Lisa Heineman, right, chats with LCTI alumnus Milo Woolley during Fall 2026 tour of Pratt Industries.

Automated Industrial Technology teacher Lisa Heinemen poses for a group photo with her students at Niagara Bottling.

EMMAUS, Pa. — Cardboard packaging is ubiquitous. It’s used to house, display and ship products all over the world, but most people don’t give it much thought.

The opposite is true at Pratt Industries’ borough plant, where cardboard packaging is always top of mind. That’s because Pratt produces custom corrugated packaging for some of the most recognizable names in Lehigh Valley manufacturing, including Crayola, Just Born Quality Confections and Lutron Electronics.

Automated Industrial Technology teacher Lisa Heineman and the students in her program marked Manufacturing Month with a Wednesday (Sept. 30, 2026) tour of the sprawling Broad Street facility, where they saw firsthand how packaging goes from design concept to finished  product.

Manufacturing Month is celebrated every October to highlight the impact, innovation and career opportunities within the U.S. manufacturing industry. Manufacturing Day is on the first Friday of October.

Cambien Bleiler, a Pratt machine operator and LCTI Electrical Technology program alumnus, led most of the morning tour, which featured stops at every step in the process. Heinemen and her students also ran into alumnus of their program — Milo Woolley — at the plant. The 19-year-old graduated high school with the Class of 2026 and is a maintenance technician at Pratt.

Automated Industrial Technology students’ Manufacturing Month activities also included a trip to Niagara Bottling’s Upper Macungie Township plant.

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