Volume 29 | Issue 2
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By Jon Barganier, President & CEO of Manufacture Alabama.
From rocket engines and naval ships to automotive innovation and critical infrastructure products, Alabama manufacturers produce some of the most impressive products in the country. Yet many people still do not realize these products are made right here in our state. Manufacturing Madness was created to help change that by connecting the public to the companies, careers, and innovation driving Alabama manufacturing forward. For many students and young professionals, exposure is the first step toward considering manufacturing as a career path. If people never see the innovation happening inside modern manufacturing facilities, they are unlikely to picture themselves working in the industry.
The opportunity now is not simply to grow the industry. It is to help more people understand the innovation, technology, and career opportunities already happening within it. That is where industry storytelling and public engagement become strategic priorities. Alabama is leveraging initiatives like Manufacturing Madness to showcase the full scope of what is made in the state. At the same time, these efforts are helping connect students, families, and communities to modern manufacturing careers. By connecting people to real products and real companies, Alabama is not only highlighting its manufacturing leadership but also building a future-ready workforce aligned with industry demand. This combination of product diversity and workforce strength is what sets Alabama apart. It has created an environment where manufacturers across sectors can thrive, collaborate, and innovate at a high level.
“The future workforce pipeline starts with exposure. People are more likely to pursue careers in manufacturing when they can see the products, technology, and innovation being created in their own communities.”
— Jon Barganier, President & CEO, Manufacture Alabama
What sets Alabama apart is not reliance on a single industry, but the strength of a diversified manufacturing base. The state supports operations across aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. This diversity allows Alabama to remain competitive even as market conditions shift and helps protect the state from volatility that can impact more narrowly focused regions. Workers can transition across sectors, adopt new technologies, and meet evolving production demands.
Alabama is not only highlighting its manufacturing leadership, it is building a future-ready workforce aligned with industry demand. This combination of product diversity and workforce strength is what sets Alabama apart. It has created an environment where manufacturers across sectors can thrive, collaborate, and innovate at a high level.
Workforce development efforts in Alabama often focus on training programs, certifi cations, career tech education, and educational pipelines designed to prepare students for long-term careers in manufacturing. However, these strategies depend on a critical fi rst step, exposure. Before students and job seekers can pursue opportunities in manufacturing, they must understand what CopyWriting the industry looks like today and where they fi t within it. Across Alabama, manufacturers, educators, and industry leaders are working to introduce more people to modern manufacturing through career pathways in high schools, workforce development initiatives, facility tours, and programs like Manufacturing Madness that showcase the products being made across the state. When people are exposed to mode facilities, advanced technologies, and the innovation driving Alabama manufacturing, the industry becomes more tangible and accessible.
One of the most effective ways Alabama is increasing visibility around manufacturing is through Manufacturing Madness, a statewide competition led by Manufacture Alabama that highlights the wide range of products made across the state. The annual campaign invites manufacturers from across Alabama to submit products for a bracket-style competition, with the public voting to determine “The Coolest Thing Made in Alabama.” By inviting public participation and focusing on real-world products, Manufacturing Madness turns industry achievements into something people can see, understand, and engage with. The program works because it makes manufacturing tangible. People may not immediately connect with industry statistics, but they connect with products they recognize, use, or find exciting. It bridges the gap between manufacturers and the communities they serve while reinforcing the idea that manufacturing is not only essential to the economy but also deeply connected to everyday life.
The long-term success of Alabama’s manufacturing sector depends on its ability to attract, develop, and retain talent. Workforce programs and education initiatives are essential, but they must be supported by sustained visibility and engagement efforts from manufacturers, industry leaders, educators, and organizations across Alabama’s manufacturing sector. Initiatives like Manufacturing Madness are successful because manufacturers from a wide range of industries participate to showcase the innovative products being made across the state.
Manufacturing Madness serves as a powerful example of how public engagement can strengthen an entire industry. Led by Manufacture Alabama, the statewide competition invites manufacturers across Alabama to showcase the products made within their facilities while encouraging public participation through online voting. By bringing manufacturing into public conversation, the program helps people better understand the scale, diversity, and innovation driving Alabama’s economy.
More importantly, the competition demonstrates that Alabama’s manufacturing industry is not defi ned by a single product or sector. The state’s industrial footprint spans automotive engineering, critical infrastructure, aerospace, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing, reinforcing why national and global companies continue investing in Alabama.
The 2026 winner, the Racing Honda Odyssey, captured attention not just for its performance but for what it represents. A familiar family vehicle transformed into a high-performance race car showcased the creativity, engineering, and technical expertise driving Alabama’s auto motive manufacturing sector.
The program’s finalists further reinforced the breadth of products being made across the state. AMERICAN highlighted Alabama’s role in supporting critical infrastructure by using ductile iron pipe in water systems nationwide. Austal USA showcased the state’s contributions to national defense through the Expeditionary Fast Transport, while Blue Origin demonstrated Alabama’s growing impact on the future of space exploration through the BE-4 rocket engine.
Together, these products illustrate the remarkable diversity of Alabama manufacturing. They also highlight the wide range of careers in the industry, from engineering and robotics to the skilled trades, logistics, and advanced production. More than 30,000 votes were cast during the competition, providing a clear measure of public engagement and reinforcing the fact that when people have visibility into manufacturing innovation, they respond.
Because awareness drives interest, and interest drives workforce participation. Without visibility, even strong industries struggle to attract talent.
It has a diverse industrial base, a strong workforce, a business-friendly environment, and the ability to support multiple high-growth sectors. What makes Alabama competitive in manufacturing nationally? It has a diverse industrial base, a strong workforce, a business-friendly environment, and the ability to support multiple high-growth sectors.
By investing in workforce development and visibility initiatives that showcase real-world manufacturing applications.
They create a direct connection between the public and the manufacturing industry, increasing awareness and engagement. Alabama has established itself as a manufacturing leader among national and global industries seeking innovation, a strong workforce, and long-term growth. The next step is to ensure that more people across the state recognize these opportunities and see themselves in them. By continuing to connect people to the products, innovation, and careers behind Alabama manufacturing, initiatives like Manufacturing Madness are helping strengthen the workforce pipeline that will support the industry for generations to come.
About the Author:
Jon Barganier is the President & CEO of Manufacture Alabama, the state’s only trade association dedicated exclusively to manufacturers and their partner industries. He leads the organization’s advocacy and strategic initiatives supporting Alabama’s manufacturing sector and previously served in multiple leadership roles within Alabama state government, including Chief of Staff in the Governor’s Office.
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