Red Carpet Event Held at Penn State Great Valley
Exton, PA – April 27, 2026 – Seven area schools were named winners at the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing®” video contest award ceremony, held Thursday evening at Penn State Great Valley. The annual video production contest, organized by the Manufacturing Alliance of Chester and Delaware Counties, an initiative of the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) and the Chester County Workforce Development Board, helps introduce middle school students to careers in manufacturing in a creative, fun way.
“Manufacturing is one of the biggest industries in this region, but most students don’t even realize there are so many manufacturers locally,” said Jim Lauckner of CCEDC’s Manufacturing Alliance of Chester and Delaware Counties (MACC/DC). “This program is about getting students in the door, connecting them to these companies, and hopefully inspiring this generation about what a career in modern manufacturing can look like.”
Participating schools worked alongside their manufacturing partner companies to produce, edit, and market a video highlighting what manufacturers produce, how they make it, and why working with technology can be fun and rewarding. Winners were then selected across a variety of categories after a voting period that closed in March. The Chester-Delaware contest is part of a broader effort spanning Pennsylvania and other states. Teams of students worked with teacher-coaches to develop a professional video production, where they learned to write scripts, record and edit footage, and market their finished product.
Drew Anderson of Fox 29 News returned for his third year as the emcee of the award ceremony.
The award categories and winners are:
- Outstanding Manufacturing Message – Springton Lake Middle School with CPV Manufacturing
- Outstanding Videography – Great Valley Middle School with Lavazza, Inc.
- Outstanding Editing – Penn’s Grove School with Aerzen USA
- Outstanding Creativity – Phoenixville Area Middle School with United Safety and Survivability Corporation
- Outstanding Overall Video – Delaware County Christian School with Southco
- Viewer’s Choice Award – Octorara Middle School with JGM Fabricators & Constructors, LLC
- Outstanding Outreach Plan – Penn’s Grove Middle School with Aerzen USA
Platinum-level sponsors of the event included CCRES Behavioral & Educational Services and The Technical College High School-Brandywine. Gold-level sponsors included JGM Fabricators & Constructors, LLC, and The Chester County Department of Workforce Development.