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March 10-14, 2025 – Springfield, MO
Springfield, Missouri – Things are in full swing for our Advanced Manufacturing Competition as we just wrapped up the first Regional Round hosted at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Missouri!
During the Regional Rounds of our Advanced Manufacturing competition series, sixteen teams will face off live at regional sites between March and April of 2025. Once all three Regional Rounds have concluded, the sixteen projects will be judged and in the end the top four teams will be invited to participate in the National Championship!
The first of three regional rounds was the Midwest Regional hosted at Ozarks Technical Community College, where three teams between the high school and college level took to the challenge: Webster High School from Webster, Wisconsin; Autry Technology Center from Enid, Oklahoma; and Southwestern Illinois College from Granite City, Illinois. With a mix of fresh faces and returning competitors, the energy was high as everyone arrived excited to show off their skills in programming, 3D printing, and machining and compete for a spot in the National Championship.
The Road Ahead
The first regional round in the Clash of Trades 2025 competition series is officially in the books, and this competition has set an exciting tone for what’s to come! The three teams that competed in the Midwest regional round brought their A-game, leaving no doubt that the upcoming regional rounds will be packed with intensity and high stakes. As the next thirteen teams from across the country prepare for their time to compete, we can expect the competition to keep getting fiercer as these upcoming teams give it their all to earn a spot in the final four and be given a chance to earn the title of this years Clash of Trades National Champions.
Up next, the action heads to Cape Fear Community College in Castle Haynes, North Carolina, for the Eastern Regional. Stay tuned for more updates as the journey toward the National Championship unfolds. It’s anyone’s game, and the best is yet to come!
Meet the teams:
WEbster High School
Pictured from Left to Right: Jaiden Mansfield, Elijiah Ward, Dallis Strehlo, Brandon Nutter, Wyatt Warsaw, Joshua Smith
Autry Technology Center
Pictured from Left to Right: Bryson Koehn, Michael Silver, Kyle Venable, Kaden Delancy
Southwestern illinois college
Pictured from Left to Right: Zachary Painter, Robert Wingerter, Bryce Gower, Jared Simmons
Event Photos
More about our Advanced Manufacturing Competition Series
The Advanced Manufacturing Competition series is a team competition testing a combination of integrated manufacturing processes that may include 5-axis CNC/Machining, Additive, and Metrology. Competitors should expect to experience and manage real world situations such as change orders, project delays, & time management challenges.
Interdisciplinary teams compete in a two-day challenge to create a product to required specifications. For the National Championship, four of the most skilled student teams in the trades come together for the advanced manufacturing competition for the title of Project MFG National Champion and the $100,000 prize. The competition is designed to reflect the advanced manufacturing workplace and requires the production of a final product.
About the Robert W. Plaster Advanced Manufacturing facility at ozarks technical college
Ozarks Technical Community College has earned a national reputation for academic and technological innovation, excellence in service, and a commitment to shaping the future of manufacturing.
Designed and constructed with this commitment in mind, the Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing serves as a regional hub for all advanced manufacturing and technology-related education and training.
A skilled workforce is the lifeblood of a community, and the PMC ensures that OTC is prepared to train and support the talent pipeline. This state-of-the-art center provides a qualified workforce for area employers and continues to attract new manufacturing businesses to the region. The center’s resources include:
- Specialized hands-on learning environments
- Customizable simulation training centers
- Custom business solutions
- Business incubation test centers
- Short- and long-term training opportunities
- Industry partner space
about project mfg
Project MFG shines a light on the need and opportunities for skilled trades by focusing on the development of new talent to provide a path forward for individuals and our country. As an integrated workforce development and recruitment effort, Project MFG collaborates across communities, the private sector, and government to expand the U.S. industrial base workforce.
For more information about Project MFG competitions and future events, please visit projectmfg.com or contact marketing@projectmfg.com.
