LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

DEAR READER

Welcome to the Spring 2021 Edition of HV Mfg

For many Hudson Valley manufacturers the past 14 months have been a rollercoaster ride of challenges and opportunities. The health and wellbeing of our employees and their families, supply chain issues, lost business, pivots to new products and customers, government interference and government assistance, have provided many ups and downs, highs and lows and twist and turns which have left us feeling at once exhilarated and exhausted.

In this edition of HV Mfg we attempt to look at the realities, opportunities and challenges that will exist for manufacturers in a post pandemic world. Taylor Dowd profiles Millrock Technologies, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical freeze-drying equipment that sees a bright future for their highly engineered products. Taylor also writes about how the trend toward automation in manufacturing was accelerated by COVID-19 and what that means for the sector. We take a look at supply chains and ways to strengthen them and make them more resilient. Marist College Professor Bill Brown writes on the need to include Human Resources in organizational strategic decision making. Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp President Mike Oates writes on the importance of manufacturing to our regional economy and how public private collaboration is key to helping it grow and thrive. We interview Pawling Engineered Products Co-CEOs Craig Busby and John Rickert about their uniquely effective partnership, their leadership styles and the future of their business.

This edition also includes a directory of Council of Industry members and Associate members. I would like to say once again that I am tremendously proud of all the members for the work they do every day to make the things that make our lives better and our nation great. I am also very appreciative of our Associate members who are always generous with their expertise and work with the Council of Industry to keep our members informed, compliant, safe and healthy.

Finally, a sincere thank you to all the advertisers in this edition. Your support helps The Council of Industry spread the important message that Manufacturing is “essential” to the region, the state and the nation.

Sincerely,

President,
Council of Industry

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