Coldspring® – the leading quarrier and fabricator of natural stone and bronze manufacturing in North America, has been named the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association (CMMA) 2021 Manufacturer of the Year. This award is a celebration of excellence in manufacturing in central Minnesota and recognizes member excellence and the investments, services and contributions to their group that is continuously moving manufacturing forward.
“We are honored to be recognized by CMMA,” says Greg Flint, President and Chief Operating Officer, Coldspring. “We have long been and continue to be committed to supporting manufacturing in Minnesota and beyond, raising awareness of the many opportunities available in the industry and ensuring its continued growth.”
Coldspring was nominated and awarded the honor by the CMMA Board of Directors in recognition of the company as a pillar in the community and for playing a leading role in the success of the CMMA 2021 Manufacturing Career and Technical Education (CTE) Jamboree. Coldspring was able to support the organization, which connects students and manufacturing organizations, by partnering with them on tours of their facilities and involvement in education of the industry.
“Partnering with CMMA on a successful 2021 Manufacturing CTE Jamboree has been a rewarding experience for our team,” says Flint. “By developing training and apprenticeship opportunities through Career Technical Education, we are bridging the gap between education and the manufacturing industry to build stronger career paths for students.”
Coldspring’s commitment to ensuring the future of manufacturing through education and training is further demonstrated in its role in Discovery Academy, a partnership with local high schools (ROCORI, Paynesville, Kimball, and Eden Valley-Watkins) and the St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) to provide college-level courses to high school students. Classes are held on the Coldspring campus throughout the school year and include both classroom and hands-on learning opportunities.
In addition, Coldspring collaborates with SCTCC to support VEX Robotics, which exposes students, as well as their parents, as early as elementary school to explorative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) learning. Creating excitement around STEM careers will help in developing tomorrow’s workforce and awareness of the positives around manufacturing.
For more information about Coldspring’s involvement in advancing careers and opportunities in manufacturing, visit coldspringusa.com/careers.