This week’s top comment comes from Joel Natalie, author of the blog Radio Free JoJo and a regular GlobalErie reader.

Joel, in writing about the arrival of some big-name CEOs in Erie for the GE shareholders meeting, brought up the idea that some of those CEOs manufacture products that include component parts from Erie.

He also spoke of the pride he feels when he’s traveling and sees a product from his hometown. It’s funny that he mentions Zurn drain covers, as I noted earlier this week that the drains outside of my office building in D.C. had Zurn covers. It made me smile.

Here’s his comment:

It would be interesting to know how many of those CEO’s companies buy parts (lids, motors, containers, fasteners, coatings) from Erie manufacturers.

This will sound weird, but I always get a smile when I’m traveling to see a Zurn drain cover at a rest stop, or a Kold-Draft ice machine at the hotel. I remember being at a national broadcasting convention 20 years ago and this presenter tells the group about the best device they found in getting audio into a phone line was a coupler made by Elgin Electronics of Erie PA.

Even though many of the products that put “Erie, Pa.” in households and businesses across the USA are no longer made here, with innovation and creativity our future for manufacturing can still be bright.

I’m sure many of you have had similar “Made-in-Erie” moments while traveling or living elsewhere. If you have a good one, feel free to share.