Manufacturing is changing rapidly. Workforce shortages, changing employee expectations, advances in technology and the growing need to develop skills are creating new challenges for manufacturers of every size.
So, what can manufacturers do to stay competitive?
Start by bringing the right people together, sharing ideas and learning from others who are facing many of the same challenges.
That is exactly what the 2026 Greater Reading Chamber Alliance MFG Summit is designed to do.
Taking place Friday, Oct. 30, at the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College, this half-day event will bring together manufacturing leaders, business professionals, workforce partners and industry stakeholders for a morning focused on practical ideas, meaningful connections and the future of manufacturing.
Learn how great leaders keep great people
One of the highlights of this year’s Summit will be keynote speaker Lisa Ryan, CSP, MBA, founder of Grategy® and an expert on the human side of manufacturing.
Her keynote, “Built to Stay: How Great Leaders Keep Great People,” addresses one of the most important challenges facing manufacturers today: keeping good employees.
Ryan will share practical strategies for strengthening engagement and retention, with a focus on appreciation, connection, recognition, communication, purpose and leadership. Her presentation is designed specifically for leaders dealing with workforce shortages, changing employee expectations and the increasing pressure to accomplish more with fewer people.
And this isn’t simply about employee morale.
For manufacturers, retaining experienced employees also means retaining valuable knowledge, skills and institutional experience. Ryan’s’s work explores how manufacturers can embrace AI and automation while maintaining the human judgment, experience and connection that keep operations strong.
See how technology can change workforce training
The Summit also will explore an emerging opportunity for manufacturers: using technology to make workforce training more effective.
Dr. Kryn McClain, Founder and CEO of CatapalloVR, will present “Beyond Traditional Training: What Actually Changes Behavior on the Manufacturing Floor.”
The session will look at why traditional approaches such as generic videos and one-time compliance courses often fail to create lasting behavior change—and how VR simulation and scenario-based training can provide a different approach.
Attendees will learn how immersive training is being used in real manufacturing environments and how organizations can measure whether training actually sticks. The session also will explore how training data can help inform hiring and role-readiness decisions.
For manufacturers looking for better ways to develop employees, improve safety and close skills gaps, this is an opportunity to see what is possible.
Connect with people who understand manufacturing
Perhaps just as important as the presentations are the conversations that happen throughout the morning.
Manufacturing companies don’t have to solve today’s workforce, training and leadership challenges on their own. The MFG Summit brings together employers, training providers, educational institutions and other partners who share a commitment to the success of manufacturing in the Greater Reading region and surrounding communities.
This makes the Summit an opportunity to exchange ideas with peers, discover potential resources and build relationships that can continue long after Oct. 30.
And we’re not done announcing the agenda. More speakers and presentations will be shared soon, giving attendees even more reasons to make plans to join us.
Four hours. Plenty of takeaways.
The MFG Summit runs from 8 a.m. to noon, just four hours out of your workday.
In those four hours, you can hear from experts who understand manufacturing, learn practical strategies for retaining and developing your workforce, explore new approaches to training and connect with other people invested in the industry’s success.
For a manufacturing leader, that’s a pretty good return on four hours.
Manufacturing is the Greater Reading region’s highest-priority industry, and its continued success depends on all of us working together to address the challenges ahead.
If you’re involved in manufacturing, workforce development, HR, training or business leadership, make plans to join us for the 2026 MFG Summit.
Come ready to learn. Come ready to connect. And most importantly, come ready to take something back to your organization that can make a difference.
The future of manufacturing is being built today. Be part of the conversation.
2026 GRCA MFG Summit
Friday, Oct. 30 | 8 a.m.–Noon
Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College
Thank you to our sponsors!
Platinum Sponsors
- American Crane and Equipment Corp.
- Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania
- East Penn Manufacturing
- Levan Machine & Truck Equipment
- Penn State Berks
- Reading Advanced Machining
Venue Sponsor
- Reading Area Community College
Gold Sponsors
- Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.
- Gallagher
- Members 1st Federal Credit Union
- NorLink
- RKL
Silver Sponsors
- Brentwood Industries
- M&T Bank
Sponsorships for the 2026 MFG Summit are still available! Contact Keith Stamm.