AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology will debut its Smartforce Rally Fighter in Dayton, Ohio, in honor of Manufacturing Day. AMT is a proud sponsor of the national grassroots effort to improve the public’s perception of manufacturing in America. The association joins in supporting the hundreds of manufacturers across the country that are opening their doors to their communities to showcase today’s manufacturing industry and the career opportunities it provides. 

The Smartforce Rally Fighter embodies the spirit of Manufacturing Day and American manufacturing innovation.  The Rally Fighter itself is the world’s first open-source production vehicle, designed and developed by collaboration between Local Motors and a global community made up of thousands of designers, fabricators, engineers and auto enthusiasts.

The Rally Fighter caught the attention of visitors to the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in 2012 where a five-member team built the car live on the show floor – culminating with starting the engine and driving out of Chicago’s McCormick Place at the end of the event.  AMT redesigned the car’s body panel skin to support the association’s Smartforce Development efforts.

“The Smartforce Rally Fighter represents what’s new and exciting in manufacturing. It is high-tech, locally made, crowd-sourced and fuel-efficient,” said AMT President Douglas K. Woods. “The car’s ‘cool factor’ will help persuade students and parents to take a closer look at what manufacturing careers have to offer. The slogan on the door tells the story: ‘Manufacturing Brighter Futures.’”

“The Rally Fighter has been a real hit in the communities that we’ve visited, and Dayton is an ideal backdrop to unveil the new Smartforce skin,” said Greg Jones, AMT Vice President of Smartforce Development. Dayton was recently named among the top ten best cities in the U.S. for the growth of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers by the Brookings Institution.

“AMT wants the rally fighter to spur conversations within communities around the country about the possibilities of careers in manufacturing,” Jones said.  “We are also highlighting our ‘Making College Work’ Nights, which are successfully bringing together parents, students and educators to learn more about manufacturing jobs and the education and training they require.”

The Manufacturing Day Tour de Smartforce schedule is below:

October 2 –      AMT member Knox Machinery, Franklin, Ohio

October 4 –      Select Industries Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, GEMCity Engineering and Manufacturing (GEM), Dayton, Ohio. Other “drive by” visits around Dayton

October 5 –      Family Weekend, College of Engineering Building, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

October 7 –      “Mfg the Nxt Genr8n” Student Discover Day, AMT Member Mazak Corporation, Florence, Kentucky