Meet the Makers 2018

Give credit to the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce: in 2017, the organization took a leap to launch a new event called Meet the Makers, a single-day showcase designed to highlight all the people who make things in the community. The approach was refreshing and inclusive: this was not just an event for traditional manufacturers, but for artists, designers, and those in the food and beverage industry, too. This kind of taps into the ancient Greek idea of making, or poiesis, which is an expansive concept that digs into the essence of creative production, where what matters ultimately is that something is brought forth which did not exist before.

Stretch these ideas out and we reach the heart of St. Thomas – this is an innovative community that appreciates both industrial and artistic design, driven by a large network of individuals and businesses determined to bring those designs to life in manufacturing and the arts.

Now in 2018, the Chamber of Commerce is bringing Meet the Makers back for a second year! The event is set for 10am to 7pm on Wednesday, September 26th at the Elgin Mall. Free admission for all has been made possible through the support of several core sponsors, including RBC, Fanshawe College (St. Thomas/Elgin Regional Campus), Elgin Mall, the Local Employment Planning Council, and the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation.

Everyone is invited to attend, and the organizers have made a particular push to connect with local students, just to make sure that young people in the community know what is made nearby. The oft-repeated claim holds true that most people simply do not know what happens inside the buildings that they drive, bike or walk by on a daily basis. Meet the Makers provides the opportunity to discover what is going on and connect with the people involved.

Participants this year include Shaw’s Ice Cream, Gorman-Rupp Canada, Forest City Castings, Living Alive Granola, Takumi Stamping, Presstran, Formet Industries, GKN Sinter Metals, Century Chocolates, Railway City Brewing, and many more.

Recently our student-journalists Jenn Klassen and Alex Popen had the opportunity to visit with Robert Furneaux, Managing Director (Canada) for Gorman-Rupp Pumps, and tour the company facility in St. Thomas. Our team at young & free press is proud to collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce to help promote the Meet the Makers event this year and support all the amazing individuals and businesses ‘making stuff’ in our community!