A look back at Manufacturing Month 2026 across Pella Corporation

From hands-on student experiences to team member achievements, Pella's Family of Brands celebrated the people and communities behind modern manufacturing.

Throughout October, Pella Corporation and its Family of Brands celebrated Manufacturing Month by recognizing the people behind its products, connecting students with career opportunities and highlighting the role manufacturing plays in communities across the country.

This year's theme, “Powered by People: Connected to What's Next,” reflected Pella's commitment to the team members whose skills, expertise and ideas bring made-to-order windows and doors to life while helping shape the future of manufacturing. Throughout the month, Pella's manufacturing facilities celebrated the people, skills and communities that make modern manufacturing possible. Highlights from across the company include:

• Inspiring future generations. Pella introduced students to manufacturing careers through facility tours, hands-on experiences and educational outreach. In Pella, Iowa, eighth-graders explored robotics, met manufacturing team members and experienced window installation using the Pella Steady Set® Interior Installation System. In Shenandoah, Iowa, approximately 130 students toured operations and built wooden phone amplifiers. Teams in Macomb, Illinois, and Fort Worth, Texas, distributed more than 500 STEM activity kits to elementary students. In Ocala, FL, Marion Technical College students, including those pursuing their GED, toured operations, explored career opportunities and connected with team members about potential employment.
• Investing in talent. Across the Family of Brands, Pella highlighted opportunities for team members to build skills, advance their careers and contribute to manufacturing innovation. At Weather Shield in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, plant manager Sarah Fetting's journey from the production line to plant leadership demonstrated the opportunities for career growth. Pella also shared team member perspectives with national audiences, including Hannah Bennett's feature in IndustryWeek's Faces of Manufacturing series and Dustin Katje’s insights on artificial intelligence and automation in Manufacturing Dive.
• Recognizing workplace safety. Pella's manufacturing teams celebrated achievements that reflect their commitment to maintaining safe working environments. This year, in Sioux Center, Iowa, the team earned the National Safety Council's Million Work Hours Award, recognizing at least 1 million consecutive work hours without an occupational injury or illness resulting in days away from work. Avanti Windows & Doors in El Mirage, Arizona, also received the National Safety Council's Perfect Record Award in 2026 in recognition of its workplace safety performance.
• Strengthening communities. Pella's facilities supported local schools, nonprofits and community organizations through volunteer activities and charitable giving. Through the Pella Rolscreen Foundation, the company supported workforce development programs in Portland, Oregon; youth programming in Troy, Ohio; and local schools and community organizations across Wisconsin, Iowa and other manufacturing communities. Team members also organized donation drives and volunteer activities, including efforts supporting local families and nonprofit organizations in Murray, Kentucky, and Ocala, Florida.

Manufacturing Month also brought another reason to celebrate with the recognition of Joan Kuyper Farver as an Iowa Women of Achievement Award recipient. The honor provided an opportunity to recognize a leader connected to Pella's history while celebrating the people who have helped shape the company's manufacturing legacy.

While Manufacturing Month has come to a close, Pella's commitment to its people, products and communities continues year-round. From introducing students to new career opportunities to recognizing team members and strengthening local communities, Pella continues to build on its manufacturing legacy while staying connected to what's next.