Montevideo Fabrication and Manufacturing will be a student-run business beginning within the Furniture Production class in the Industrial Arts/Technology department.

The students will design, manufacture and fabricate products to be sold in the community. Outlaw Graphix will partner us by being active in our classrooms, working with students and designing software, using technologies and discussing business principles.

The students will also be in the workspace at Outlaw Graphix. This project will create a new pathway option in Manufacturing and Fabrication for our students by aligning with industry norms, incorporating job related skills within a business, and creating specialty or marketed items to fill a need. 

Students will also hear from several business owners/entrepreneurs in the community who will help them run their business, discuss business models and marketing strategies.

Additionally, the project will reach students in other classes (Marketing, Accounting, Special Education, Agriculture, Art, CADD, etc..) as cross-curricular lessons will be implemented.

The project will help our students learn customer service skills and educate the community on our CTE courses as students will work 1:1 on sales and orders. Students will develop the technical skills for machine operation and in the technologies of these industries. This program will be ongoing, and the business will eventually support the materials and future equipment purchases needed.

Students involved in this project will have taken an introductory course in this CTE area. Through the introductory course student interest, experience and competencies will be assessed.

The manufacturing and fabrication business course will be open to 10th through 12th grade students. Special assignments (project manager, project lead, marketing, designer, woodworker, etc..) may be assigned based on student experience and interest as assessed during the class.

The class will decide on a few standard products that will be available for customers to order. Additionally, the custom order side of the business will be designed to engage the student from the beginning to end of the manufacturing and sales cycle, holding students accountable to complete a quality product. 

Example products could include cutting boards, cornhole boards, coffee and end tables, live edge works of art, and home decor signs.

Students will be individually responsible for finding their first customer, determining their needs, designing the product, completing and delivering. This will also be a marketing tool to grow the customer base of the business.

The first focus for career pathways will be on fabrication and manufacturing occupations. Through the partnership with Outlaw Graphix, students will learn, see and hear much of the business and manufacturing/fabrication processes.

The teacher will also utilize other local connections with manufacturing companies in our area, many of which attend our annual career fair. Local industry tours will be planned, and our local industry experts will be asked to come into our classroom to see the students’ work in various stages.

The employees brought into the class would fit the stage of the phase the class is in. Students will be involved in the whole business process and will learn about related occupations as well, such as retail sales, management, finance and entrepreneurship. Fabricators are rated as the #5, highest demand for occupations in Southwest Minnesota. Also in highest demand are related careers, such as production workers, supervisors of productions and operations, machinists, machine setters, and industrial engineers. Retail salespersons are the #2 occupations in demand in Southwest Minnesota according to DEED’s Occupations In Demand tool.

Our goal for the Montevideo Fabrication and Manufacturing will be that it will become a self-sufficient piece within our school and community through increasing the reach of our products, the demand, and being able to change with the times.  Through this we believe the class will grow exponentially while continually seeking out more business partners, purchasing equipment that align with industry, continually creating communication skills through client/fabricator relations and bringing a real-life model for cross curricular subjects to be involved.  We are investing in our students, community, and local businesses by continually growing this class for years to come. 

For more information, contact Kati at Montevideo Public Schools.