When you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up,“manufacturing” doesn’t tend to come up as often as astronaut, firefighter, or veterinarian. Two employees of Brooklyn Park manufacturer Design Ready Controls saw an opportunity to get kids excited about an essential field of work.

Amanda Gregory and Joe House, the respective marketing leader and chief commercial officer at equipment manufacturing company Design Ready Controls, launched MAKE Publishing, which stands for Manufacturing A Kids Experience. MAKE launched in June with a mission to teach youth about the manufacturing industry. They recently released their first book: Blake Explores Manufacturing, which shows the world of manufacturing through the eyes of a child. At the end of the book, there is a hands-on building activity to give kids a taste of creating their own products.

Rather than a traditional book tour, Gregory and House have been meeting with both companies and kids to talk about the importance of manufacturing, a $52 billion industry that employs more than 11% of Minnesota’s workforce, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

“How we’re engaging with the community is drastically different in so many different ways, from business leaders to elementary schoolers,” she said. 

Children’s books are only the beginning for MAKE, the founders said. In addition to expanding their book selection to reach older, high-school-aged students, they’re thinking about partnering with local manufacturers to lead kids on field trips, giving them a first-hand look at the industry. 

“The MAKE platform begins with the sharing of stories,” Gregory said. “The sky’s the limit with where we take this.”