Register Today: U.S. Smart Manufacturing
Interoperability Summit

Congratulations, Jim Wetzel!

We’re proud to share that CESMII community leader and longtime industry advocate Jim Wetzel has been named the 2025 Digital Transformation Leadership Award winner by the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Presented during the MLC’s Rethink conference in Marco Island, Florida, this prestigious recognition celebrates Jim’s decades of impact driving innovation, championing digital transformation, and fostering collaboration across manufacturing ecosystems. His vision and leadership continue to shape the path forward for Smart Manufacturing, and this award is a powerful testament to his enduring influence.

Smart Manufacturing Executive Council
Visits Capitol Hill

This month, members of the Smart Manufacturing Executive Council (SMEC) – co-led by CESMII and SME – traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for policies that will help strengthen the U.S. competitiveness through #SmartManufacturing.

In meetings with bipartisan leaders across both chambers—including offices of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Sen. Peter Welch, Sen. Maggie Hassan, Rep. Burgess Owens, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Rep. Bobby Scott, and Rep. Tim Walberg—we presented a bold case for why Smart Manufacturing is critical to America’s economic and national security.

💡 Our message was clear:
The U.S. cannot afford to fall further behind in productivity and global competitiveness. It’s time for a coordinated national strategy that accelerates Smart Manufacturing adoption through:

💵 Tax incentives to accelerate and reward investment in Smart Manufacturing
👷 A national program to upskill frontline workers as Digital Natives (Citizen OT/IT Technologists)
🌐 Develop standards-based, digital infrastructure to enable a Manufacturing Supply Chain Data Exchange

The SMEC is leading this charge, representing the ‘Voice of Industry’, and providing real-world, practical strategies, guardrails and policies to achieve this mission.

📷 1: From the left: Ken Creasy (Invio Automation), Audrey St.Onge (Lallemand), John Dyck (CESMII), Congressman Gus Bilirakis (Florida), Jeannine Kunz (SME), Rick Bullotta, Simon Jacobson (Gartner), Larry Megan (Baldwin Richardson Foods)

📷 2: From the left: Larry Megan (Baldwin Richardson Foods), Ken Creasy (Invio Automation), Congressman Tim Walberg (Michigan), Jeannine Kunz (SME), John Dyck (CESMII)

Meet the New CESMII featured Modern Makers  

With varied backgrounds and pathways into advanced manufacturing careers, Modern Makers are individuals whose sense of purpose embodies the Manufacturing USA mission to secure the future of U.S. manufacturing through innovation, education, and collaboration. They are apprentices, engineers, entrepreneurs, and scientists drawn from Manufacturing USA institutes and their member companies.

The Modern Makers program debuted in 2023. This year, we will highlight 28 individuals, making Modern Makers a cornerstone of the Manufacturing USA network’s education and workforce development initiatives. We hope the Modern Makers we celebrate will inspire future generations of advanced manufacturing talent needed by U.S. industry.

Click on the images below to meet the new Modern Makers’ inspiring stories and share them with your community!

New Course

Developed and taught new WVU Industrial Engineering course IENG493C/IENG593B

100+   

Over 100 high school and middle school students participated in summer Engineering camps.

CESMII Smart Manuafacturing Roadshow Series

Tuesday, August 26

Harrisburg, PA

Thursday, August 28

New Kensington, PA