Groups to launch campaign promoting LI's factories

Two business groups and Suffolk County Community College are planning a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of manufacturing to Long Island’s economy, officials said.

Despite a long-term decline in local factory payrolls, manufacturing remains a big employer and source of revenue from outside Nassau and Suffolk counties, the officials said. They plan to seek more governmental aid for training factory workers and new equipment.

The initiative is being led by the college, Hauppauge Industrial Association and Aerospace and Defense Diversification Alliance in Peacetime Transition. The trio held an organizational meeting Wednesday; another is planned for next month.