MakerFest 2026: Students Explore Careers Close to Home

On October 8 and 9, 2026, the Allen County Fairgrounds turned into a hands-on preview of the careers that keep our region running. Over two days, 1,452 students from 25 schools explored booths, demonstrations, and conversations with 61 local employers at MakerFest 2026.

Students didn’t just read about careers in a classroom. They tried them. They operated equipment, asked questions of the people who do these jobs every day, and left with a clearer picture of the opportunities waiting for them here at home.

MakerFest focuses on 9th and 10th graders for a reason. It reaches students while they still have time to choose the classes, programs, and pathways that lead to in-demand careers.

Hands-On Careers Across Our Top Industries

This year’s exhibits covered five career areas that power the Greater Lima Region’s economy. In Healthcare, students practiced skills used by nurses, technicians, and other care professionals. Manufacturing exhibitors showed the technology and teamwork behind products made in Allen County. The Skilled Trades area covered welding, electrical work, construction, and HVAC. Public Works and Safety introduced students to the people who keep our communities safe and our infrastructure running. The Business area highlighted logistics planning and supply chains, accounting, marketing, cybersecurity, and other business practices that provide goods and services across the region.

The Business area also saw some of the biggest growth this year. More small businesses took part than in previous years, giving students a wider range of hands-on activities to try and a closer look at the local business owners who help our communities thrive.

Demonstrations That Stood Out

A few hands-on activities gave students a memorable look at what these careers involve day to day.

• Nutrien: Students flew a drone through an obstacle course to apply fertilizer to a model farm, getting a feel for the technology behind modern agriculture.
• Lima Memorial Health System: Students pushed oxygen through a respiratory therapy device to inflate a real lung, seeing firsthand how care professionals support patients’ breathing.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: Students set a power pole and climbed it using the same tools electric linemen use in the field.
• Google: Students handled and used the tools that IT professionals and electricians work with as data center technicians.

Voices from the Floor

The energy on the fairgrounds came from the people in it. Here’s what we heard from those who were there.

Employers

For exhibiting companies, MakerFest is a chance to meet future team members years before they start job hunting.

“MakerFest was a fantastic experience. This was our first year having a booth at the event, and I would encourage any business to participate. It gives the students a new perspective on career opportunities right here in the region that they might not have known existed prior, hopefully inspiring them to keep their hometowns as options as they carve out their future.”
— Tyler Louth, CEO, Marketing Essentials

Educators and Chaperones

Teachers and chaperones watched students connect what they learn in class to real jobs.

“I believe this year’s event was the best so far, and it seems to continue to grow. The number of local companies participating in the event keeps students more engaged, and the students working with employers provide them with a good picture of real-life opportunities that will be available.”
— Chaperone, Lima Senior High School

Students

For many students, MakerFest offered a first look at careers they hadn’t considered before.

“MakerFest is a way for freshmen and sophomores to get to know more about jobs that we can get into if we don’t know what we want to do.”
— McKenzie S., Bath High School

Why MakerFest Matters for Allen County’s Economic Vitality

MakerFest is about more than a great field trip. It’s a direct investment in the workforce our local employers depend on.

When students discover rewarding careers close to home, they’re more likely to stay in the region after graduation. That pipeline of homegrown talent helps existing businesses grow, makes Allen County more attractive to new employers, and keeps our communities strong. It’s central to AEDG’s mission of supporting business retention, expansion, and long-term economic vitality.

“We want to make certain that the students know what companies have their interested careers, and we want to make certain that those students can see the logos and the brands to equate the activity experience with those brands and hopefully be the future workforce coming to our regional Allen County companies in the future.” — Tim Fitzpatrick, Business Development & Regional Workforce Development at Allen Economic Development Group

Thank You to Our Sponsors and Partners

MakerFest wouldn’t be possible without the community partners who believe in our region’s future. 

Platinum  

• Apollo Career Center
• Google
• Lima Memorial Hospital
• Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce

Gold  

• Cenovus Energy, Lima Refinery
• Diamond Manufacturing
• Honda
• iHeart Media
• Mercy Health, St. Rita’s Medical Center
• Nutrien
• UNOH

Silver  

• Central Midwest Carpenters
• Charles River Laboratories
• City of Lima
• Crown Equipment Corp.
• Lima Area Electrical Professionals & Lima Electrical JATC
• Procter & Gamble
• Rudolph Foods Co.
• Superior Credit Union
• Turner Construction Co.
• Tuttle Construction, Inc.

Bronze  

• ACI Construction Co., Inc./Kirk Corporation
• American Electric Power
• Alexander & Bebout, Inc.
• All Temp Refrigeration
• Allen County Agricultural Society
• Bluffton University
• Citizens National Bank
• First National Bank
• GROB Systems
• Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
• Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District
• Juvenile Detention Center
• K&M Tire
• Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission
• Local 776 Plumbers, Pipefitters, & Service Technicians JATC
• Marketing Essentials
• Mental Health & Recovery Services Board – AAH
• Ohio Department of Transportation
• Ohio Northern University
• Perry proTECH
• Reineke Family Dealerships
• Rhodes State College
• Spallinger Millwright Service
• The Lima News
• The Ohio State University at Lima
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
• Train With CTS (Northwest State Community College)
• Trisco Systems, Inc.
• Union Ironworkers Local 290
• U.S. Plastic Corp.
• Vantage Career Center
• Vernon Nagel, Inc.
• Weigand Construction
• Wieland Randall
• Wightman
• Your Hometown Stations, Gray Local Media, Inc.
• YMCA

We’re also grateful to every exhibitor who brought their industry to life for students, and to the volunteers who kept two busy days running smoothly. Your time and energy made a real difference.

Looking Ahead to MakerFest 2027

Planning for next year is already underway, and there’s room for more employers to join us. Sponsoring or exhibiting at MakerFest puts your organization in front of hundreds of students at the moment they’re starting to think about their futures.

Interested in connecting with the Greater Lima Region’s future workforce? Visit makerfestevent.com or contact us at info.makerfestevent@gmail.com for more information.