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Make48 Launches Minnesota Event with Fastenal as Challenge Sponsor

Writer's picture: Make48+TeamMake48+Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Winona, MN (January 16, 2024) – Get ready, makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs! Make48 is heading to Winona, Minnesota, from May 2-4, 2025


“Make48 is an incredible platform for fostering creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. We're thrilled to bring this experience to Winona and see what amazing solutions these teams develop.” - Tom Gray, Make48 co-founder.


Hosted at Minnesota State College Southeast (Southeast), this exciting event will challenge 8 teams to develop innovative solutions to a real-world problem presented by Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America.



Minnesota State College Southeast in Winona, MN
Minnesota State College Southeast




A Perfect Partnership


Fastenal, a company with deep roots in Winona, brings its commitment to innovation and community engagement to the event.


“Fastenal has been a proud supporter of Make48 since 2022, but this will be our first time sponsoring a challenge, and we can’t wait to meet the teams and see what they can do. We know that anyone can be an innovator given the right team and resources, and we are excited to help provide this opportunity to support the up-and-coming innovators in the greater Winona region. We can’t wait to see how students tackle the challenge of safety in manufacturing, an area we know all too well.” – Jen Harnisch, Marketing Strategist at Fastenal


Southeast, a community and technical college that provides a flexible, affordable, inclusive, and equitable college environment for students to attain their career goals, provides the ideal setting for Make48.


“This is such a great opportunity to showcase local talent on our campus,” said Jake Griggs, Southeast’s Dean of Trade and Technology. “We are extremely excited to host Make48, and give the high school participants a top-notch experience in our labs as they collaborate to bring unique solutions to life. To see the blend of real-world business and industry, in an environment that encourages growth and critical thinking – Southeast is the perfect place for an event like this.”


Eight teams will have just 48 hours to brainstorm, design, and build a solution to a secret challenge revealed at the event kickoff. With access to mentors, expert tool techs, and a wide range of materials, teams will race against the clock to bring their ideas to life. 


Prizes and National Recognition


Participating teams have the chance to win three (3) prestigious awards, including the DeBruce Foundation Agilities© award, Best Presentation, and the coveted "Best Innovation" title, which comes with a $2,000 grand prize. The top two innovative teams will also advance to the Make48 Nationals competition in November.


The entire event will be filmed for a TV documentary airing on the This Old House Makers Channel on Roku, inspiring viewers nationwide.


Be a part of Make48 Winona! Sponsors and volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Contact Make48 today: https://www.make48.com/contact-us


We are looking for school teams to compete in this incredible event.  If you are interested in competing, please reach out to us today!


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About Southeast:

Located in the historic river towns of Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast is a community and technical college that provides a flexible, affordable, inclusive, and equitable college environment and offers a clear sense of direction to all students. College faculty and staff genuinely care about students’ end goals, whether that be earning an academic award, transferring to university to complete a bachelor’s degree, or attaining career skills. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of the Minnesota State system.


About Fastenal:

Fastenal provides a broad offering of industrial supplies, including fastener, safety, and metal cutting products, to manufacturing, construction, and state and local government customers through more than 3,600 in-market locations (branches and customer-specific Onsite locations) spanning 25 countries. With continual investment in tailored local inventory, dedicated local experts, and flexible FMI® (Fastenal Managed Inventory) and digital solutions, Fastenal helps its business partners achieve product and process savings across the supply chain – a "high-touch, high-tech" approach encapsulated by its tagline, Where Industry Meets Innovation™ . Fastenal's local service teams are supported by 17 regional distribution centers, a captive logistics fleet, multiple teams of industry specialists and support personnel, and robust sourcing, quality, and manufacturing resources, enabling it to grow by getting closer to customers and providing innovative and comprehensive solutions to customer supply chain challenges.

Additional information regarding Fastenal is available on the Fastenal Company website at www.fastenal.com.


About Make48:

Make48 is a nationwide invention-competition docuseries, distributed and aired in partnership with This Old House Makers Channel (Roku), that gives teams a challenge at the start of a two-day event. With just 48 hours, teams must create a prototype, promotional video, sales sheet, and finally present their idea to a panel of judges. The teams have access to a makerspace and numerous Tool Techs (that can make almost anything), patent attorneys, marketing experts, and more. This format allows everyone to have a level playing field and the chance to win, with no prior technical knowledge necessary. 


Make48 Media Contact:

Cassandra Muñoz

816-226-8385


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