The idea of manufacturing often bring images of soot-covered, smoke-stacked brick buildings to mind, inside of which are conveyor belts and the mechanical roar of the assembly line. While many of those kinds of facilities still exist, manufacturing is actually making the move into the 21st century along with the rest of the economy. A new generation is making its presence known in the industry, and their ingenuity, drive and results will instill confidence in American manufacturing in the decades to come.

A recent "30 Under 30 In Manufacturing" piece in Forbes highlighted a number of young entrepreneurs who have made strides in recent years. Some of the more successful of the bunch include Eben Mayer and Gavin McIntyre, the 29-year-old co-founders of Ecovative, a company that processes mushrooms into a packing material that is both more eco-friendly and cost-efficient than regular styrofoam peanuts.

Others listed are Jeremiah Chapman, the 24-year old founder of Crisp, a business that creates products that allows for oil in deep fryers to be used longer, and Nikki Kaufman, the 28-year old innovator behind Normal, which 3D-prints custom-made ear buds that are molded to each customer's specifications.

"This year's list shows that the present – and future – of manufacturing is something altogether different [than the classic picture of the manufacturing industry]," said Alex Knapp of Forbes. "It's a world of custom products, 3D printing, nanoscale chemistry and a green outlook."

Contrary to popular belief, the world of manufacturing is continually pushing the envelope and spearheading the rapid growth of technology. What do you need to do to make sure your manufacturing business isn't lagging behind? Employing an effective business management software is one way to start, and Accent Software is the company to look to when you need help implementing and managing that system.