Silgan Containers Riverbank keeps the cans and union rolling
When you walk into the Silgan Riverbank facility, located just east of Modesto, you must wear earplugs, because everywhere around the plant, the sound of cutting, rolling, and moving cans reverberates.
As the largest provider of steel and aluminum food cans and trays in the U.S., Silgan Containers makes a variety of single, family, and institutional standard and custom cans. The Riverbank facility only makes consumer-sized cans. Silgan cans are used by America’s most recognizable food and pet food brands, including Nestlé, Del Monte Foods,
PCP, Liberty, and Juanita Foods.
Silgan promotes itself as providing sustainable food packaging: According to its website, “Metal food cans are 100% recyclable without loss of strength or quality. They have the highest recycling rate of any food package in addition to being efficient resource-savers since there is no need for refrigeration or freezing.”
Exciting New Training Program offered by Machinists Training Institute in Fremont
The Machinists Training Institute has recently launched an innovative training program in collaboration with Heidenhaim, a German company specializing in CNC machine controls. This partnership began at a conference last year, where representatives from both organizations recognized the potential for a fruitful collaboration. Heidenhaim has since built the Connect Hub for Manufacturing Innovation in Fremont, providing a state-of-the-art facility that showcases their equipment and is now being used as a Machinists’ Institute training site.
Casey Gallagher, a former District 190 staffer and now the California Director for the Machinists’ Institute shared, “The training program offers a comprehensive introduction to machining, manufacturing, and industrial trades. Participants have the opportunity to learn about various types of machinery, including mills, lathes, and water jets, which are used to cut small biomedical materials like 3D printers or robots. The hands-on experience allows participants to not only see the equipment but also touch and operate it.”
The program, which runs for four weeks with sessions three days a week, has garnered significant interest. Despite the limited space for around 10 participants, Gallagher says that approximately 50 to 60 people applied. The target audience for this introductory course was individuals aged 16 to 25, providing them with exposure to industrial trades that may not be available through traditional shop classes, if they’re even still offered.
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The savings the bottom 50% of U.S.
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The richest 0.1% of families would
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U.S. Treasury Dept., 1/10/25 as reportred in
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