As you may know, this year introduced a new groundbreaking class to Alden High School: Bulldog Manufacturing, a student led course that operates exactly like an actual business. I got the scoop on all the behind the scenes work it takes to keep this company running smoothly and the people that help it to move forward in the right direction.In Bulldog Manufacturing, students run the class like a real business, by working with local companies and clients to sell them mechanical parts and other goods manufactured right here in the school.

I sat down with the advisors  of Bulldog Manufacturing, Mr. Eggink and Mrs. Buell, on how Bulldog Manufacturing was created. “The whole idea really came from industry partners who wanted to be a part of the amazing stuff that we do here,” Mr. Eggink stated,” We saw another school doing something similar to what we have now and it sounded like an amazing opportunity for our students.” “We have people from all different areas of interests here at Bulldog Manufacturing,” replies Mrs. Buell about the different job diversities in the company, “We have people from all fields from marketing and sales to manufacturing and we need those diverse interests working together to make sure the company runs effectively.”

As stated before, Bulldog Manufacturing hosts a wide array of students from many interests. I got the chance to speak to many of the students in this program on their responsibilities and what unique situations Bulldog Manufacturing offers. “As a floor supervisor, I have to check up on the manufacturers as well as produce some of the material for the customers,” says Tony Cometto, one of the student leaders on the technical side of Bulldog Manufacturing, “Bulldog Manufacturing gives you the opportunity to gain real world experience by dealing with real products and orders from actual customers, while not having as high of stakes as you would in any other business. It gives you a nice environment to develop real-world skills.” On the logistical side of the company, accountant Alex Prucnal spoke about the impact of Bulldog Manufacturing on his future, “This class has helped me discover my passion for accounting,” he recalls, “I went into this class thinking I was going to school for the trades, but a few weeks into the accountant department, I realized that this was something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life and I would have never known that without this course.”

Good luck to the Bulldog Manufacturing team on all their upcoming projects and challenges. I’m Matt Robertson reporting for WACS News.