember the early days of the pandemic—visiting grocery stores only to find empty shelves, especially for essential household items such as toilet paper,” said MI Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “But what many people don’t realize is that thanks to the quick thinking and hard work of countless manufacturers, we were ultimately able to solve this problem and restock shelves with essential items when we needed them most. This is a striking real-world example of how our modern manufacturers find innovative solutions to everyday problems.

“This digital series will exemplify the true ingenuity of the modern manufacturing industry and highlight the exciting, high-tech jobs available to millions of Americans.”

The series will feature short videos exploring key topics in the news and relevant to the future of manufacturing in the United States. Major supporters for Creators Wanted are some of America’s top manufacturers, including:

• The Dow Chemical Company; Midland, Michigan
• Trane Technologies; Davidson, North Carolina
• Honda; Raymond, Ohio
• Emerson; St. Louis, Missouri
• Toyota; Plano, Texas
• Stanley Black & Decker; Bristol, Connecticut
• Novelis; Guthrie, Kentucky
• Nephron Pharmaceuticals, West Columbia, South Carolina

“We are prepared for thousands of different events, from cybersecurity attacks to earthquakes to fire, but no one is prepared for all of those happening at the same time, which is what the pandemic felt like,” said Procter & Gamble Chief Product Supply Officer Julio Nemeth. “We now essentially are undergoing a reengineering of our supply chain and adapting our operations to meet the demands of our new environment. That includes fast-tracking onboarding for new suppliers, adding distribution sites and using data to generate earlier demand-shock warnings.”

“On a Roll: How Manufacturers Solved the COVID-19 Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020” can be streamed via the NAM’s YouTube channel, on live.creatorswanted.org or through the MI’s Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. For more information on the manufacturing industry and exciting career paths, click the corresponding links for the NAM and MI.