Even as the city’s manufacturing sector has shrunk and been squeezed by the costs of doing business here, there’s still plenty being made in the five boroughs.
On Friday, eight factories are opening their doors to tours as part of Open House New York Weekend, where companies invite visitors into their workplaces. The businesses are all members of Made in NYC, a network of some 1,250 companies organized by the Pratt Center for Community Development.
The network helps to support the “manufacturing ecosystem,” says Josh Eichen, the manufacturing retention coordinator at Pratt. “These businesses feed into the city’s economy in big ways,” he said.
And while manufacturers can’t compete with cheaper goods from overseas, “they are competing on quality and innovation,” Eichen said.
Here are five factories being featured in the tour that make everything from industrial-strength bikes to vinyl records. And while the tours are sold out, Made in NYC will be tweeting images and videos from the visits @madeinnyc.
