Elk Grove expo shows manufacturing alive and well in the suburbs

Anyone who believes manufacturing in America is dead probably wasn't at Elk Grove High School on Monday, when dozens of businesses and hundreds of visitors saw the leading edge and huge potential of the oft-maligned industry.

The Made in Elk Grove Manufacturing & Technology Expo returned for its eighth year to promote the village's substantial industrial business community and connect local manufacturers with corporate decision-makers from across the country.

Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee also was on hand to meet attendees and serve as the featured speaker

at the exhibitor luncheon and business awards ceremony. The track and field legend named by Sports Illustrated as the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century also was in town Sunday to lead a youth clinic with fellow Olympians.

"The expo is a vital opportunity for networking, collaboration, communication and sourcing within our thriving market, and having Jackie Joyner-Kersee highlight the event is a unique opportunity to promote the business community and the village," Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said in an earlier announcement of the event.

The village presented several awards at the exhibitor luncheon in the categories of innovation, sustainability and industrial development of the year. The village also honored several companies with a community support award for their response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those companies either donated masks and gloves to first responders, donated to local social service agencies, or retooled their facilities to produce PPE when the supply chains faltered.