Featured Story: Manufacturing Day
Posted on 12/30/2023
Lake Shore High School partnered with Best Tool & Engineering and Drake Enterprises, Inc. to help build career interest through MFG Day.
Best Tool & Engineering was founded in 1991. Joe Cherluck, current president, bought the company Best Tool & Mold and renamed it to reflect the added engineering services. Their company has been family operated for most of its life. Over 10 family members have worked at Best Tool since 1991. With this family operated atmosphere, we believe it has helped the company have a deeper relationship with itโs clientele.
They're a custom plastic component supplier with in-house design and build of plastic injection molds, vibration & hot plate welding tools, and fixtures.
Now in his 3rd year of Manufacturing Day participation, Cherluck believes in the importance of encouraging students to pursue careers in this field. He said, "We are not fully automated. We depend on good people working here."
Drake Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1952 by Benny Stemple and is now located in Clinton Township, Michigan. Beginning as a small 4 man operation, Benny never imagined his dreams and ambitions would lead to an 80,000 square foot facility with more than 100 employees. In 1964, Richard & Lee Stemple joined their father and today all Drake employees continue to strive in the competitive manufacturing environment with a vast variety of manufacturing equipment and quality products.
Part of a national initiative, 22 students from Mr. Winters' Building Renovations and Ms. Miller's Introduction to Architecture, CAD, and Digital Design classes learned about possible career paths to promote interest in skilled manufacturing jobs. After welcome presentations, different team members touched base about what their respective departments do by giving tours. Tours included Design/Engineering, CNC Operator/Programmer, Toolmaker/Mold-Maker, Injection Mold Process Tech., Quality Control, Sales, and Owner/CEO.
Thanks to local sponsors, teachers Mr. Winters and Ms. Miller, Career & Technical Education Coordinator Todd Stevens, students each received an incredible experience. MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.
Learn more about the 2024 #MFGDay by visiting https://mfgday.com/.