How One Man Raises Awareness for Sustainable Manufacturing Careers

Michael Shaluly, owner of Mastercut Tool Corp, saw the writing on the wall. Workers are aging and there are not enough youthful applicants. He realized that’s not a long-term sustainable model for any company or industry. To turn the tide, he knew he had to connect with the educational community and other employers in his area to build interest in manufacturing careers. Then he needed to help support young people as they trained for the available jobs.

Michael presents Ed Dernulc, NBT Director, $6,000 in race proceeds.

Sponsored by Mastercut Tool and the Shaluly Foundation LLC, the 5K Run or Walk for Education was created to celebrate Manufacturing Day and raise funds for the Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs^® Foundation, along with three other organizations that support manufacturing education. October 2018 marked the fourth year for the race, held in Michael’s home town of Safety Harbor, Fla.

Over the years, Michael and his team have inspired other companies to join them in this effort and the race has grown tremendously. In 2018, not only did race registrations top 250, but for the first time children ages 3-8 raced in the Kids Dash. Community and Education are among the core values at Mastercut, the 5K is part of those important values and employee involvement demonstrates this.

Michael’s belief in the manufacturing industry drives him to inspire others to get involved and generously support educational programs for young people. He knows the bright future it offers to those who pursue careers in it.

With the sun rising on the morning of the race, you could see the joy on Michael’s face as he looked around and realized how much fun everyone was having and how important their participation was to the legacy he is building for his community.