Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - “Made in America” Host Ratzenberger to Keynote ATExpo

Assembly Technology Expo will take place Sept. 28-30 in Rosemont, IL, and will feature a keynote address by actor John Ratzenberger, producer and host of the Travel Channel's John Ratzenberger's Made in America series that honors the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of American manufacturing. Ratzenberger will share insights that he has gained visiting American factories and working alongside the men and women who produce many of America's best-loved products, including Harley Davidson motorcycles, Chevy Corvettes, John Deere tractors, Craftsmen tools, Zippo lighters and Slinky toys.

"We can't imagine a more fitting way to mark ATExpo's 25^th year than a tribute to the greatness and inventive spirit of American manufacturers," said Kelvin Marsden-Kish, vice president of the assembly family of events, produced by Reed Exhibitions. "Mr. Ratzenberger is clearly passionate about great American products and respects the skill and dedication of the men and women who create them. He has become a highly effective advocate of American ingenuity at work and of manufacturers who invest in the effort to maintain a competitive edge here in the U.S."

For Ratzenberger, manufacturing is much more than an abstract concept. It's a way of life and a source of pride that ties communities and generations together. The son of blue collar working parents in one of the northeast's leading industrial cities, Ratzenberger grew up with the idea that Americans were hardworking inventors and problem solvers. Before turning to an acting career, he worked as a carpenter and takes pride in pointing out the houses that he helped build to his children. Despite his celebrity status, Ratzenberger still regards himself as a garage tinkerer. He holds five patents for a packaging process that he invented.

"I've always had a high regard for people who put their hands to something useful," Ratzenberger said. "A tool and die maker is an artist on par with those who display their works in expensive art galleries. A painter can always paint over a mistake. But when you work with tolerances of 1/1000th of an inch on a spinning lathe, you can't afford to be careless."

Ratzenberger is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the know-it-all, nebbishy mailman Clifford C. 'Cliff' Clavin, Jr. in the sitcom Cheers. His movie acting credits include roles in Superman and Superman II; Star Wars V-The Empire Strikes Back; Ghandi; and all five of Pixar's animated feature films, providing the voices for Hamm in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, PT Flea in A Bug's Life, the Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc. and a school of moonfish in Finding Nemo.