Manufacturing’s Glory Days Are Ahead

Report to Members

By Michele N. Siekerka, NJBIA President and CEO On Jun 27, 2024

It’s showtime for New Jersey this month when the 2024 Conference of State Manufacturers Associations (COSMA) brings U.S. industry leaders to the Seaview in Atlantic County to share bold ideas and strategies for advancing manufacturing priorities.

This national event, July 28-31, is an exciting opportunity to showcase the strengths of New Jersey’s $54 billion manufacturing industry – over 9,000 companies strong and employing 236,000 people producing cutting-edge products and technologies the world depends on. We are home to global pharmaceutical giants making life-saving drugs, and manufacturers of aerospace and defense components, medical devices, food products and much more. 

Welcoming COSMA to New Jersey also allows us to spotlight our many public and private partners and institutions whose work is crucial in driving manufacturing forward. Success takes an ecosystem: our NJMEP, community colleges and workforce development partners providing a pipeline of skilled talent; government agencies supporting growth through economic incentives and training programs; universities and research institutions producing the ground-breaking discoveries propelling innovation; and many other crucial stakeholders.

COSMA, which I serve as vice chair, is a network of 50 state-based manufacturing partners working closely with the National Association of Manufacturers to advance smart policies. COSMA’s work drives manufacturers’ priorities forward at the state level and helps mobilize action on the federal level.

New Jersey manufacturers share the same challenges their counterparts in other states face: workforce shortages, high interest rates that limit access to capital, global supply chain disruptions, overregulation, and government red tape that strangles growth. COSMA works to tackle these challenges to affect change both individually and collectively.

This conference is an opportunity to share best practices, glean inspiration from fellow manufacturing association success stories, and explore the exciting trends transforming our industry, including environmental opportunities and challenges, green manufacturing and the use of generative AI to optimize production lines, improve product quality and reduce waste. 

New Jersey’s favorite son Bruce Springsteen sang about “Glory Days,” but Garden State manufacturers know our glory days aren’t only about the past. The state where the light bulb, movie camera, air conditioner, cell phone, locomotive and submarine were invented isn’t resting on its laurels. Our glory days are still ahead. We look forward to sharing that can-do Jersey optimism with other US manufacturers at COSMA.

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