Pratt Center
September 17, 2014
Get Ready: National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance this October 15-17
Philadelphia will host this year’s National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance (UMA) – the only collaborative conference of its kind, which brings together economic development professionals focused exclusively on the manufacturing sector.
Taking place on October 15-17, the Convening is a forum to share best practices, exchange experiences, innovate and amplify participants’ voices in the national policy discussion. Last October’s convening in Oakland engaged more than 80 representatives of public agencies, industrial development corporations, and nonprofit research and policy advocates from 25 cities, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati and Chicago. Exchanging ideas on how urban manufacturing can reduce chronic unemployment and regain its foothold in dense urban areas are key goals of the UMA. Through this annual collaboration, the UMA seeks to rebuild and amplify the collective power of American urban manufacturing to sustain and create diverse jobs in our most populous cities.
“I am delighted to welcome the Urban Manufacturing Alliance to Philadelphia, the original ‘Workshop of the World’”, said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “I have seen firsthand how cities benefit from strong manufacturing sectors, it creates economic activity as well as good job creation. As our nation continues to push the importance of American manufacturing and plan for its long-term growth, our cities must remain at the forefront of this conversation. I look forward to seeing everyone in October and hearing more about this group’s important work.”
Michael Cooper, Director of the Office of Manufacturing and Industry for the City of Philadelphia says “The City of Philadelphia is pleased to host the Third National Convening of the Urban Manufacturing Alliance, which will bring together organizations from around the country, all working on growing their own local manufacturing communities.”
Philadelphia was selected out of a number of cities because according to Kate Sofis, UMA Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member, “Philadelphia demonstrates the vibrancy of local urban manufacturing with a robust sector ranging from small manufacturers to larger, established companies. At the same time, Philadelphia faces many of the same issues and concerns other cities face in supporting manufacturers, which will make it a great backdrop for our national gathering to discuss best practices for moving the sector forward.”
This year’s Convening is sponsored by The Kauffman Foundation, Surdna Foundation and Goldman Sachs and will take place on October 15-17 at Le Meridien in downtown Philadelphia. To learn more about how to get involved or for more information, please visit the UMA website: http://www.urbanmfg.org/annual-convening/3rd-national-convening.
About the Urban Manufacturing Alliance: Launched at the first Clinton Global Initiative on the US Economy in 2011, the UMA is a national collaborative of non-profit, for-profit and governmental stakeholders working together to promote, stimulate, and grow manufacturing in cities, creating high-quality jobs—with pathways for economic and skill advancement for individuals from diverse urban communities. If you’d like more information about this topic please call Abbie at 415.408-5605x4 or e-mail at abbie@sfmade.org.