HANOVER, MD, USA, Aug 6, 2026 — As manufacturers across the country continue addressing the growing demand for skilled workers, Phillips Corporation is helping prepare the next generation of manufacturing professionals through its annual Phillips Machinist Design and Machining Student Competition.
Hosted through The Phillips Machinist App, the nationwide competition connects students with industry partners to solve real manufacturing challenges using modern machining, engineering, and additive manufacturing technologies. Designed to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and today’s manufacturing environment, the competition gives participants hands-on experience designing, manufacturing, and presenting innovative solutions while collaborating with local manufacturers and industry experts.
The 2024–2025 competition attracted more than 67 students representing 25 teams from high schools, community colleges, and universities across the United States. After completing multiple project milestones over several months, nine teams advanced to the final round.
Team Number 1 from Wayne Community College in North Carolina earned first-place honors for its RC Auger Project, winning the competition’s Grand Prize, including a trip to California along with certificates from Haas Automation and Markforged. Second place was awarded to the AMS Bulldogs from Mississippi State University, while The Wolf Pack from Virginia Highlands Community College earned third-place honors.
Throughout the competition, teams partnered with local manufacturers to identify real production challenges before designing and manufacturing functional solutions. Each project incorporated both subtractive and additive manufacturing by requiring at least one machined component produced on a Haas CNC machine and one component manufactured using Markforged additive technology.
Students also participated in technical sessions led by Phillips experts, gaining exposure to industrial additive manufacturing, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles, and modern production workflows that are increasingly shaping today’s manufacturing industry.
Central to the competition was The Phillips Machinist App, a free mobile resource that provides machinists, students, educators, and manufacturing professionals with calculators, tooling references, G- and M-code resources, learning content, productivity tools, and industry news. The app extends learning beyond the classroom, giving future manufacturers practical resources they can continue using throughout their careers.
Projects were evaluated by manufacturing professionals from Phillips Corporation and Haas Automation based on innovation, manufacturability, technical execution, teamwork, and presentation quality.
“Programs like the Phillips Machinist Design and Machining Student Competition are about much more than recognizing outstanding student projects—they’re about investing in the future of manufacturing. By bringing together education, industry partners, machining, and additive manufacturing technologies, we’re helping students develop the technical skills, creative thinking, and real-world experience they’ll carry into tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce.”— Lauren Ramsey, Vice President of US Marketing, Phillips Corporation
The winners were officially announced by Mark Terryberry, host of Haas Automation’s renowned Tip of the Day series, during a special awards presentation shared across Phillips Corporation’s digital channels.
The Phillips Machinist Design and Machining Student Competition reflects Phillips Corporation’s ongoing commitment to advancing manufacturing education and strengthening the workforce pipeline through meaningful industry collaboration. By combining hands-on learning with mentorship and exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies, the program equips students with the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in modern manufacturing careers.
About Phillips Corporation
Phillips Corporation is a global leader in manufacturing solutions, helping manufacturers improve productivity through CNC machining, additive manufacturing, automation, digital technologies, and workforce development. For more than 60 years, Phillips has partnered with industry-leading technology providers and customers to deliver innovative solutions that advance manufacturing across commercial, education, and federal markets.
Learn more at www.phillipscorp.com.
