Today is Manufacturing Day in the United States as the nation celebrates the economic contributions of companies and employees who make everything from machine tools to biopharmaceuticals.

Every day is manufacturing day in Massachusetts, where some 245,000 highly skilled people create goods that drive research, exports and wages that surpass the state average by 25 percent. There’s life in the Massachusetts manufacturing sector, a fact that has been clearly illustrated as AIM has presented Next Century and Sustainability awards at a series of regional celebrations throughout the commonwealth this month.

In Springfield on September 28, OMG Inc. of Agawam, originally known as Olympic Fasteners, accepted the AIM Next Century Award for growing into one the nation’s foremost manufacturers of screws, washer plates, vents, adhesives and construction equipment for commercial flat roofs. The company employs about 400 people in Agawam, and recently completed a $15 million expansion of its heat-treating operations.

(Right, OMG President Hubert McGovern accepts the Next Century Award)

Two Worcester manufacturers, Table Talk Pies and AbbVie, Inc. earned Next Century Awards during a reception last night at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Office furniture maker AIS of Leominster, meanwhile, was honored with the 2017 AIM Sustainability Award recognizing excellence in environmental stewardship, promotion of social well-being and contributions to economic prosperity.

AbbeVie’s Worcester 450,000-square foot campus research and manufacturing facility in Worcester employs 900 people. The company also operates the Foundational Neuroscience Center in Cambridge with approximately 50 scientists focusing on neurodegenerative diseases. The firm’s employees have forged a strong presence in the community with the company’s worldwide Week of Possibilities program.

The once struggling Table Top Pies is now settled into a modern manufacturing facility in the South Worcester Industrial Park. In 2016 the business posted nearly $100 million in sales, with 300 full-time and seasonal employees. In addition, Table Talk invested between $3.5 and $ 4 million in new equipment, and opened its first retail store in 20 years.

AIS, a leading office furniture manufacturer in Leominster, is also a sustainable manufacturer. The company recently deployed a state-of-the art solar energy system that produces half of their energy. AIS is also smart and strategic about the size and location of operations and uses the principles of LEAN manufacturing. Business benefits have followed. The firm has reduced energy usage by 40 percent and saved more than $ 1.6 million, while supporting 100 percent on-time delivery.