Catalyst Connection is proud to celebrate Somerset Area Junior High School for earning 3rd place at the 7th Annual “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Best of PA Statewide Awards, held on May 14, 2025, at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg, PA.
Their winning video featured Four Guys Fire Trucks, a proud manufacturer in the Pittsburgh East region known for building custom emergency vehicles with precision and care. The student team impressed judges and audiences alike with their creativity, storytelling, and enthusiasm for showcasing how “cool” manufacturing careers can be.
This year’s statewide competition brought together 23 student teams representing 12 regional contests from across Pennsylvania. Each team produced a short video highlighting a local manufacturer and the exciting career opportunities available in today’s advanced manufacturing environments.
Somerset Area Junior High School’s video tied for third place with Nazareth Area Middle School and was selected by a four-judge panel who evaluated all 23 entries. Other statewide winners included:
Since its inception in 2013, the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing® program—originally created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC)—has grown into a statewide movement. In 2025 alone, 167 middle school teams across 12 regional contests participated, helping spark curiosity and enthusiasm for manufacturing careers among Pennsylvania’s youth.
Catalyst Connection is proud to lead the Pittsburgh Central and East regional programs and applauds all students, teachers, and manufacturers who make this program a success year after year.
Congratulations again to Somerset Area Junior High School and Four Guys Fire Trucks—you’ve shown the state just how cool manufacturing can be!
Watch the winning video and learn more at: WhatsSoCool.org/BestofPA