By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Manufacturing can be about numbers. There are certainly many of them in the story of the “Makers on the Move” bus tour, the third edition of which kicked off Friday in Springfield.

“2,500 miles. 45 stops across the entire state,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We want to tell the story of what is made in Illinois, and too many people don’t have an appreciation for it: that you have NFL helmets, White House china, automobiles, parts that go on the Mars rover.”

And there’s something new this year: the “wrap” on the bus is the design of a recent Springfield High School graduate, Maxwell Lehman. He also attended Capital Area Career Center, whose director, Robert Ferriell, boasted strong partnerships with the employers of the Springfield area.

“Here’s what I know: when we impact a student, we impact their families and, ultimately, the community,” Farriell told the gathering at Springfield-based Ace Sign Company. “Together, we can continue to grow manufacturing in our region and in our state.”

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected].