Manufacturers Resource Center announces ‘What’s So Cool,’ winners in Berks, Schuylkill

The annual “What’s So Cool about Manufacturing?” video contest continues to grow each year.

And this year’s Berks Schuylkill contest awards is no exception.

Manufacturers Resource Center of Upper Macungie Township presented the award recipients at an event last week that drew more than 1,200 people to the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading, according to a news release.

The WSCM Berks Schuylkill contest received 142,086 votes over a three-day voting period.

This year’s winners were:

• Outstanding Overall Program: Reading Southern Middle School – Novipax LLC.
• Outstanding Editing: Reading Northeast Middle School – L&H Signs, Inc.
• Outstanding Creativity: Tri-Valley Jr./Sr. High School – Ashland Technologies, Inc.
• Outstanding Cool: Conrad Weiser Middle School – East Penn Manufacturing Company.
• Outstanding Team Spirit: Oley Valley Middle School – DeLux Dental Laboratory.
• Outstanding Educational Value: Wilson Southern Middle School – WORLD electronics.
• Outstanding Videography: Saint Clair Middle School – Hydro.
• Outstanding Brand Placement: Hamburg Area Middle School – RADIUS Corporation.
• Viewers Choice: Mahanoy Area Jr./Sr. High School – Mrs. T’s Pierogies.
• Outstanding Outreach Plan: Mahanoy Area Jr./Sr. High School – Mrs. T’s Pierogies.
• TIE: Outstanding Career Pathway: D.H.H. Lengel Middle School – Cardinal Systems, Inc.
• TIE: Outstanding Career Pathway: Brandywine Heights Middle School – Electro-Space Fabricators, Inc.

The event included a dessert reception provided by culinary arts programs from Berks Career and Technology Center, Reading Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center and Schuylkill Technology Center.

Meanwhile, manufacturers R.M. Palmer Company of West Reading and Sweet Street Desserts of Reading provided candy and treats.

The contest, presented by MRC, partners students from all 36 middle schools in Berks and Schuylkill Counties with 36 local manufacturers. Each student team scripts, shoots, edits and promotes a short video that documents their experience, highlighting what is “cool” about manufacturing. Winning videos will be considered to represent the Berks Schuylkill region at the third-annual statewide competition in April.

“The continued support the contest has received in Berks and Schuylkill counties from our partners, like Berks Business-Education Coalition, Berks County Workforce Development Board, Berks County Intermediate Unit and Schuylkill County Intermediate Unit, among others, has enabled the program to raise awareness about manufacturing career opportunities,” said Terri Lampe Melcher, business development manager Berks County at MRC, in a statement.