Technical College System of Georgia Summer 2008 Volume 10, Number 2 See "About the Cover" page 2 for photo information. High Flight Quick Start training helps Georgia's aerospace/aviation industry soar While the challenges faced by some commercial airlines grab the headlines and give the impression that the sky is falling in the world of aviation, a look around Georgia tells a different story about our strategic aerospace industry. In Columbus, Cessna Aircraft Company is expanding its facility for manufacturing engine parts and propellers. In Marietta, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics recently won a 2008 Manufacturer of the Year award. In Macon, Boeing continues to manufacture the C-17, the American military's workhorse. And in the Savannah area, Gulfstream, LMI Aerospace and Savannah Air Center all have launched major expansions needed to accommodate their booming businesses. All of these companies have two things in common: Their products defy gravity, and Quick Start is helping to prepare their workforce for continued success. In this issue, we profile how Quick Start's workforce training is helping Georgia's aerospace and aviation industry fly high. Turn to page 12... www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Notes About this issue: Supporting Georgia's strategic industries `We are proud to support Georgia's booming aviation/aerospace strategic industry through our work with clients such as Gulfstream, 2 Boeing, Cessna, Lockheed, Savannah Air Center and LMI Aerospace.' There are a few obvious benefits to flying on your own corporate jet: better snacks, no elbow-jabbing competition for the overhead luggage bins, and no long lines waiting to board. But that's only after you've bought the plane. These days, the long lines form when people are waiting to actually buy their jets in the first place -- but that's one of those problems that are nice to have. Demand for the new breed of sleek, efficient, and often highly luxurious, aircraft has increased so dramatically in recent years that many Georgia companies building the aircraft are racing to expand. We at Quick Start are proud to be able to help support the booming aviation/aerospace strategic industry through our work with clients such as Gulfstream, Boeing, Cessna, Lockheed, Savannah Air Center and LMI Aerospace. We're also proud to support the Georgia Department of Economic Development's Global Commerce Division as that team carries out its new smart, savvy, strategic marketing campaign to promote Georgia to international companies (sample ad at right). In this issue we profile the deputy commissioner of global commerce, Heidi Green, who has truly been making outstanding things happen for our state in the past year since she took her current role. Jackie Rohosky Assistant Commissioner Economic Development Programs jrohosky@georgiaquickstart.org 9 Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Table of Contents 3 16 9 10 16 Events Around the State Going Green GDEcD Global Commerce head Heidi Green thinks the world of Georgia for Success Pharma Tech Industries enjoys strategic growth in a strategic industry Center of Attention Kia Georgia Training Center opens in West Point, Ga. 18 Building Up Manufacturing Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle highlights 14th annual MAW luncheon 20 Quick Start Project Announcements About the cover Clockwise from top: The F-22 Raptor, developed and produced at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta; Cessna's single-engine Skylane boasts parts and assemblies produced in Columbus; employees at Savannah Air Center, one of the area's many growing aerospace companies; an employee at Cessna's Columbus facility assembles one of the company's McCauley propellers. Summer 2008 Volume 10, Number 2 Published by Georgia Quick Start www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start is a registered service mark of the Technical College System of Georgia Ron Jackson, Commissioner. Please address comments and questions to: Rodger Brown, Director of Strategic Media rbrown@georgiaquickstart.org Georgia Quick Start 75 Fifth St. NW, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30308 Events www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Global Power When ASTA, Inc. -- the leading global producer of copper products for large electrical transformers -- chose Waynesboro, Ga., as the home of the company's first U.S. manufacturing facility, it brought the world to rural Burke County. ASTA is owned by a Malaysian corporation and has its division headquarters in Austria. When customers in Mexico and the U.S. asked the international company to build a location closer to them, ASTA found in Burke County a local leadership team, a qualified workforce and an existing building ready to receive the company's European- made equipment. "It would have taken eight or nine months to build something of this caliber, so finding this building has greatly reduced our startup time," said Plant Manager Rakesh Rathi, referring to the site that previously housed manufacturing businesses. But, Rathi emphasized, the people working in the building are the most vital elements in a successful operation. "Our products go into equipment that runs at millions of volts -- Precision Decision -- Using leading-edge, computer-driven cutting, bending and welding equipment, Hartwell- imagine if something went wrong with that," he said. "Quick Start is helping us find and train employees with the logic and math skills to understand the intricacy of our processes." In addition to assistance from Quick Start, the company is partnering with Augusta Technical College as a resource for continued training. based Fabritex produces almost any type of metal component part or assembly. Recently, the growing company turned to Quick Start and Athens Technical College for help training new employees in Fabritex's technologically advanced processes. Pictured signing a training agreement at the Hart County Chamber of Commerce are, from left: From left: Jan Melcher, Quick Start director of eastern operations; Rakesh Rathi, ASTA Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations; Lee Adams, Fabritex president; plant manager; and Terry Elam, Augusta and Dr. Flora Tydings, Athens Tech president. Technical College president, at the ASTA 3 facility in Waynesboro. Fuel for the Future U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman speaks at Range Fuels' ground- breaking celebration. As Range Fuels, Inc., continues construction on the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in the U.S., Quick Start is preparing training materials to use when the company begins hiring up to 70 employees next year for its Treutlen County facility. Quick Start recently completed the project study on which the training will be based. Range Fuels broke ground at its site near Soperton, Ga., in November in a ceremony attended by Gov. Sonny Perdue, U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and company officials. The company initially received a $76 million investment from the Department of Energy and in April completed another round of financing, raising an additional $130 million to complete the plant. Cellulosic ethanol is a type of fuel made from pine trees and At left: Gov. Sonny Perdue welcomes Range Fuels to Georgia and Treutlen County at the company's groundbreaking celebration. other plant matter. Range Fuels anticipates the Soperton plant will produce up to 20 million gallons of ethanol per year. The company said it chose the location because of the extensive forest-products industry in the area. "Georgia is proud to partner with Range Fuels to lead the nation in delivering cellulosic ethanol as a solution to America's dependence on foreign and fossil fuels," Perdue said at the groundbreaking. Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Events From left: Michael Letson, DEUTZ Corporation executive vice president and general manager; Don Wantuck, Quick Start training coordinator; James Oldham, DEUTZ Corporation manager of technical operations; and Pat Barker Rhoads, DEUTZ Corporation manager of human resources and administration. Restarting the Engines German company DEUTZ AG is one of the world's leading independent suppliers of industrial diesel engines. Recently the company chose Pendergrass, Ga., as the location for its first remanufacturing operation in the United States. Company executives credit Quick Start and Lanier Technical College for their decision to bring more than 50 new jobs to Jackson County. "When we were considering coming here, we were told about Lanier Technical College and Georgia Quick Start," said Michael E. Letson, executive vice president and general manager of the company's U.S. subsidiary, DEUTZ Corporation, at recent training plan signing ceremonies. "Everything we were told about Lanier Tech and Georgia Quick Start has come true as advertised." At the remanufacturing center, the company will recycle used diesel engines, turn- 4 ing them into productive engines again. According to Letson, remanufacturing means that about 70 percent of the parts are returned to the marketplace. Building Business Bennett Building Systems (BBS), a division of Bennett International Group, LLC, recently announced that it is partnering with Quick Start and Sandersville Technical College to train the approximately 150 employees it plans to hire for its new 60,000-square- foot plant in Tennille, Ga. Employees at the Washington County facility will manufacture and distribute personal storage units. "Hands down, this community was the best overall choice," said BBS President Danny Lowry. From left: Dr. Lloyd Horadan, Sandersville Tech president; Jan Melcher, Quick Start director of eastern operations; and Doug Eudy, Bennett Building Systems production manager. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Something to Crow About Gainesville, Ga., is known as the "Poultry Capital of the World," so it's no surprise that the city is home to one of the world's leading manufacturers of innovative poultry processing equipment and systems, Stork Gamco. The Dutch company recently added space and production equipment to manufacture a new line of machinery that will form, batter and cook chicken, fish and other foods. These machines will be sold to clients that make products for retailers such as Captain D's, McDonald's and Tyson. Quick Start and Lanier Technical College will train the skilled employees the company needed to support the expansion. "Having qualified people working on our highly technical machines keeps us competitive," said Stork Gamco Executive Vice President Frank Nicoletti at recent ceremonies held to mark the signing of the training agreement. "Quick Start allows us to maintain our competitiveness in the world market we serve." From left: Dr. Mike Moye, Lanier Technical College president; Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations; Russ Vandiver, Lanier Tech vice president of economic development programs; and Frank Nicoletti, Stork Gamco executive vice president, examine a piece of poultry processing equipment manufactured at the company's Gainesville facility. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Instrumental to Success When manufacturing a product that's used in lifesaving procedures like heart surgery, precision and dependability are critical. That's why WIKA Instrument Corporation turned to Quick Start and Gwinnett Technical College for assistance in training employees in calibration and welding techniques for the Germanybased company's many pressure and temperature instruments -- which includes gauges used in angioplasty and other health care applications. "We've all heard the phrase `having the right people on the bus,' but having the right people on the bus is only momentary -- as the company changes, you need a different caliber of people to stay on the bus," said company president Michael Gerster at a recent training plan signing ceremony. "Quick Start helps you condition your people so that everyone can stay on the bus, and no one gets left behind on the journey. "I believe Quick Start can greatly help every company keep everybody on the bus," he added. Above: A WIKA employee calibrates one of the company's gauges. Below: The company's instruments undergo rigorous quality-control testing. 5 Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Powerful Harvest -- Alterra Bioenergy, a manufacturer and distributor of biodiesel fuel, recently opened a production facility in Gordon, Ga. Quick Start will be providing training for the company's 50 new employees, and Heart of Georgia Technical College will provide ongoing training support. Pictured at the training agreement signing ceremony are (front row, from left): Tim Spivey, Alterra plant manger; Dr. Randall Peters, Heart of Georgia Tech president; and John Brewton, Quick Start training coordinator. Back row, from left: David Deese, Alterra assistant manager; Brad Hayes, chief quality officer; Iraj Moradinia, chief technical officer; Kirby Maxwell, sales and marketing; and Travis Spivey, assistant manager. Just What the Doctor Ordered Georgia's strategic health care industry got another shot in the arm recently, when medical-technology company C.R. Bard partnered with Quick Start and DeKalb Technical College to train 50 new employees joining the company in an expansion of its Covington distribution center. "We ship about 15 million units per month, so we like to say we touch the customer 15 million times, which is more than anyone else in the company," said Distribution Director Todd Rice at recent training plan signing ceremonies. "Quick Start and DeKalb Tech are very important to our success; we thank you for that." The 412,000-square-foot distribution center houses more than 20,000 different products, and the company is adding to its current roster of 172 employees to help keep up with the double-digit growth enjoyed in recent years. "We're all end-users of your product," said Dr. Robin Hoffman, DeKalb Tech president. "What you do is critical to our well-being." From left: Dr. Robin Hoffman, DeKalb Tech president; Todd Rice, C.R. Bard director of distribution; and Jeff Lynn, Quick Start direc- tor of northern operations, sign a training agreement for the company's employees. Events Foaming a Partnership Innovative Foam Products is making a home in Brunswick, Ga. The newly formed manufacturer of fire retardant foam products for bedding, commercial and military aircraft is creating about 100 jobs at the 50,000-square-foot facility in Glynn County. Recently, company officials met with Quick Start and Coastal Georgia Community College representatives to sign an agreement for training these 100 new employees. Quick Start will be providing core skills and job-specific training in areas such as measurement, manufacturing facility processes, compounding, material handling and powered industrial truck operation during the company's startup phase. Coastal Georgia Community College will meet the company's ongoing training needs. From left: Dr. Dorothy Lord, Coastal Georgia Community College president; Harvey Roth, Innovative Foam Products CEO; and Jan Melcher, Quick Start director of eastern operations. Getting Under the Hood -- Representatives from Michigan-based manufacturer Wellington-Cook, Quick Start and Valdosta Technical College met recently at the college to sign a training agreement for the company's new Adel, Ga., facility. Wellington-Cook is creating 46 jobs in the production of metal stampings and assembly parts for General Motors and Donaldson Company. Pictured are, from left: Marla Lowe, Quick Start executive director; Mike Brown, Wellington-Cook plant operations manager; John Brodowsky, Wellington-Cook president and CEO; and Dr. F.D. Toth, Valdosta Tech interim president. 6 www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Get Game! Dick's Sporting Goods will open its first Southeastern distribution center in East Point, Ga., this summer. The company, which operates more than 340 stores in 36 states, will be hiring up to 500 for the South Fulton County facility. Quick Start has already begun creating training materials for these employees, and will be working with the company and Atlanta Technical College throughout its startup and operation in Georgia. "These training materials will be used for years to bring all our associates up to speed on how to run a world-class distribution center," said Lee Belitsky, Dick's senior vice president for distribution and transportation, recently. "Quick Start has prepared very, very professional materials and programs that are top-notch." Among the candidates Dick's will be considering for these new positions will be graduates of Atlanta Tech's Certified Warehousing and Distribution Specialist (CWDS) program. "We stand ready to support At left, from left: Dr. Alvetta Thomas, Atlanta Technical College president; Lee Belitsky, Dick's Sporting Goods senior vice president of distribution and transportation; and Jackie Rohosky, TCSG assistant commissioner of economic development programs, sign a training agreement. Above, from left: Rohosky and Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations, get a tour of the Dick's Sporting Goods East Point facility from Bill Palmire, senior director of distribution. Dick's in any way we can," said Dr. Alvetta Thomas, Atlanta Tech president. "We can provide workforce solutions that are designed specifically for you, beginning with the CWDS class we already have in the works." www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Another Japanese Company Picks Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue recently helped officially open the first U.S. manufacturing facility of Nichiha, a Nagoya, Japan-based maker of fiber cement siding and other home-construction materials. Perdue remarked that the Macon, Ga., ceremony wasn't a single episode, but rather, "yet another chapter in the strong and enduring relation- ship between Georgia and our friends in Japan. "Our state has enjoyed a close bond with Japan Cutline goes here for more than 30 years," Perdue continued. "Soon, this company will be able to offer 100 jobs at this facility, joining the 341 other Japanese companies that have operations in Georgia and employ more than 30,000 people. Above: Gov. Sonny Perdue is among the dignitaries participating in a traditional Japanese kagami wari ceremony, in which the lid on a sake cask is broken We pride ourselves on working hard to provide a fertile field in which business can grow." with wooden mallets to celebrate a momentous event. Below: Premium shake siding is one of many homeconstruction materials manufactured by Nichiha. Japanese Consul General Shoji Ogawa agreed. "This first U.S. manufacturing plant symbolizes the strong ties between Japanese 7 business and the Southeastern United States," he said. "Georgia provides a quality workforce, From left: Bibb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charlie W. Bishop, Gov. Sonny Perdue, Consul General of Japan Shoji Ogawa and Nichiha USA President Tiger Takamitsu share in ribboncutting duties for Nichiha's Macon facility. encouragement, infrastructure, logistics and business climate." Nichiha invested about $100 million in the 300,000-square-foot facility in Bibb County to make it environmentally friendly. The plant features an on-site water treatment and reuse system, and the company recycles all scrap fiber cement pro- duced in the plant, one of the most energy-efficient in the industry. Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Growing Gains Price Industries, based in Suwanee, Ga., recently faced a dilemma businesses love to have -- demand for the company's air-distribution products was growing, and the 174,000-square-foot manufacturing facility was getting crowded. So the manufacturer of grilles, registers and diffusers used in building projects around the world opened a 90,000-square-foot expansion building in Auburn, Ga. To train employees in both locations, the company entered a partnership with Quick Start, Lanier Technical College and Gwinnett Technical College. "Price's strong focus on customer service is a hallmark of the company," said Gwinnett Tech President Sharon Bartels. "We are pleased to be supporting them in their growth and their consistent efforts to deliver great service through a highly trained team." Top photo (from left): David McCulloch, Gwinnett Technical College vice president of recruitment and marketing; Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations; Curt Coffman, Price Industries vice president of operations; and Dr. Mike Moye, Lanier Technical College president, sign a training plan at the company's Suwanee facility (bottom photo). Events www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start News g Summer 2008 CEDT Class Is Lucky Number 13 Members of area workers for jobs at this Quick Start's 13th Certified Economic Developer Trainer (CEDT) class recently learned what it takes to attract and support Georgia industries from those who've been on the front lines distribution center, among others. CEDT participants also heard from Pat Topping of the Macon Economic Development Commission and Georgia Power's Buddy Glazner, who discussed how they worked with the Georgia Department of Above (from left): Speakers at a recent CEDT class session included Ernie Reed, Bass Pro Shops general manager; Greg King, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute strategic partners officer; Ginger Blackstone, Georgia Dept. of Labor economic development consultant; and Charlie Gatlin, Georgia Dept. of Economic Development deputy commissioner for tourism and marketing. -- economic development experts Economic Development, Quick and one of Georgia's best-known Start and other community leaders recent success stories. In 2006, Bass Pro Shops opened a distribution center in Macon, Ga. to meet the company's needs. The Quick Start-administered CEDT program involves 18 months Below: Economic development experts discussed Bass Pro Shops' recent startup in Macon. From left: Reed; Burt Bethea, Quick Start training coordinator; Becky The facility's general manager, Ernie of specialized training and project Lee, Central Georgia Technical College vice president Reed, outlined Bass Pro's operational work that hones class member of economic development programs; Buddy Glazner, 8 needs and location criteria for this Georgia Power senior project manager; and Pat skills in economic development and Topping, Macon Economic Development Commission center. The company's highly auto- workforce training. senior vice president. mated warehousing system drove the need for advanced workforce training, Reed said. The Bass Pro exec added that the training provided by Quick Start was a key factor in the company's successful startup. Becky Lee, vice president of economic development at Central Georgia Technical College, highlighted the college's Certified Warehousing and Distribution Specialist technical certificate of credit, which prepares Arising Industries Gets Rolling Arising Industries, a new manufacturer in Jeff Davis County, recently announced a training partnership with Quick Start and Altamaha Technical College. The company plans to hire and train about 40 new employees who will manufacture enclosed utility trailers at the Hazlehurst facility. Quick Start will provide classroom and hands-on, job-specific training in such areas as: manufacturing safety, quality control, measuring, frame assembly, MIG welding, sheet metal working, electrical wiring installation and powered industrial truck operation. Altamaha Tech will provide ongoing training and workforce development support for the company. From left: Lorette Hoover, Altamaha Technical College president; Johnny Batten, Arising Industries president; and Jan Melcher, Quick Start director of eastern operations. Partner Profile www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Going Green GDEcD Global Commerce head Heidi Green thinks the world of Georgia When Georgia hosts the 2009 Bio International Convention next May, the state will be well-prepared to showcase the numerous biotech assets that make Georgia the "crossroads of global health." Thousands of industry leaders from around the world will have heard Georgia's story thanks to an aggressive new marketing initiative led by the Georgia Department of Economic Development's (GDEcD) Global Commerce Division. "This will be the first time the Bio convention has been held in the Southeast, and we're very excited about it and we're very prepared for it," says Heidi Green, deputy commissioner of Global Commerce, whose office spearheads Georgia's efforts in recruiting new businesses to the state and promoting international trade. "It's a huge opportunity for us to talk about what Georgia has to offer in the world of biotechnology and reach out to a `who's who' of the bio industry," Green says. Going global 9 Biotechnology in Georgia, though, is just one strategic sector targeted by the global commerce office for promotion. Advanced automotive manufacturing, logistics and tourism are a few of the other strategic industries that are part of a Global Georgia Initiative, whose four-year, $16 million mission is to position Georgia as the best location for international investment, trade and tourism. Green, who has an MBA in international business from George Washington University, has been heading up the Global Commerce Division since July 2007. The previous five years she spent in intergovernmental affairs in Gov. Perdue's administration. "This major new initiative includes a new marketing campaign targeting leading countries where we see foreign direct investment and trade coming from," she says. The initiative has already increased international investment leads by 34 percent and more than doubled the leads for international trade. "We are also doing very tailored follow-up, because we know that, especially on the global level, building relationships is critical," she says. Green says that once those relationships are established, Quick Start is one of Georgia's major selling points. "We always talk about Quick Start," she says. "A reporter asked me recently what are our best incen- `With Quick Start, we really have an edge working with international firms coming to Georgia.' Heidi Green, GDEcD Deputy Commissioner of Global Commerce tives, and I said that we have the best workforce training program in the country, if not the world." Green explained that Quick Start's role is especially critical when working with international companies. "Many might not have done business in the U.S. before, and they want to make sure they are replicating the production processes from their home country," she says, "and Quick Start is the expert in delivering that kind of training. "With Quick Start," Green concludes, "we really have an edge in knowing how to work with the growing number of international firms coming to Georgia." Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Biotechnology and Healthcare Sector for Success Pharma Tech Industries enjoys strategic growth in a strategic industry Quick Start News g Summer 2008 www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org "I like to say, we make everything from bottle caps to kneecaps," Lee Dickinson, vice president and general manager of Pharma Tech Industries (PTI) says, donning a lab coat and hairnet before entering the company's Royston, Ga., plant. Indeed, about half the items in the average family bathroom can be found in various stages of manufacture at this 260,000-square-foot facility. Plastic resin pellets arrive by train and are formed into sticks tipped with cotton from nearby bales. They leave as packaged swabs. Plastic bottles are molded, labeled and filled with Johnson's Baby Powder and other brands of cosmetic powder. Toothbrush 10 handles, bath powder, and yes, even parts for artificial hip joints and kneecaps, come from the Franklin County facility. PTI is based in Missouri, and began making and packaging pharmaceutical products there in 1972. In 2005, PTI acquired the Royston facility from pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, when J&J decided to outsource its manufacturing operations. "I spent about eight years of my career here trying to keep Johnson & Below, from left: Lashunda McGlockling, powder attendant, inspects bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder; Fay Sanders, Siebler operator, unpacks Efferdent boxes; the boxes are then filled with tablets that have been mixed, formed and sealed into pouches at the Royston facility. Johnson from closing this plant," says Dickinson. "But, we were able to get with Pharma Tech to keep it open. There were 307 people working at the plant when it closed in August 2005. One week later, 135 hourly and 25 salaried personnel were hired back. J&J and PTI worked together to make that happen." Goal-oriented Curtis Coile, PTI plant manager; Peggy Hendrix, HR manager; and Dickinson weren't content just to save the plant. They set about expanding it. "Our challenge is to remain lean and competitive and small -- all while growing," says Coile. "We have to use all the resources we can to stay viable, and Quick Start is a great help with that." Quick Start is the company's partner in its latest expansion -- the addition of Efferdent denture cleansing tablets to the array of products produced in Royston. Johnson & Johnson was looking for a new location to produce the brand, and the PTI team saw a logical next phase in their careful evolution. "We are the best and biggest in the world at working with powder; the next step was to press powder into a tablet," says Dickinson. "Now that we're FDA qualified in tableting, we can continue to move into the higher-scrutiny drug environment." Before the Efferdent operation came to Royston, the Quick Start team visited the Puerto Rico plant where the product was previously being made. The team members documented the manufacturing processes and, upon their return, created materials to teach PTI's 35 new employees how to mix, form and package the tablets. "When you're expanding, all the work is done up front. That's where the process documentation and the training manuals Quick Start created were invaluable," says Coile. "We spent weeks preparing to be able to push the button and make everything work the first day, and the ability to do that comes from the people involved. Quick Start provided us a level of support to make that possible." At right (from left): Pharma Tech Vice President and General Manager Lee Dickinson, President Carl Oberg and Plant Manager Curtis Coile. Below: Annie Rucker, swab operator, inspects cotton swabs made and packaged at the Royston facility. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Made in the USA How does PTI keep current separating, the PTI team specializes know," adds Dickinson. "Quick contracts and even earn new ones in creative solutions to seemingly Start helps us find out what it takes when competitors overseas are impossible challenges. to do it and then trains people to promising to manufacture the same "Our clients look at the total do it properly." product with lower labor costs? value of what we give them, not Company President Carl Oberg By offering their clients the total just the price," says Coile. "We tell says each expansion the company package, from high technology to our customers, `All we need from undertakes makes his job easier. continuous innovation. Whether you is a purchase order and specifi- "I go out and tell clients the PTI buying machinery on eBay, writing cations; we'll take care of the rest.'" story," he says. "Six years ago, that their own software programs, or "When it comes to learning story was, `We do topical powders.' inventing a space-saving hopper new processes, we leverage what Here in Royston, there is now a to keep Efferdent powders from we know to get into what we don't much bigger story to tell." 11 Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Strategic Industry Profile: Aviation/Aerospace Cessna A Textron Company Plane Success www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Cessna marks 20 years of Quick Start partnership It's 6:30 a.m., and Quick Start's Cessna associate training Columbus office is buzzing. And coordinator. "Six months thumping. And hissing. The 15 after I graduated from Cessna employees who are hard at here, I was the lead person work have only been employed by in my area. Now I'm a the company for a week and a half, member of the human so they don't realize that the Quick resources team, and Quick Start sheet metal assembly class Start gave me my start." they're taking makes them part of a Quick Start's relation- 12 20-year tradition. That's how long ship with Cessna actually Cessna and Quick Start have worked together to ensure the Kansas-based aircraft manufacturer's Columbus goes back to 1988 when the company was operating in its current facility under the Seerley Lowery, general manager of Cessna's Columbus facility. employees are top-flight. name of Cessna's parent company, quality propellers under the brand Most of them also don't realize Textron. Cessna took over opera- McCauley Propeller Systems. that some of their instructors once tions in 1996, and today, employees In the past two decades, Quick stood exactly where they are now. here manufacture parts and as- Start has seen the company through "Ten years ago, my dad and I semblies for a number of aircraft several expansions. Today Cessna is both came through this very same produced at the company's Kansas expanding again and will be adding program," says Gary Goodson, facilities. They also make high- about 200 new employees. Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Precious Cargo Since 1996, Quick Start's training professionals have worked at Boeing's two Macon facilities delivering instruction that has ranged from teaching 200 aircraft technicians the art of blueprint reading to training operators running high-tech CNC multi-axis riveters. Also over those years, Boeing's team members have received numerous accolades for their top-quality production of aircraft such as the Boeing AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and the classic C-17 cargo plane (pictured at left). They've won the 1998 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the 2003 Georgia Oglethorpe award, and the facility has been selected by Industry Week magazine as one of the top ten manufacturing plants in North America. "The team from Quick Start has helped Boeing build the best little aircraft factory in the world," says Al Stewart, Boeing community relations/government affairs liaison. "Through several projects over more than a decade, we've created a relationship with Quick Start that has us eagerly anticipating our next project." n 12 www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org "You guys helped put us on the map," says Cessna General Manager Seerley Lowery. "We've gone from Start's sheet metal assembly class. "Quick Start training makes a big difference in their performance," From left: The Caravan is one of several Cessna aircraft with parts and assemblies produced in Columbus; A Cessna employee in Columbus assembles a part that will be shipped to Kansas to 65 employees in 1996 to more than 600 today, and we didn't get here without partners like Quick Start." Klepper says. "It really shortens their learning curve when they get into the plant." become part of a completed plane; A McCauley propeller is being prepared for inspection; Quick Start instructor John Bradford guides a student through a training exercise in riveting. Cleared for takeoff That shorter learning curve is important because demand for the Cessna human resources manager. Located just across the street company's business jets is increas- "We're being given a chance to do from Quick Start's Columbus of- ing. The company plans to ramp things for the company that are fice, Cessna's Georgia facility turns up its production of Mustang jets more complicated -- fabricating out more than 3,500 propellers and from 48 in 2007 to 100 in 2008. more parts and upgrading to more 13 nearly two million other parts for Cessna aircraft annually. Full throttle technical equipment," he says. "The increased skill level translates into Walking through the fabrication As the company continues to more job security for our employees and assembly areas, Cessna Training grow, the employees and their -- it's a very encouraging vote of Coordinator Henry Klepper points training will also be moving to a confidence from the home office." out recent graduates from Quick higher level, says Steve Sucher, Aviation/Aerospace profile continued next page Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Military Might Recently, Quick Start intensified its involvement in Georgia's strategic aerospace industry by partnering with aviation giant Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Ga. Named this year's large Manufacturer of the Year (see story, p. 18), Lockheed Martin has been part of Georgia's manufacturing base for 57 years, and has been one of North Georgia's largest employers for decades. Employees at the Marietta facility are responsible for developing and producing some of the most reliable and effective aircraft in America's national defense fleet, such as the C-130 Hercules airlifter, the workhorse of the American military, and the F-22 Raptor (pictured at left), the highly advanced and sophisticated 21st century fighter. Shan Cooper, Lockheed Martin's site lead for human resources, says Quick Start will be important for helping the company stay competitive. "Partnering with Georgia Quick Start is the absolute right business decision for us." she said. "We are focused on continuing to deliver world-class aircraft, products and services to our customers. The ability to successfully accomplish this requires that we have available to us highly skilled talent. Quick Start is the ideal partner given its ability to train and educate our existing and future workforce on new technologies." n Strategic Industry Profile: Aviation/Aerospace www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Streamlined Solution Gulfstream, Quick Start and Savannah Technical College team up to prepare aerospace workforce When Gulfstream Aerospace announced a $400 million its product. To get the workforce training started right away, Quick on team building, communications, safety, cabinet building and interior expansion of its Savannah opera- Start's training professionals met installation so they can have the 14 tion in 2006, the company knew the with the Gulfstream team to define knowledge and skills before they market was there for its aircraft. The the core competencies needed for come to Gulfstream," Samuels added. concern was whether the workers various positions. Meanwhile, "The goal is for everyone to go needed to build them would be. Savannah Tech prepared a diverse through the Quick Start program," Quick Start News g Summer 2008 A collaboration among Quick set of Technical Certificate of Credit said Carmen Smoker, workforce Start, Savannah Technical College programs to address long-term development coordinator. "We've and Gulfstream has helped alleviate workforce needs of the aviation noticed a difference from the that concern. and aerospace industry that is students who have been through "When we announced the facil- booming in the Savannah area. the Quick Start program and those ity's expansion, we knew that we "Anyone who completes one of who haven't when they come in would be hiring a lot of entry-level these programs at Savannah Tech for the interview. They just present individuals," said Ashley Samuels, also gets the Quick Start training themselves better overall." Gulfstream's workforce develop- ment manager. "So we partnered with Quick Start and Savannah Tech to create training opportunities for local individuals so they would have the skills needed to take advantage of the opportunities at Gulfstream." Gulfstream has manufactured aircraft in Savannah since 1967. The new expansion includes a massive new 570,000-square-foot service center in addition to new paint and manufacturing facilities. With that kind of growth -- and with a four-year waiting list for its aircraft -- Gulfstream had no time to lose building the team that would build Some of Gulfstream's nearly 5,000 Savannah employees at work on the company's popular Gulfstream G550 business jet. The Savannah complex is Gulfstream's only assembly facility in North America. Air Worthy Savannah-area aviation companies flying high Already famous for its busy, deep-water port, Savannah's aviation and aerospace industry is adding to the reputation of Georgia's Coastal Empire as an economic powerhouse for the state. "This industry is exploding like a Gail Oberg, head of human resources for Savannah Air Center, stands outside SAC's interior fabrication hangar near the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org volcano," says Gail Oberg, head of human resources for Savannah Air Center (SAC), a high-end "completions and maintenance facility" that takes raw-looking aircraft -- primarily from Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier -- and turns them into dazzling showpieces. Since the beginning of 2007, SAC has grown by 100 employees and is continually taking applications for new openings. In February, it opened a new 100,000-square-foot hangar, doubling its capacity. At the beginning of this summer, SAC had 85 positions to fill. To help find and prepare team members, SAC has partnered with Quick Start to provide training in cabinetry, interior installation, upholstery, aviation terminology, precision measure- ment, and hand and power tools. "Quick Start has been a valuable partner in helping us accommodate the growth of our company," Oberg says. 15 Piece maker Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Above (from top): A customer's business jet receives a totally custom interior and exterior completion inside Savannah Air Center's (SAC) new hangar; SAC team members perform a detailed inspection of aircraft parts. Below (from left): Parts prepared for Gulfstream move quickly through a "lean" inventory management system; LMI Aerospace General Manager Phil Lajeunesse explains how his company prepares materials that will be used by Gulfstream in the assembly of its aircraft. SAC's nearby neighbor, LMI Aerospace, Inc., is another Savannah-area company that is expanding its facility and increasing its hiring thanks to the thriving aviation business. The company assembles "kits," or sets of materials, that Gulfstream then puts together as part of the "skin" of its aircraft, an innovative production method that allows more timely and efficient delivery of components for manufacturing its products. "Quick Start has developed training around the processes we use," says Phil Lajeunesse, general manager at LMI. Quick Start has provided training in mapping and kit assembly, leadership, safety, math, and blueprint reading. The company estimates that it will grow to nearly 30 employees by the end of the year and 50 in the next few years. "But that may happen faster than we first thought." Lajeunesse said that the company had recently secured new business from Aviation Partners Boeing to prepare kits for modifying the wings of its aircraft with an innovative new product that dramatically increases fuel efficiency. "Our sales volume is going up significantly," he says, "and that means we'll be ramping up personnel. Quick Start is helping us do that." Automotive Sector www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Center of Attention 16 Kia Georgia Training Center opens in West Point, Ga. Quick Start News g Summer 2008 In just the few months since Gov. Sonny Perdue and Kia Motors Corporation President Euisun Chung headlined the official grand opening of the Kia Georgia Training Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 25, the stateof-the-art facility has established itself as a Georgia landmark. Preemployment training began at the center just days after the ceremony, and shortly thereafter, parties of Georgia legislators, the Technical College System of Georgia State Board, economic developers and Kia Motors team members from around the country began visiting the facility to see what the nation's most advanced automotive training center looks like. Operated by Quick Start on behalf of the state of Georgia and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc., the Kia Georgia Training Center houses a wide array of advanced manufacturing technologies, Above: Gov. Sonny Perdue tells reporters about the vital role the Kia Georgia Training Center and Quick Start play in Georgia's economic growth at the building's grand opening ceremonies. Inset: TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson at the event. which are being used to help Kia assess and select the team members for its West Point auto assembly facility. The facility will be the site of customized job-specific training for those team members after they are hired. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start News g Summer 2008 The Kia Georgia Training Center has hosted an array of state dignitaries. Below, from left: TCSG Assistant Commissioner Jackie Rohosky, head of Quick Start (front on right) speaks with Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), chair of the House and Senate economic development and tourism committee (front in center), during the committee's visit; TCSG State Board members held a recent meeting at the facility; TCSG State Board Chair Carl Swearingen (left), meets with TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson and Randy Jackson, director of human resources for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. 17 Far left: Quick Start head Jackie Rohosky (right) shows Gov. Sonny Perdue and Kia Chairman Euisun Chung the facility's state-of-the-art training stations. Left: The training center was the site of the 2008 conference that brought Kia dealers from all around the country to Georgia. Right: The TCSG State Board took in the training center's cutting-edge robotics training equipment. www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Statewide Celebration Building Up 18 Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle highlights 14th annual MAW luncheon "In all that we do in state government, we've got to be focused on bringing down barriers to progress," said Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, as he led more than 1,300 manufacturers and other state leaders in a celebration of Georgia's pro-business achievements. As keynote speaker at the MAW awards luncheon, Cagle told the audience of the state's plans for strong, new policies to help them compete in the growing global economy, and he emphasized the importance of technical education and career academies in creating a trained workforce in Georgia. He also praised Quick Start as "a huge asset to our state." "We lead the nation in workforce development because of Quick Start," he said. Cagle then announced the 2008 Manufacturers of the Year in Georgia, beginning with Duluth's Spectral Response, the winner in the small company category. Kevin Melendy, president of Spectral Response, accepted the award for his company. "We've been in business for 21 years, and always in Georgia -- we're very proud to be a Georgia company," he said. "Today, we compete globally with countries all over the world; we never would have been able to reach this position without help from the state." From top: MAW luncheon keynote speaker, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and the co-hosts of the event, Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Ron Jackson and Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart. Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Large Manufacturer Medium Manufacturer Small Manufacturer www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org From left: Lee Rhyant, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager; Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; Calvin Bryant, Lockheed Martin director of human resources; and Archie Stanley, Lockheed Martin director, C-130J program. From left: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson; John Spoltman, HPPG vice president and plant manager; Mike Schwaderer, HPPG manufacturing division manager; Masaaki Miyaji, HPPG president; Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart; and Steve Ward, HPPG human resources division manager. From left: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle; TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson; Kevin Melendy, Spectral Response president; Laurie Stewart, Spectral Response human resources manager; Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart; and David Shockley, Spectral Response director of operations. Honda Precision Parts of Georgia was named the winner in the medium Sponsors: category. John Spoltman, vice president and plant manager, accepted the award for the Tallapoosa company. "HPPG is proud to be in partnership with many small, medium and large companies here in Georgia," he said. 19 "This honor is accepted as a tribute to our associates, who are a huge part of our success." Finally, Cagle named Marietta's Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Quick Start News g Summer 2008 Company as the large manufacturer of the year. Lee Rhyant, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and site general manager, accepted the award. "We've been in Marietta for 57 years," he said. "When you realize that powered flight has only been around for 105 years, you realize that's a pretty good record." Cagle was joined by Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Ken Stewart and Ron Jackson, commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, at the luncheon marking the culmi- nation of Manufacturing Appreciation Week. The event was co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Designs on Manufacturing To encourage Georgia's students to appreciate manufacturing's role in the state's economy, a statewide art contest is held each year, with scholarship prizes awarded to students for their designs of t-shirts, posters and placemats. First-place winners of $500 scholarships were: Kavian Harris of Americus, placemat; Jordan Ling of McDonough, t-shirt; and Logan Smith of Jeffersonville, poster. Secondplace recipients were awarded $300 scholarships. They were: Katelynn Radford of Harrison, placemat; Nathan Nerswick of Watkinsville, t-shirt; and Melissa Howard of Covington, poster. In third place, Victoria Conaway of Blackshear, Heather Parris of Summerville, and Logan Griffis of Dixie each received a $100 scholarship in the placemat, t-shirt and poster categories, respectively. n technical college system of georgia 33 Technical Colleges with Multiple Campuses | 4 University System Colleges with Technical Divisions www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org Quick Start Project Announcements ... Serving communities throughout Georgia Athens: AviGenics is hiring 25 in an Jesup: Great Southern Wood Preserving Inc. is expanding, expansion of its bio-pharmaceutical creating 20 jobs at its facility for manufacturing YellaWood compound manufacturing operation. Cedartown pressure treated pine building products. White Atlanta: Electronic equipment distributor Cartersville Braselton Macon: Tire manufacturer Kumho Tire is creating 450 jobs Harman Consumer is opening a new facility, creating 60 jobs. Augusta: Augusta Select Tissue, maker of recycled paper, is opening a new facility, Atlanta Norcross Decatur Duluth Covington Union City Douglasville McDonough at its new facility. McDonough: Carlisle Tire & Wheel is creating 100 jobs at a new tire-distribution facility. hiring 70. Augusta: Teleperformance is opening a new customer support center to provide assistance for WellCare's Georgia Medicare and Medicaid members, creating 250 jobs for representatives. Macon Nashville: Petroflex NA is creating 25 jobs Twin City at a new facility for making high- density Byron Swainsboro polyethylene conduit. Rincon Black Creek Savannah Norcross: Suniva is hiring 100 at a new facility for making solar cells. Black Creek: Oracal USA, a manufacturer of self-adhesive PVC film products, is expanding, creating 24 jobs. Nashville Jesup Pearson Pearson: Bag manufacturer Cady Bag Company is adding 15 jobs in an expansion. Braselton: Pet food maker Petco is creating 217 jobs at a distribution center operated by Genco. Byron: Southern Perfection Fabrication is creating 75 jobs at a new facility for manufacturing food service equipment. Cartersville: TI Automotive is expanding, adding 50 jobs at its facility for manufacturing automotive parts. Cedartown: The HON Company is creating 200 jobs in an expansion of its office furniture manufacturing operations. Columbus: Aflac is expanding its worldwide headquarters operation by adding 1,000 new jobs during the next three years. Columbus: Kodak is creating 50 jobs in an expansion of its digital plate production operations. Covington: FiberVisions, a manufacturer of plastic fibers, is expanding and hiring 50. Decatur: Gimaex of America is creating 200 jobs at a new facility for manufacturing fire truck accessories. Douglasville: The American Red Cross is adding 28 jobs in an expansion. Rincon: Electrical power transformer manufacturer EFACEC Group is opening a new facility, hiring 600. Savannah: Coastal Logistics Group Inc. is creating 20 jobs in an expansion at its facility for distribution services and custom packaging. Savannah: Cynergy Data, a leader in the electronic payment processing industry, is opening a new technical support center, creating 50 jobs. Savannah: The Great American Hanger Company is hiring 100 at a new facility for making and distributing clothes hangers. Swainsboro: Advanced Metal Components, a precision sheet metal fabricator, is expanding, creating 45 jobs. Twin City: Maker of imprinted clothing and accessories Stitch-NPrint is hiring 50 in an expansion. Union City: Newell Rubbermaid is opening a new distribution facility and hiring 300. Union City: Logistics and supply chain management firm Unipart Logistics NA is creating 31 jobs at a new facility. Duluth: Cypress Care, a workers' compensation pharmacy benefits manager, is expanding and creating 50 jobs. White: Toyo Tires is expanding, creating 200 jobs at its tire-production facility. Georgia Quick Start | 75 Fifth Street NW, Suite 400 | Atlanta, GA 30308 | 404.253.2800 | www.GeorgiaQuickStart.org