Quick start [Vol. 5, no. 1 (Winter 2003)]

Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

WINTER 2003 VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1

A Glass Act

French firm settles in Georgia with a plant to decorate perfume bottles
Arural Georgia county is getting an economic boost from a company originally founded to help restore the economy of 17th-century France.
Created by Louis XIV to train glass artisans for the Palace of Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, SaintGobain recently opened a plant in Hancock County to decorate glass perfume bottles. The new, 65,000sq.-ft. facility is located in Sparta and is providing 200 much-needed jobs to an area hard-hit by the decline of the textile industry.
Vying against a town in Mexico for the plant site, Sparta and Hancock County worked diligently to attract Saint-Gobain. The community was able to outmatch the competition with construction funds from the

OneGeorgia

Authority and

workforce training

from Quick Start.

"The community

support we received

was a key element

in our decision to

invest in Sparta,

and continues to

reinforce our rea-

sons for choosing

this community,"

said Plant

Manager Tristan

Thommasson at

the Oct. 17 ribboncutting ceremony.

Molten glass transforms into decorative bottles at Saint-Gobain's Covington plant.

In addition to

Quick Start and

Sandersville Technical College, he

R.K. Sehgal, Georgia Department

gave special nods of thanks to Betty of Industry, Trade and Tourism

Hill, Hancock County Commission commissioner; and the GDITT's

chairperson; state Rep. Sistie Hudson; Deborah Lohnes, whom

Left: Saint-Gobain Plant Manager Tristan Thommasson explains the decorating process to Secretary of State Cathy Cox during a tour of the new Sparta facility. Center: Patricia Ward inspects a perfume bottle. Right: Decoration Director Rita Poole chats with Sandersville Tech VP of economic development Leigh Evans at the plant's opening celebration.
QUICK START IS GEORGIA'S PREMIER SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

"The community support we received was a key element in our decision to invest in Sparta ..."
-- Tristan Thommasson Saint-Gobain plant manager
Thommasson cited as "a real asset." Transportation was also in
Sparta's favor in landing the plant, since Saint-Gobain's glass-blowing facility in Covington manufactures the bottles that are decorated at the
Continued on page 3

Cover Story

Top: Cutting the ribbon are, from left, state Sen. Faye Smith; GDITT Commissioner R.K. Sehgal; Emory Grier, chair of the Hancock County Development Authority; Sparta Mayor William Evans; state Rep. Sistie Hudson; Betty Hill, chair of the Hancock County Commission; Secretary of State Cathy Cox; and Tristan Thommasson, Saint-Gobain plant manager. Center: Bottles made for high-end perfumers are on display. Bottom: At the Covington plant, Donita Hardy checks bottles for structural or cosmetic defects. If any are found, the bottle is ground up and reused in the glass-making process.
Continued from page 1
new plant. Yet another advantage was the quality of the workforce.
"We had the technology," said Thommasson. "Now we have the people who will make the difference with the competition."
The Sparta plant has hired a number of people who had worked for years in the area's now-closed textile mills. Decoration Director Rita Poole commended their work ethics. "Many of our employees were

inspectors at the sewing plants," she said, "so they already had good eyeto-hand coordination."
Inspection is a key function at the decorating plant, where the etching of designs and logos must be perfect for customers that include Lancome, Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Victoria's Secret, Chanel and Bath & Body Works. The glass bottles are dipped in solution to give a frosted, satin finish, and brand names are applied by a screen-printing process. Inspectors look for such defects as broken letters or ink that's too heavy.
To help the plant's inspectors, technicians and packers increase their skill level, Quick Start and Sandersville Tech are providing training in productivity enhancement, manufacturing skills and technology, computer skills, and leadership and human resource development. Jobspecific training is taking place for the decorating machines, the frosting operation, the screen preparation room, and ink mixing and color matching. Pre-employment training is also aiding the plant's hiring efforts.
"We are very proud of our Sparta employees," Thommasson said. "Our French decoration plant is the best in Europe. Our goal here is simple -- to be the best decoration plant in North America." The plant has room to expand its capacity as the Covington plant expands, making more bottles for the Sparta plant to decorate.
The Covington plant began production in 1996 and employs 130 people. Saint-Gobain provides jobs for about 1,000 Georgians, with manufacturing facilities in Athens (insulation), Peachtree City (residential roofing products), Madison (fabricated glass) and Social Circle (vinyl fencing and siding).
But the jobs provided in Hancock County are especially significant, as Saint-Gobain is helping a rural area redefine its economy from textiles to a broader base. Secretary of State

About Saint-Gobain
Country of origin: France Founded: 1665 Number of employees worldwide: 170,500 Number of countries it operates in: 46 Manufacturing output: abrasives, building materials, high-performance plastics, industrial ceramics, glass containers Number of bottles, flasks and jars made annually: 30 billion Name of perfume bottle subsidiary in Georgia: Saint-Gobain Desjonqures Significance of the name "Desjonqures": reflects the parent company's 1972 acquisition of a firm founded by noted glassmaker Henri Desjonqures, who first mechanized the glass-blowing process shortly after World War II
Cathy Cox, special guest speaker at the opening celebration, expressed her appreciation to the company by drawing on the memory of the county's namesake, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"This facility will contribute to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," she said. "John Hancock would be proud, and so are we."

3

Quick Notes
Jackie Rohosky

Addressing the challenges of the global economy requires the collective efforts of everyone ...

Economic prosperity doesn't happen by itself. It takes the energy of dedicated employees and the commitment of business owners and management. At Quick Start, we work with both of these groups in order to train workers, improve efficiencies, and help new and existing businesses create the jobs that keep our state growing. But we don't do it alone. We are just one part of the team of state agencies that strive to improve our quality of life and the strength of our economy.
As noted in the Partner's Perspective that was contributed for this issue by Emory professor Jeffrey Rosensweig, we are living in a global economy. This has impact on communities from metro Atlanta to Sparta, in rural Hancock County. You'll see in the roundup of FY02 results that Quick Start has been doing its part, working with an increasing number of international companies in recent years.
Addressing the challenges of the global economy requires the collective efforts of everyone, from our professional instructors to the local economic development officials to the managers on the plant floors. The projects you'll read about in this issue will demonstrate how effectively Georgia's team is performing.

Jackie Rohosky
Assistant Commissioner Economic Development Programs jrohosky@georgiaquickstart.org

Global economics expert Jeff Rosensweig, center, meets with Jackie Rohosky and DTAE Commissioner Ken Breeden at a conference of the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

Table of Contents

9 8

4 Events around the state

10

8 Purafil learns Lean ways

12

9 AFLAC project a big success

10 Partner's Perspective from Emory's Jeff Rosensweig

12 2002 Year in Review

16 Quick Start Project Announcements

Winter 2003 Volume 5, Number 1 Published quarterly by Georgia Quick Start www.georgiaquickstart.org Quick Start is a registered service mark of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education Kenneth H. Breeden, Commissioner. Address comments and questions to: Director of Communications GA Quick Start 1800 Century Place, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30345 404.679.2915
2

Events

Retailer to ship from Dublin

Fred's, a Memphis-based retail chain, added 150 new jobs in the central Georgia area with the construction of a Southeast Distribution Center in Dublin. The distribution center will open this spring and supply merchandise to more than 200 of the chain's 424 stores. The facility will rely on the efficiency of Quick Start-trained employees in all functions of the operation.
"We've been fortunate to find a place like Dublin," said Don Seymour, the center's director of operations. "The city and county have been fantastic. They have been there for us 110 percent."
Another partner in the project was

Signing the Quick Start training plan are, from left, Randall Peters, president of Heart of Georgia Technical College; Don Seymour, director of operations at the new Southeast Distribution Center for Fred's retail chain; and Marla Lowe, director of southern operations for Georgia Quick Start.

the Department of Labor's Dublin Career Center, which screened over 1,400 applications. "For Dublin, this was a huge project," said Monte Craft, manager of the center. "Fred's is great for this area."
The company entered a training agreement with Quick Start this past fall, and training has included core skills such as conveying systems, labeling and distribution-center

fundamentals. Trainees also learned job-specific skills in inbound and outbound procedures such as RF scanning, case packing and inventory control.
Randall Peters, Heart of Georgia Technical College president, cited the importance of conducting the training early. "If the locomotive is on track," he said, "the rest of the train will be OK."

Plastics firm expands

Only two years old and growing fast, Unique Plastic Packaging is doubling its workforce to nearly 80 with the addition of three new blowmolding machines. The 81,000- sq.-ft. plant, located in Jackson County in northeast Georgia, manufactures PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles for several markets, including household products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Quick Start and Lanier Technical College are training the new workers in safety, lift vehicle operation, ergonomics and industrial control. Quick Start is also providing training

Representing the partners in the training plan are, from left, Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations; Russell Vandiver, Lanier Tech VP of economic development; Dr. Michael Moye, Lanier Tech president; and Bryant Martin, Unique Plastic Packaging plant manager.
in advanced technology as well as Lean Manufacturing.
"We're excited about working with Quick Start," said Plant Manager Bryant Martin at the recent training plan signing. "Our business is growing, and we need the training."
Unique Plastic Packaging is a division of Belgium-based Resilux, a firm that's well-known in Europe and making its first PET foray into the United States.

Orange Glo bottles march out of the blow-molding machine. The company has room to add more blowmolders as the business grows.

Turbo training
A manufacturer of automotive turbochargers has set up shop in Rossville, in Gordon County, and will hire 15 people. Tennessee Turbocharger Components is getting Quick Start training in Lean Manufacturing, turbocharging concepts and TS 16949, a quality management system that ensures compliance with automaker quality directives.
"We have only witnessed the tip of the iceberg of this training project, and so far the quality far exceeds our expectation," said Honor Brandao, the company's operations director. "The support we have received from Quick Start and the staff of Northwestern Technical College has been exceptional."
"We have only witnessed the tip of the iceberg of this training project, and so far the quality Honor Brandao far exceeds our expectation."

4

QUICK START WINTER 2003

Safety soars
The Columbus facility of Cessna Aircraft Co. recently received the firm's prestigious Jim Green Safety Award. Ron Alberti, senior VP of operations, traveled from Cessna headquarters in Wichita, Kan., to present the award. Larry Jones, general manager at the plant, accepted the award along with the Safety Advocate Committee. "Commitment to safety reflects on all aspects of the business," Alberti said. The award is named for a longtime Cessna employee who launched innovative safety policies that aimed to reduce annual injuries to zero. Pictured above is Jones (far right) with the safety committee; at right are Joe Bailey (left), Quick Start director of west central operations, and Alberti.

Cementing the deal
Installing new technology, bag manufacturer Exopack has qualified as an existing industry to receive Quick Start training at its plant in Tifton. The Spartanburg, S.C.-based firm employs 280 people in Tifton and has nine other facilities across the nation.
In conjunction with Moultrie Technical College, Quick Start will provide training for 25 employees in programmable logic controllers, process documentation and several job-specific manufacturing operations. Some of the trainees will also undergo maintenance skills assessment.
"We are excited to see improvements in skill development and communications, which are challenges we face every day," said Facility Manager John Allen, pictured below at the recent training plan signing.

Stamp of approval
Fanello Industries, which makes stamped metal parts for industrial customers, is expanding operations at its manufacturing plant located in Lavonia in northeast Georgia. Since opening five years ago, Fanello has more than doubled its square footage. The plant now occupies 66,000 sq. ft. and is adding 25 jobs to its present team of 60 associates.
Vincent Fanello originally came from Ohio and brought along two fellow steel industry veterans to help him launch the business. Mike Lange is the plant manager, and Pat Boyer oversees quality and sales and marketing. Now that the company is firmly grounded and expanding, it's getting training assistance from Quick Start and North Georgia Technical College in the operation of various equipment as well as maintenance and safety.
"The people drew me here," Fanello said at the recent training plan signing. "It's a nice, small-town atmosphere with hard-working individuals who have a willingness to learn. It provided a good basis to work with."
As evidence of the strength of the workforce, Lange and Boyer noted that the company achieved QS 9000 quality registration in less than six months, placing in the top 3 percent of all companies audited.

Heading up Fanello Industries are, from left, Vincent Fanello, president; Mike Lange, plant manager; and Pat Boyer, director of quality systems and sales and marketing.
5

Events

Chico's has jobs in store

Quick Start
revs up engines
Venerable Statesboro employer Briggs & Stratton needs to train some of its 830 employees on new robotic equipment, and Quick Start and Ogeechee Technical College will once again be providing the training.
"Quick Start helped Briggs & Stratton from the beginning, and as we progressed Quick Start was there for us," said Plant Manager Jim Philippi at the recent training plan signing. "We're now in our eighth year here, and we've asked them to help us again."
Briggs & Stratton qualified to receive Quick Start services under legislation that allows an existing industry to receive training assistance if it's acquiring new technology, equipment or processes.
"The existing industry provision is a wonderful idea to help businesses stay viable and compete," said Dr. Stephen Deraney, Ogeechee Tech president. "It also allows us to link with industry partners, and make sure our graduates have what they need to get good jobs."
Briggs & Stratton produces more than 1 million lawn-mower engines per year at its 470,000-sq.-ft. facility. The Bulloch County company won the 2002 Manufacturer of the Year award in the large-employer category.

The Winder area is getting 100 new jobs with the recent construction of a distribution center for the Chico's apparel chain. The center will feed more than 350 stores nationally, taking over distribution from the existing facility at the retailer's headquarters in Fort Myers, Fla. The new distribution center will hire another 80 employees by year's end to handle the 3,000 boxes expected to be shipped daily.
Quick Start training has been taking place since last fall and will wrap up this spring. The company enlisted the services of Quick Start and Lanier Tech to train workers in the overall operations of a distribution center as well as productivity enhancement and job-specific skills. Quick Start is also designing and developing training material and conducting instructor training.
Pictured at the recent training plan signing are Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of northern operations, and John Shiraishi, Kubota president.

Seated, from left, are Dr. Michael Moye, Lanier Tech president; Pete Ryan, Chico's VP of logistics; and Gwen Stone, Chico's HR director. Standing, from left, are Joe Bidinger, Chico's director of distribution; Meredith Cartmill, Barrow County Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Authority president; and Eddie Elder, Barrow County Commission chairman.
Even after the distribution center is fully operational, Lanier Tech will be available to assist Chico's with ongoing training programs. "Lanier Technical College is very excited to be working with Chico's," said Dr. Michael Moye, Lanier Tech president, at the recent training plan signing.
Welding forces
Kubota Tractor Corp., which already employs some 700 Georgians, is hiring more than 100 new workers at its Gainesville plant in welding, crating and assembly. The company has worked with Quick Start on previous training projects and is now utilizing Quick Start's mobile welding lab and welding curriculum.

Ogeechee Tech President Stephen Deraney (left) and Briggs & Stratton Plant Manager Jim Philippi sign the training agreement.

6

QUICK START WINTER 2003

Bright lights, new jobs

Preparing to transfer its retail

business unit from North Carolina

to Peachtree City, Cooper Lighting

recently inked an agreement

with Quick Start and Griffin

Technical College to train 50

new employees in customer

service, leadership skills,

and Flash Pro and other

computer systems.

Cooper Lighting's George Jones presents a plaque to Dr. Ken Breeden.

The expansion marks the fourth Quick Start project for Cooper Lighting. Previously,

Quick Start trained new employees for the distribution center,

call center and relocated headquarters.

"Quick Start has touched every aspect of our business, including

finance, telecommunications, customer service and operating a fork-

lift," said George Jones, Cooper Lighting VP of operations.

Cooper Lighting first came to Georgia from Chicago in 1997.

Later, it moved its entire headquarters to the Peachtree City facility.

Tim Forse, VP of marketing and new product development, reflected

on his dealings with Quick Start in enabling a smooth transition. "I

served on the advisory committee of Quick Start, then chaired the

committee because I know all the great things it can do," he said.

On behalf of Cooper Lighting, Jones awarded DTAE Commissioner

Dr. Ken Breeden a plaque of appreciation to recognize his agency's

achievements in workforce development.

Guests at the training plan signing toured "Source," a 35,000-sq.-

ft. facility that hosts hands-on lighting seminars and displays lighting

for every imaginable space and circumstance.

Cooper Lighting, Quick Start are tops

Featured at the

Cooper Lighting training

plan signing was Chris

Clark, president and CEO

of the Fayette County

Development Authority,

who cited Cooper

Lighting as an exemplary

corporate citizen. "I tell

other companies to fol-

low the lead of Cooper

Chris Clark

Lighting," he said. "Their outreach has impacted

the lives of everyone in this community."

Clark also presented the findings of a study

that assessed various economic incentive

programs offered by the state of Georgia. In

the study, the Georgia Economic Developers

Association's (GEDA) Public Policy Committee

surveyed GEDA members and asked them to

rank 25 incentives for their recruitment value.

"We expected Quick Start to be in the top

five, but it ranked No. 1," Clark said. "Almost

everyone in the local economic development

community has talked to someone from

Jackie Rohosky's team."

Steel partnership
AmeriSteel Bright Bar recently joined another Cartersville steel plant in the Gerdau AmeriSteel family, providing 25 new jobs at a facility that makes cold finish bars. (Its sister plant is a mini mill.) Quick Start training included manufacturing processes and high-performance leadership. Pictured here at the recent training plan signing are North Metro Technical College President Steve Dougherty (left) and AmeriSteel Bright Bar President Stephen Higley. "I'm a believer in technical colleges," Higley said, "so I appreciate what you do."
7

Manufacturing Sector

Clearing the Air small company with only

Purafil goes Lean to

about 70 employees. "Lean Manufacturing

sell air-cleaning pellets more effectively

is the principle tool used by larger companies to improve productivity,"

Lean Manufacturing has been widely praised for its ability to

says Purafil CEO Bill Weiller, "and now it's

streamline the manufacturing process, time for small companies

but its application to other business like us to begin using it

processes has been largely unexplored. as an ongoing process."

Until now.

Approximately 120

Recently, Quick Start began work- independent manufac-

Purafil CEO Bill Weiller displays the purple pellets used to purify

ing with Purafil, a client that needed turer's representatives

air in such world-renowned venues as the Sistene Chapel.

to improve its sales process, and

scattered throughout the

Lean thinking ultimately guided the world sell the Purafil systems and

operations. The team devised an

project to successful completion.

replacement chemicals to some

internet database tracking system

Purafil, one of Quick Start's

12,000 end users. With a sales

so that Purafil could push that

first existing-industry projects, is a

force and end-user base this large,

information to sales reps instead of

34-year-old company that makes

Purafil needed to standardize the

relying on them to supply it.

air-purification systems for petro- sales process.

After implementing the new pro-

chemical refineries, wastewater

So Purafil called on Quick Start cedures, Jameson says, the company

treatment plants, hospitals and

to find a solution. In a productive

saw results almost immediately.

museums. The technology works by working partner-

"Some end users had

blowing air through an air-handling ship, a Quick

forgotten about their

system filled with chemical pellets,

Start team met

installations, so we got

or "media," which remove contami- with Purafil

some large orders very

nants and odors for about a year

executives every

quickly." In addition,

until replaced.

other month to

he reports that FY02

Purafil makes both the air-

delve into Lean

media replacement sales

handling system and the chemical fundamentals.

were the highest ever in

pellets at its sole plant, located in They decon-

Purafil's history.

Doraville. Although Purafil systems structed and

The company was

are installed at such internationally re-evaluated

grateful not only for the

famous attractions as the Tower of every minute

increased sales of media

London, Smithsonian Institution

aspect of the sales process, including replacement but also for the Lean

and Sydney Opera House, it's a

selection and training of sales reps. application to one of its box models

David Clay, chemical plant manager, checks one of the air-handling systems Purafil manufactures. The custom-built boxes come in hundreds of different sizes and shapes, depending on customer needs.

By the end of the process, they had successfully formulated a template for selling Purafil's

that cut the cost of manufacturing by 50 percent.
"I am impressed by the ease with which Quick Start put us into the

products according to

Lean Manufacturing process," says

Lean principles.

Weiller, who is a prominent voice

"We wanted our

in a number of international busi-

sales reps to know the ness groups focusing on trade and

drill, and we also needed development issues.

tools to keep track of

"Quick Start provides the tools,

media-replacement

then we can manage for ourselves,"

ordering," recalls Kevin he says. "Quick Start is one of

Jameson, Purafil VP of Georgia's solid stories of success."

8

At right: AFLAC's new Paul S. Amos Campus in Columbus features such amenities as a fitness center, company store, cafe and daycare center.
Center: Three white Pekin ducks laze in the pond at the campus entrance.
Far right: AFLAC's corporate headquarters rises high above Columbus.

Service Industry

Ducks in a Row

"Over here" was the company's

high-rise headquarters building in

AFLAC deems massive project a huge success

Columbus, where job roles needed to be redefined for hundreds of different positions. The goal was to determine

AQuick Start training program at AFLAC has helped the

what skill sets were necessary for an employee to be successful at AFLAC.

Georgia-based insurance

Over a period

company cope with a

of two years,

period of rapid sales

Quick Start

growth and workforce

conducted 158

expansion.

focus groups

The growth, fueled

with employees

in part by the popular

and managers

AFLAC duck advertising

at nearly every

campaign, created a

AFLAC division

need for customized

-- including

training for 1,000 new

client services,

workers in Columbus.

support services,

AFLAC's training part- Sharon Douglas, VP and chief people officer claims and mar-

nership with Quick Start

keting -- and at

later led to a company-wide job

Communicorp, AFLAC's printing

skills analysis for approximately

and design subsidiary. Detailed data

2,000 employees, as well as a new

were gathered on the functions of

technical certificate of credit (TCC)

each position, with an eye toward

program in pilot implementation.

mapping out skill-based career paths.

Work began in 2000 when the

"The focus groups were intense,"

firm expanded operations with a

Douglas says. "It was taxing and

250,000-sq.-ft. campus in Columbus time-consuming, and required a lot

to house a claims department, cus- of give and take."

tomer call center and client services.

The effort resulted in new job

"We were hiring about 1,000 employ- profiles for more than 600 positions.

ees and needed to get them trained In addition, the research yielded reams

quickly," says Sharon Douglas,

of analytical data -- 180 reports in

AFLAC VP and chief people officer. all. That information subsequently

Quick Start was asked to assess was used to devise new pre-employ-

the situation and provide training

ment tests, performance appraisal

in customer service and instructor methods, interview guides for hiring

development. "We were up and run- managers, and job simulations for

ning in a matter of weeks," Douglas training and assessment purposes.

recalls. "After that success, we said,

"What started out as a training

`Can you help us over here?'"

analysis ended up serving many uses

for us," Douglas recalls. "Quick

Start breeds successful programs."

The project not only improved

business performance for AFLAC

but also spawned a new educational

opportunity for the citizens of

Columbus and surrounding areas.

A pilot TCC program in Certified

Life & Health Insurance Specialist

was developed by Quick Start in

partnership with Columbus Technical

College and AFLAC. Course topics

include computer applications, insur-

ance fundamentals, customer service

skills and medical terminology.

Students who successfully com-

plete the program will be qualified

for employment in customer support

operations within the life and health

insurance sectors. "This is good not

just for AFLAC but for the whole

community," Douglas says, noting

the recent company

closures in the

Columbus area.

Bob Jones, presi-

dent of Columbus

Technical College,

affirms his school's

commitment to developing a skilled

Bob Jones, president of Columbus

workforce. "This pro- Technical College

gram is an excellent example of one

of the partnerships the college has

formed with area businesses to ad-

dress workforce training," he notes.

Says Douglas, "AFLAC has been

blessed in this economy. We're in a

growth mode and have jobs to fill.

If we could get a steady stream of

already-trained applicants, it would

make our jobs a lot easier."

9

Partner's Perspective

Global Trends Will Drive Economic Development

"Partner's Perspective" is a regular feature that provides a forum for Quick Start's colleagues working in economic development.
By Jeffrey A. Rosensweig
Global trends that seemed durable until Sept. 11, 2001, do not seem so secure now. Before that tragic day, borders were increasingly open for business, stimulating a global economy that could help poor regions both at home and abroad.
It's important that we do not learn the wrong lessons from 9-11. As much now as before, Georgia's economic development links closely to several global trends -- specifically, the movement of people, goods, services, ideas and capital across national borders.
First, the movement of people across borders has been key to Georgia's economic prosperity, with a surge in the Hispanic population helping to fuel our rapid growth. As a result, workforce development has become critical to Georgia's future.
We need to educate and train our young people, including immigrants, so that they can become leaders in the globally linked economy that will define Georgia. The U.S. baby boomer population is aging, and we can only maintain our economic vitality and fiscal solvency by attracting hardworking, young immigrants while maintaining our national security.

Second, Georgia must continue the global trade not only of commodities such as kaolin and agricultural products, but also of manufactured goods such as automotive equipment and industrial machinery. Producing such world-class manufactures for export is tied to our ability to attract foreign investment, adding to our already-strong domestic industries. And attracting foreign companies to Georgia is inextricably linked with our strategies for workforce development, namely Quick Start.
We need to educate and train our young people, including immigrants, so that they can become leaders in the globally linked economy that will define Georgia.
International trade in goods has been on an amazing upward trend ever since the Korean War. A halfcentury of stellar growth was slowed by the 1970s oil crises and stopped in 2001, but preliminary data show that global trade returned to growth in 2002.
Third, service industries have been

Dr. Jeffrey A. Rosensweig Goizueta Business School, Emory University
globalizing at an accelerating rate, with services such as education and travel and tourism boosted by modern jet travel and telecommunication advances. For example, Georgia's colleges and universities are able to project themselves globally through modern communications such as innovative websites, thereby attracting tuition-paying students from a truly global market. Parents of high schoolers will learn how easy it now is for their children, or any children worldwide, to apply to colleges online. Georgia should be well placed to participate in this growing service industry, as we have elite research universities and national-leading technical colleges.
And foreign tourists will continue to see Georgia as a secure and wonderful place to visit. From our Golden Isles to north Georgia mountains to historic trails, we should see tourism as an economic development priority for our entire state. After all, what state is home to both Nobel laureates Martin

10

QUICK START WINTER 2003

Luther King and Jimmy Carter? We combine natural beauty, hospitable people, and a culture and history attractive to tourists with dollars to spend.
Fourth, our lives are impacted more each month by the ability to share ideas and to gain knowledge and new perspectives over the worldwide web. Children in rural Georgia hamlets access websites and have virtual "pen pals" all over the world. Allowing them to pursue their native curiosity (although, with parental supervision!) will prepare all our diverse students for the 21st-century global business world they will face.
Why do I believe that globalization is inevitable despite the many people with firm conviction who protest against it? Often at such protests, the opponents hold up signs pointing onlookers to their various websites. How ironic -- the opponents of globalization themselves rely on the new technology that is binding the globe together and allowing us to share ideas in real time in a way that will transform the face of workforce development. In Georgia, we will learn from the best practices of others in this field worldwide, but I predict we will gain "exports" from our considerable advantage in adult training and education.
Finally, foreign investment can bring in both financial capital and new technologies needed to create productive new jobs. Fortunately,

Attracting foreign
companies to Georgia
is inextricably linked
with our strategies
for workforce devel-
opment, namely
Quick Start.
tremendous effort is spent in Georgia attracting foreign capital. Often, this foreign investment aids economic development in poor counties away from metro Atlanta.
There is a worldwide competition for scarce capital. The tragic events of 9-11 may have led to the tightening of borders for the movement of goods and people, but capital is similar to ideas in that it can flow unimpeded by physical borders.
The only way to win this competition, since we live in a developed nation that will always have higher wages than the many poor

nations of this earth, will be through the superior skill-level and thus focus and training of our workforce.
Jeffrey Rosensweig is associate dean for Corporate Relations at Emory University's Goizueta Business School, where he also directs the Global Perspectives Program. He is a frequent speaker on topics related to global strategy and economic trends. Rosensweig is also a pack leader for a multicultural group of over 100 Cub Scouts.

In Patriotic Economics, Rosensweig proposes a "new Marshall Plan," referring to America's assistance in Europe's post-WWII economic recovery. To help America's economy after 9-11, he outlines steps Americans can take. His tips include: invest for the longterm and embrace diversity.

11

Year in Review
Quick Start Successes Keep Mounting

Since 1967, Quick Start has served as an economic development incentive for companies to locate or expand in Georgia, and recently, funds were allocated to begin working with existing industry. From the beginning, Quick Start has grown steadily each year. To date, some 4,000 companies and over 400,000 people have benefited from Quick Start's training expertise. Providing comprehensive training to qualified companies, Quick Start is recognized internationally as one of the most effective and business-like training organizations in the country.

"Quite frankly, Quick Start has contributed to our bottom line. ... It has gone above and beyond our expectations."

Number of Projects 1990 -- 2002

-- Frantz Pierre, VP and division manager of Ricoh Electronics

315

315

300

275

Projects Proliferate

250

225

From 2001 to 2002, the number

of Quick Start projects increased from

200

296 to 315. Of the 315 projects,

175

134 were with new projects and 181

150

were expanding and existing projects.

125

FY02 is the 11th consecutive year in

which the number of expansion pro-
100
jects exceeded new projects.

75

50

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Fiscal Year

Number of Projects Number of Trainees

Record Trainee Count
The number of trainees for new, expanding and existing companies increased by 2,385 (6.1 percent) this year, from 39,416 in FY01 to 41,801. This is a duplicated training count. Due to the complexity of today's jobs, most employees require training in multiple skill tracks. This year's number of trainees set another record for Quick Start.

Number of Trainees 1990 -- 2002

40,000 37,500 35,000 32,500 30,000 27,500 25,000 22,500 20,000 17,500 15,000 12,500 10,000
7,500 5000

41,801

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Fiscal Year

12

QUICK START WINTER 2003

Geographic Distribution
More than half of Quick Start's projects took place in rural Georgia, and roughly 20,000 of the 40,000 trainees were with companies located outside Georgia's seven major metropolitan statistical areas. In addition, Quick Start's mobile technology training lab winds its way across the state of Georgia, hosting over 1,000 students to date for computer-related training.

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Rural Areas

Albany Athens Atlanta Augusta Columbus Macon Savannah Rural

"Your effort to protect jobs in a rural community is just phenomenal. We're pleased to be a partner, and pleased that Quick Start is able to take part, because jobs in Screven County are very important to us."
-- Dr. Stephen Deraney, Ogeechee Technical College president, speaking to executives at King America fabric plant

MSA

# of Projects %

Albany

5

1.6

Athens

6

1.9

Atlanta

87

27.7

Augusta

14

4.4

Columbus

12

3.8

Macon

11

3.5

Savannah

7

2.2

Rural

173

54.9

Total

315

100.0

Projects
Rural MSAs 54.9% 45.1%

MSA

# of Trainees %

Albany

2,883

6.9

Athens

181

0.4

Atlanta

6,976

16.6

Augusta

5,038

12.1

Columbus 2,122

5.1

Macon

725

1.7

Savannah 1,904

4.6

Rural

21,972

52.6

Total

41,801 100.0

Trainees
Rural MSAs 52.6% 47.4%

13

Year in Review
Attracting Foreign Firms
Approximately 22 percent of Quick Start projects in FY02 were with international companies. Of the 70 international projects, 31 were new and 39 were expanding or existing industry.

Number of International Companies 1988 -- 2002

Number of International Companies

70

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Fiscal Year

Economical Training
As the number of trainees has increased over the years, the cost per trainee has decreased. In FY02, there were 41,801 trainees, and the cost per trainee was $334.

"Any company coming into this country would appreciate the help that ALPLA got from Quick Start."
-- Kurt Berkmann, senior VP of ALPLA, an Austria-based plastic bottle manufacturer that recently located in McDonough

Cost per Trainee vs. Number of Trainees

Number of Trainees Cost per Trainee

42,500

41,801

40,000

37,500

35,000

32,500

30,000

$650

27,500

$600

25,000

$550

22,500

$500

20,000

$450

17,500 15,000

$400 $334 $350

12,500

$300

10,000

$250

7,500

$200

5,000

$150

2,500

$100

0

0

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Fiscal Year

14

QUICK START WINTER 2003

Creating New Jobs
Quick Start clients create jobs for Georgians, jobs that cover a broad spectrum of industry types. Service operations, food manufacturing, transportation equipment, and plastics and rubber created over 56.8 percent of new jobs.

"The whole business development attitude of the state is world-class, and Quick Start is a major element of that business-friendly culture."
-- Phil Casey, president and CEO of AmeriSteel

Industry

New Jobs

Service Operations* Food Manufacturing Transportation Equipment** Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing Warehousing and Storage Textile Product Mills Machinery Manufacturing Primary Metal Manufacturing Electrical Equipment, Appliance,
and Component Manufacturing Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing Paper Manufacturing Printing and Related Support Activities Textile Mills Miscellaneous Manufacturing Chemical Manufacturing Wood Product Manufacturing Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing Non-Metallic Mineral Product Manufacturing Gravel Mining Total

1,429 1,095 1,041
825 762 567 489 340
339 235 132 124
84 78 74 70 26
7 1 7,718

* The Service Operations category includes call centers, headquarters operations, investment and securities companies, and processing centers.
** The Transportation Equipment category includes automotive, aviation, ships and miscellaneous transportation equipment.

Service Operations 16 projects = 1,429 jobs
Manufacturing Industry 299 projects = 6,289 jobs
15

DELIVERY SYSTEM
34 Technical Colleges 18 Satellite Campuses 4 Technical Divisions

Kenneth H. Breeden, Commissioner Georgia Department of Technical
and Adult Education www.georgiaquickstart.org

Quick Start Project Announcements
... Serving communities throughout Georgia

Americus: American Home Shield is hiring 80 people at its new customer contact center for home warranties and repair.
Athens: Carrier Transicold, which makes truck and bus refrigeration systems, is expanding operations and creating 65 jobs.
Bremen: SynchroNet is receiving Quick Start training for its fiber optic network business.
Chestnut Mountain: Crystal Farms, an eggs and poultry products company, is expanding operations and adding 25 jobs.

Columbus: MUTEC is implementing new technology at its batterymaking plant and will receive Quick Start training for some of its 400 employees.
Columbus: Tom's Foods will receive Quick Start training on new lines added to its snack foods operation.
Dublin: Parker Aerospace is hiring an additional 28 employees at its facility, which makes hydraulic, pneumatic and fuel components for aircraft and missile control systems.
Flowery Branch: Avery Dennison, a California-based firm that makes pressure-sensitive labels, is creating 30 jobs with an expansion.
Macon: Rock-Tenn is receiving Quick Start training for its plant, which makes laminated board containers for asphalt.
Nahunta: TE Consolidated is creating 50 new jobs at its mining operation for titanium and other ores.
Pendergrass: Jefferson Blanking is adding 20 jobs in an expansion of its steel blanking operation.
Rome: F&P America is adding 50 positions as it expands its automotive-suspensions manufacturing plant.
Tifton: Alliance Carpet, a division of Mohawk, has been launched to make foam carpet padding and will hire 65 people.
Toccoa: American Heritage Furniture is expanding and will add 20 jobs to help make custom hand-crafted furniture.
Trenton: MedSource Technologies, which produces catheter tubing and other medical products, is adding 60 jobs to accommodate its expansion.
Tucker: MicroPore Plastics is expanding operations and adding 23 jobs at its facility, which makes porous plastic products such as Magic Marker tips, wicks, diffusers and filters.
Waycross: Stewart Distribution, a warehouse and distribution firm originally founded in 1922 as a candy-maker, is restarting the peppermint candy operation and adding 15 employees.

Georgia Quick Start 1800 Century Place Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30345 404.679.2915 16