Governor proclaims “Manufacturing Makes It Real Week”

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has proclaimed the week of Sept. 27 to Oct. 1 as “Manufacturing Makes It Real Week” throughout the state.

The proclamation coincides with a weeklong “Manufacturing Makes It Real” bus tour that is recognizing the state’s manufacturers, their products and their employees. The tour is stopping in several cities throughout the state and collecting examples of NC-made products to present to state leaders. The tour is produced by the Industrial Extension Service (IES), which is part of the College of Engineering at NC State and recently completed a campaign to produce $1 billion in economic value for North Carolina.

Manufacturers across the state employ more than 510,000 people, about 15 percent of the state’s workforce, making manufacturing the largest employment sector in the North Carolina economy, according to IES. Manufacturers produce nearly 20 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.