Voting Begins for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” Lehigh Valley Video Contest Student Video Contest’s Online Voting Winner Joins Eleven Other Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kim Plyler
kim@sahlcomm.com
484-554-5582
Lehigh Valley, PA. – March 12, 2026 – The Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) is proud to announce online voting for the 13th anniversary year of the Lehigh Valley What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Student Video Contest will commence Tuesday March 17, 12:01 AM and remain open until Thursday, March 19, 11:59 PM at www.whatssocool.org. Voting is open to contest participants and the public, who may vote for more than one video and as often as they wish. The winner will be announced during this year’s awards event, held at Lehigh University’s Stabler Athletic and Convocation Center and broadcast live on WFMZ on Weds, March 25th at 7:00 PM.
Student teams from 30 regional middle school teams compete for the most votes to win the coveted “Viewers Choice Award.” The videos will also be reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in eleven other categories, including Outstanding Career Pathway, Outstanding Editing, and Outstanding Creativity.
Rich Hobbs
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 13th year of What’s So Cool with the Lehigh Valley community at our annual awards event,” says Rich Hobbs, MRC President & CEO. “While we anticipate a record-breaking voting response, what we love seeing most is the hard work and collaboration between the students, teachers and manufacturers, as well as the impact of sharing their message about manufacturing opportunities right here in our region.”
Since its inception, the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Student Video Contest format, created by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) here in the Lehigh Valley, has been replicated by sixteen regional contests, and adopted by stakeholders in 12 additional states.
The program’s continued success and growth are attributed to the efforts the teachers and students have put forth in the community since its inception. MRC project partners eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, Inc., and EmpowerStar Enterprises, and the community sponsors are committed to its sustainability.
Educational media resources, GoPro Camera kits, professional media training, materials, and project costs were funded and made possible by the following:
Premier Sponsor: Lehigh University
Leadership Sponsors: Air Products and Workforce Board Lehigh Valley
Technology Sponsor: PPL Electric Utilities and Nordson Corporation
Event Sponsors: ATAS International and Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Platinum Sponsors: B. Braun Medical Inc., Capital Blue Cross, Crayola, Embassy Bank, Follett Corporation, Mack Trucks, Penn Community Bank, Pocono Counties Workforce Development Area, Stanley Black & Decker, Sumitomo, and Univest Financial
Gold Sponsors: Aerotek, Alera Group, Allied Personnel, Bracalente Manufacturing Group, Cresa, FMI, Freshpet, Fulton Bank, HindlePower, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Just Born Quality Confections, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, M&T Bank, Messer-US, Miller-Keystone Blood Center, PNC, Precision Roll Grinders, PSECU, Sharp Packaging Solutions, and Victaulic
Silver Sponsors: AMPAL, Bosch Rexroth Corporation, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc., Compass Point, Dynalene, Dynegy powered by Vistra, Eastern Surfaces, Fromm Electric, Fuller Technologies, Gallagher, Kitchen Magic, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh County, Lehigh Valley LaunchBox, Lehigh Valley Plastics, Northampton Community College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania Treasury, Quandel, and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Bronze Sponsors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Carbon Career & Technical Institute, Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit, Career Institute of Technology, County of Northampton, DaVinci Science Center, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, LINC, National Museum of Industrial History, Primo, and US Anodize
Media Sponsors: 99.9 The Hawk, Adams Outdoor Advertising, Lehigh Valley Business Journal, Lehigh Valley Public Media, WDIY Lehigh Valley Public Radio, and WFMZ 69 News
Cupcake Sponsor: NCC Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry
Cupcake Competitors: Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, Career Institute of Technology, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute
Visit WhatsSoCool.org for more information and resources, and follow on social media @wscmlv.
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About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®”:
Developed by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), the WSCM program is a video-based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths and technology in manufacturing through “peer marketing” (kids telling kids what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs). The contest is showcased on the What’s So Cool Website and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms. The Lehigh Valley contest has expanded across the Commonwealth and the country.
The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” comprehensive manufacturing video library was created by MRC and WSCM PA in 2020 and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED). The interactive library of the who’s who in Pennsylvania manufacturing, garnered from the yearly regional contests, is intended to serve as an educational resource for anyone curious about manufacturing in Pennsylvania. The library can be accessed through the WhatsSoCool.org website and contains 1436 student videos featuring over 700 Pennsylvania manufacturers. https://www.whatssocool.org/video-library/
This contest allows students to connect with local manufacturers, document their experiences, and present them in an educational and “cool” way. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths, and CTE and STEM education. Original funding for “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” was furnished by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PADCED).
About Manufacturers Resource Center:
For 38 years, the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) has helped small and mid-sized manufacturers become more competitive, adopt lean and agile processes, strategically grow their companies, and invest more effectively in their existing human capital. MRC is a nonprofit organization partially funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST-MEP program and the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. MRC is dedicated to creating jobs and economic opportunities in eastern Pennsylvania’s Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.
Kim I Plyler
CEO SahlComm306 S New Street
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
cell: 484-554-5582