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Sponsored by: Manufacturers Association of Maine
Updated: May 2, 2022 2022 Work for ME

Manufacturers Association of Maine

We got this

The Manufacturers Association of Maine is so pleased to be part of the 2022 Work for ME publication, as we have been since its inception. Our partnership with Mainebiz has kept manufacturing front and center and this publication brings the world of modern manufacturing to thousands of students, job seekers, parents and businesses.

Photo / Courtesy of MAME
Lisa G. Martin

In Maine, we celebrate manufacturing. Over the past few years, Maine manufacturers stepped up to produce PPE products to keep Mainers safe and keep products flowing worldwide. Manufacturing took the lead. Manufacturing touches every aspect of our daily lives, from the clock that wakes you, to the coffee maker, to the car you ride in and practically everything in your office or shop floor is manufactured.

Maine’s manufacturing output continues to go upward. Since 2008 we have gone from $5.4 billion to $6.3 billion in products manufactured. Although data shows a steady decline in manufacturing jobs over the past several decades, the change in GDP means more is being produced with fewer people.

Automation and robotics play a big role in the lack of a skilled workforce, which has been a major issue for the past 15 to 20 years in Maine. Today, workforce challenges are, along with supply chain issues, the biggest issue facing industry.

The economic indicators in Maine show 1,850 manufacturing business establishments and 54,600 jobs. Manufacturing employment is 8.41% of Maine’s entire workforce.

The average annual salary of a manufacturing worker is $62,300. The manufacturing payroll in 2020 was $3.6 billion, and 12% of overall wages paid statewide. As shown above, manufacturing has a $6.3 billion GDP and is 9.80% of the total GDP output in the state, suggesting the role that automation has played in the industry in recent history.

Here in Maine, the Manufacturers Association of Maine is home to the Robotics Institute of Maine, a nonprofit that is governed by a board of directors to raises funds to support student robotics teams across Maine. This program lends every student the opportunity to participate in real world challenges with automation and robotic solutions.

The Manufacturers Association of Maine and a large group of partners across the state work tirelessly to help change the perception of manufacturing. It continues to be a challenge to convey the world of modern manufacturing to students, educators, parents and the public. But with our efforts, we are making a difference.

Together, MAME and Destination Occupation, the workforce arm of the association, created Employee Growth Services. The EGS network is comprised of roughly 20 private and public organizations that coordinate workforce services for industry. Our message is simple. We take the mystery out of the workforce system, allowing companies to use the system while we work behind the scenes to figure out the best solution for each company.

The EGS also hosts monthly series, “Where to go to find good people.” Each month a provider and manufacturer share what has worked for them in recruiting, hiring and training people in today’s market. Other EGS entities include Express Employment Professionals, the University of Southern Maine Student Services Center, KDT Consulting, Boots2Roots, Fedcap Rehabilitation Services, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, American Rheinmetall Systems, Coastal Enterprises Inc., Synergy Workforce Solutions, Maine Department of Labor, Learning Works, ARPA Grant/DOL Career Center, Southern Maine Community College and the Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network. We continue to add entities to the EGS Network as resources become available that fit the needs of the business community.

For years, the annual Maine MFG Summit has produced a report highlighting the top issues and challenges for the manufacturing sector. Since the launch of the annual MFG Summit in 2009, the top concerns continue to be workforce availability, energy costs, the cost of doing business in Maine and, most currently, the supply chain challenges facing the nation.

Policy issues are also a concern as more legislation is being put in place that increases the cost of doing business in Maine. MAME is pro-growth, pro-manufacturing and it is imperative that our policy makers work together to keep the manufacturing sector strong in Maine.

We continue to implement activities with student and educator outreach, tours and classroom activities, work to increase robotics programs across the state, employ transitioning military members, New Mainers and immigrants, corrections populations and others seeking meaningful employment. We are proud of the efforts to add diversity to the workplace that is reflective of the Maine population.

As we work to promote careers in manufacturing, we must collaborate with industry, government, service organizations and workers to assure the retention and expansion of the manufacturing sector. Our efforts to promote and grow manufacturing will create an environment where people, communities and businesses thrive.

— Lisa G. Martin, Executive Director Manufacturers Association of Maine, lisa@mainemfg.com