This blending of cultures, innovation and resilience is also what we experienced as we celebrated the 2024 Maryland Manufacturing Stars this past Thursday evening. In this newsletter we highlight the RMI event which honored Congressman Steny Hoyer for being the champion of the Make It in America movement and for his impact on manufacturing in Maryland as well as more than 100 other contributors to Maryland manufacturing. I was proud of our many clients' participation in the event. We congratulate all of the Manufacturing Stars and we thank our clients for participating.

Something that struck both Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland President Mike Galiazzo, who we highlight in a special feature below, and me during the Stars event is that the manufacturing industry is like a family. Diverse individuals work together toward shared goals. Each person plays a part, from the innovators designing solutions to the hands-on workers crafting products with precision. Just like a family, the industry thrives on teamwork, trust, and mutual support. Challenges are faced collectively, with seasoned members mentoring newcomers and everyone contributing their unique strengths. Celebrations of success and resilience through hardships bind the "family" closer. In manufacturing, relationships form the foundation, proving that the industry's true strength isn’t just in the machines—it’s in the people who support each other every step of the way.

As my friend Dr. Mike reminds me, manufacturing is an industry that has the ability to lift people and communities from poverty to prosperity. As we approach the season of giving thanks, I am grateful to be a member of the family.

In closing, I encourage you to shop and buy local this season. Don't forget Small Business Saturday November 30. Let's support our small and diverse businesses.

N. Scott Phillips



Director

Baltimore MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center

RMI has always engaged public and private sector stakeholders in our quest to bring people together to build companies, strengthen communities, and uplift individuals. I always say, “I hang out with good people who do good things for good reasons." 

To all of you who have stood with me I am deeply grateful for your support and for your dedication to our shared values and vision. Steny* calls me the Godfather of manufacturing. I guess I made you an offer that you couldn’t refuse.

The journey has been rewarding. Our purpose is a noble one. The highlight of my life is the community we have created, We share a sense of belonging, well-being, and a certainty that our future will be better. We are where we are today because of you and so many others who cared to make a positive difference.

Together we have achieved significance in our community. And we did it by focusing on the dignity and worth of others. That’s what families are for. The journey has been rewarding. Our purpose is a noble one. The highlight of my life is the community we have created, We share a sense of belonging, well-being, and a certainty that our future will be better. We are where we are today because of you and so many others who cared to make a positive difference. We’ve proven that the key to happiness requires that people of goodwill do good things for good reasons.



Together we have achieved significance in our community. And we did it by focusing on the dignity and worth of others. That’s what families are for.

Michael "Mike" Galiazzo

President, Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland

*Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer

Center clients and team members are front and center for the 2024 Celebration of Stars. Congressman Steny Hoyer presents RMI's Mike Galiazzo with a proclamation.

Governor Wes Moore sends videoed congratulations to the Stars.

Center clients, team members, and associates joined more than 500 guests of RMI and the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP) for their 2024 Maryland Manufacturing Stars Celebration. The Maryland manufacturing family that gathered this past Thursday at Martin's West in Baltimore County included Maryland manufacturing industry stakeholders - from manufacturers to resource providers, service providers, educators, and more - from all regions of the State. The Baltimore MBDA Advanced Manufacturing Center was a Program Partner for the event.

Highlights of the evening included remarks from Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, a staunch advocate for American manufacturing; RMI President Mike Galiazzo and MEP Executive Director Michael Kellerher; Center Director N. Scott Phillips and Center client and National MBDA Minority Enterprise Development Week Manufacturer of the Year Antoine Hutchinson of Fabpro Technologies; as well as networking and photo opts connecting those of this year's 114 Stars in attendance, including Center clients and colleagues featured below in this month's Client Highlights. The celebration, an extended awareness and networking event which began last month with publication of the online Directory of Stars, also includes an all Star listing in the Baltimore Business Journal and in Thursday evening's commemorative program.

The Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) hosted its annual Virginia Manufacturing Gala at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on Friday evening, November 8. The Women in Manufacturing Virginia Chapter named Belinda Black Woman of the Year and the Virginia Manufacturing Cup was awarded to Coresix. 

November kicks off the fall and winter holiday shopping season, with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday "shop local" and "shop USA" promotions. Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Center Operator the Mayor’s Office of Small and Minority Business Advocacy & Development, and Baltimore Main Streets will host the 2024 Small Business Saturday Tour on November 30 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., joining others around the country in dedicating the day to celebrating and supporting small businesses and all they do for their communities. Baltimore City residents are encouraged to shop small and support local businesses in the City’s nine Main Streets districts: Belair-Edison, Fell’s Point, Hamilton-Lauraville, Highlandtown, Federal Hill, Pennsylvania Avenue, Park Heights, Pigtown and Waverly.

Maryland Manufacturing Assets Deployed for Energy 4.0 (Maryland MADE 4.0) webinar series is a program designed to support the growth and advancement of Maryland’s manufacturing sector. The objective of the program is to educate, inform and assist manufacturers with the adoption and deployment of smart manufacturing and high-performance manufacturing technologies that will increase energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and enable lasting improvements.  Presentation of the series for Marylanders is made possible through collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Maryland Department of Commerce.

Manufacturing Quality Certifications

December 5 | Learn More

How to Create a Truly Flexible Manufacturing Workforce

December 10 | Learn More

Join us in extending congratulations to Center clients who are being recognized and celebrated for their contributions to the State’s manufacturing industry.

Marta Ali | Marta Ali Studios

Rasheed Aziz | Made in Bmore Clothing

Luke Chow | Prime Manufacturing Technologies

Dr. Liz Clayborne | NasaClip

Dominick Davis | DifferentRegard

Jayfus Doswell | Juxtopia

Antoine Hutchinson & Jillian Willis | Fabpro Technologies

April Richardson | Food Opportunity

The following Center associates were also recognized: Josh Barnes of Harbor Designs & Manufacturing, Mark Lawrence of MiHUB, and Timothy Smoot of MMG, Reginald Mack of the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Small and Minority Business Advocacy & Development, as well as Center team members Scott Phillips, Anthony Robinson, and Chris Plater.

39th Annual Leaders & Legends Awards Ceremony | CRMSDC | November 19, 2024 | Sneak Preview

Native American Industry Day| CRMSDC | November 19, 2024 | Register Now

MD MEP | November & December 2024 Webinars | Register Now

Mid-Atlantic Region Specialized Manufacturing Industry Training | Manufacturing Extension Partnership Network | Find Out What MEPs are doing in the Mid-Atlantic Region and Around the Country | Learn More

VMA | November & December Calendar | Register Now

Manufacturing Quality Certifications | December 5 | Learn More

How to Create a Truly Flexible Manufacturing Workforce | December 10 | Learn More

2024 T.I.P.S. Small Business Business Webinar Series | Twice Monthly thru December, 2024 | Maryland Governor's Office of Small, Minority & Women Business Affairs | Virtual | Learn More

TechTrends 2025 | SMART | April 3-4, 2025 | Atlantic City, NJ | Drive for Data Across America | Spring 2025 | Read More

SourceLink is hosted by our Center's operator, the Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Small & Minority Business Advocacy & Development.