Production Associate

Three iconic Pennsylvania brands join forces for Manufacturing Day. Sep 28, 2026, 11:53 ET CHANNELLOCK(R), Case(R) and Zippo(R) spotlight the people and products behind Pennsylvania manufacturing MEADVILLE, Pa., Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Three iconic Pennsylvania brands are joining forces for Manufacturing Day on Oct. 2 to celebrate the people, skills and communities behind products made in the Keystone State. CHANNELLOCK(R), W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company and Zippo Manufacturing Company manufacture products in Meadville and Bradford, Pennsylvania, where generations of employees have helped turn locally made products into brands recognized around the world. Together, the companies employ more than 1,150 people in Pennsylvania and represent approximately 355 years of combined company history. The three companies have collaborated on a limited-edition set that brings together three of their most iconic products, all manufactured in Pennsylvania. The CHANNELLOCK(R) 140th Anniversary Set features CHANNELLOCK(R) 426 6.5-inch Tongue & Groove Pliers, a CHANNELLOCK BLUE(R) Zippo(R) windproof lighter and a CHANNELLOCK BLUE(R) Case(R) Sod Buster(R) Jr. pocket knife. "Manufacturing is more than a location on a label. It's people showing up and taking pride in work that lasts," said William S. DeArment, Chairman and CEO of CHANNELLOCK(R). "Coming together with Case(R) and Zippo(R) gives us a chance to recognize the strength of Pennsylvania manufacturing and the people behind products used across the country and around the world." Founded in 1886, CHANNELLOCK(R) remains family-owned and operated in Meadville, where it employs more than 350 associates and manufactures more than 75 different sizes and types of pliers on American soil. Not far from its sister company, Zippo, Case has manufactured premium knives in Bradford, Pennsylvania, since 1905. Today, roughly 300 employees work at the Bradford operation, where a Case knife can require upwards of 100 manufacturing processes to complete. While technological investments and innovation have optimized production over the decades, each knife remains meticulously crafted and tested by a proud workforce of highly skilled artisans. "At Case, American craftsmanship is a tradition we've carried forward for more than a century, and this collaboration with CHANNELLOCK(R) is the perfect representation of our companies' shared values," said Brent Tyler, Vice President of global marketing for Zippo and Case. "Not only does each company have a proud heritage based in Pennsylvania, but also a steadfast commitment to investment and opportunity for our local community and the next generation of manufacturing." Now in its fourth generation of family leadership, Zippo has also called Bradford home since its founding in 1932 and continues to manufacture its iconic windproof lighters there today. More than 650 million Zippo windproof lighters have been produced, each bearing the Bradford, Pennsylvania, name. The company employs around 500 people between its manufacturing facilities and corporate offices in Bradford, where workforce development remains central to future success. "Bradford has been Zippo's home from the very beginning, and generations of talented people here have helped build one of the most recognized products in the world," said Grant B. Duke, President, CEO, and co-owner of Zippo and Case. "Investing in our local workforce through scholarships, apprenticeships and partnerships with our nearby university fulfills my great-grandfather's vision for American manufacturing while bolstering our hometown pride and prosperity." As manufacturers across the country mark Manufacturing Day, CHANNELLOCK(R), Case and Zippo are investing in their Pennsylvania operations and training the next generation of workers. Their continued presence in Meadville and Bradford reflects the role manufacturing continues to play in western Pennsylvania and the communities these companies call home. SOURCE Channellock, Inc.