Packaging students across the U.S. are gearing up for the fourth annual Amazing Packaging Race, coming to PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Sept. 23–25, 2013; Las Vegas Convention Center).
For the third year running, ASCO Numatics (Booth C-4933) will sponsor the three-hour dash around the PACK EXPO show floor, in which teams of students compete for points by completing tasks with varying levels of difficulty at the booths of participating exhibitors.
“It’s critical for the manufacturing industry to continue to engage and nurture talent,” says Robert W. Kemple Jr., executive vice president, sales and marketing–Americas, ASCO Numatics. “The Amazing Packaging Race is an exciting way to expose students to the possibilities the industry has to offer. It also presents a great opportunity for companies like ours to connect with young people that may go on to work for us in the future. We are proud to be associated with an event that promotes the education of the engineers of tomorrow.”
“Participation from exhibitors is what makes the contest work,” says Maria Ferrante, vice president, Education & Workforce Development at PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the owner and producer of PACK EXPO Las Vegas.
“Without ASCO and the other participating exhibitors, the contest couldn’t happen. We’re very grateful to them — and we always have room for more,” she says.
As of Sept. 11, 2013, 21 exhibitors and six PMMI Partner Schools are participating in the Race:
Exhibitors: 3M; ADCO Manufacturing; Arrowhead Systems, Inc.; Bosch Packaging Technology, Inc.; Collamat AG; Con-Pearl NA, Inc.; Cozzoli Machine Company; Dorner Mfg.; Emulate3D Ltd.; FilmLOC, Inc.; Garvey Corporation; Intelligrated; Label Technology Inc.; Langguth America; Millwood Incorporated; Morrison Container Handling Solutions; Packsize, LLC; Schneider Packaging Equipment Co., Inc.; Shurtape Technologies, LLC.; Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery; Starview Packaging Machinery, Inc.
Schools: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Clemson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rutgers University School of Engineering, Virginia Tech and San Jose State University.
“PMMI is committed to strengthening the workforce, and the Amazing Packaging Race helps do that,” says Ferrante. ”It’s fun, it gives students the opportunity to connect with exhibitors, and it gets them excited about the industry they’re planning to join.”
To participate in the competition, exhibitors and PMMI Partner Schools should contact Maria Ferrante at 571.612.3195 or maria@pmmi.org. Exhibitors are asked to contribute $500 to the PMMI Education & Training Foundation, which helps provide scholarships and other educational assistance to students at PMMI’s Partner schools in North America.
The Amazing Packaging Race will take place on Wednesday, September 25, from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., and will be followed by an announcement of the winner at the ASCO Numatics booth. Each member of the winning team will receive a new iPad.
