Quick start [Vol. 6, no. 3 (Fall 2004)]

Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

FALL 2004 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 3

Harvesting Honors
Training helps Braselton distribution center achieve goals

When Linda Nuckles went to work for Tractor Supply Company in Braselton, she encountered something she'd never seen before: a company committed to providing the kind of workforce training needed to build a solid team.
"It was unique," she recalls. "I had never seen that kind of commitment before."
Nuckles works at Tractor Supply Company's latest distribution center that opened in the past year in the North Georgia town. She's just one of the many team members at the new facility who have gone through Quick Start training and found out how valuable it can be for both preparing her for her job,

and also building team spirit. "It was a very good experience,"
Greg Huggs said of the Quick Start training program that he went through. "It brought everybody
"Quick Start gave us a great head start in building our team."
Roman Roman, Tractor Supply Company General Manager
together, and it showed. After Quick Start, we were a team. I've never been through anything like that."
Nuckles and Huggs are just two of the 70

QUICK START IS GEORGIA'S PREMIER SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

Clockwise from top left: Trailers destined for Tractor Supply Company's Southeastern retail outlets; Tractor Supply Company's mission and values; (from left) DTAE Assistant Commissioner of Economic Development Programs Jackie Rohosky, Tractor Supply Company General Manager Roman Roman, Lanier Tech VP of Economic Development Russ Vandiver, and Quick Start Director of Northern operations Jeff Lynn; Tractor Supply Company team member Linda Nuckles.
employees at the Braselton facility who went through the Quick Start training in distribution process, team building, safety, communications and forklift operations. According to General Manager Roman Roman, their training laid a foundation of team spirit that carries over to new employees as well.
"Quick Start gave us a great head start in building our team," Roman said. "And you rarely get a chance like this. You're able to get all your people training together... It builds that core group of people that's very important to our ongoing success."
Continued on page 7

Quick Notes

Jackie Rohosky

Quick Start is proud to be a partner in Georgia's team, providing essential workforce training for qualified companies in Georgia.

When company executives are looking for a place to make a new investment, build a new facility and create new jobs, they have many choices. As they carry out their searches, they find one place with the right real estate, but no transportation. They might find the right transportation, but penthouse prices for land. Or, it could be the right land, the right transportation, but an unskilled workforce and a community that doesn't care.
In Georgia, companies don't have to worry about those missing pieces. In this issue, we highlight two companies that recently chose to build in Georgia because we have `the total package.' Tractor Supply Company and Havertys both have built new, innovative distribution centers in what is rapidly becoming a hub for warehousing and distribution in North Georgia (see Partner's Perspective, p. 11).
These companies both had unique needs, and they found solutions along the I-85 corridor. Not only did they find the land and the buildings they needed, but they also found a skilled workforce and a local community dedicated to working together to support the companies' success and now North Georgia has hundreds of new jobs.
Quick Start is proud to be a partner in Georgia's team, providing essential workforce training for qualified companies in Georgia. Our participation with Tractor Supply Company, Havertys and the many other companies mentioned in this issue of the newsletter, is an example of how our program working in conjunction with our technical colleges helps make the case for doing business in Georgia.

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

Havertys VP of Distribution Steve Schingler (right) explains the operation of the company's Eastern Distribution Center to visitors from the Office of Planning and Budget and Georgia Quick Start (see story, page 8).

Table of Contents
10

3
8
8 10

Events Around the State
Havertys Furnished with the Right Stuff
Express Scripts Prescription for Prosperity

11 Partner's Perspective
Responsive Workforce Training Programs Vital in Changing Times By Russ Vandiver
12 2004 Year in Review

16 Quick Start Project
Announcements

Fall 2004 Volume 6, Number 3 Published by Georgia Quick Start www.georgiaquickstart.org Quick Start is a registered service mark of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education Michael F. Vollmer, Commissioner. Address comments and questions to: Director of Communications GA Quick Start Centergy One, 75 Fifth Street, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30308

2

QUICK START FALL 2004

Events

Solo Cup's Success Runs Over

CEDT Conference 2004 Quick Start and technical college
Certified Economic Developer Trainers (CEDTs) from communities throughout Georgia attended the 2004 CEDT annual conference at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center located in Atlanta's Technology Square. CEDT, an intensive 18-month program, provides economic development professionals with skills to deliver high-quality business and industry training services and to support Georgia's overall economic development. The annual CEDT conference is a forum for showcasing best practices, learning from industry leaders and keeping abreast of Georgia's strategies and resources for economic development. Currently, more than 100 CEDTs, located at 34 technical colleges and five Quick Start regional centers, serve Georgia businesses.
P&G Keeps It Clean in Augusta
Leading detergent manufacturer Procter and Gamble is upgrading its packaging system and training 130 employees to maintain the system's equipment at its Augusta facility. Quick Start and Augusta Technical College will provide the training and develop training materials for the P&G operations.
Quick Start has already produced a self-study guide to teach packaging system operators how to maintain the equipment that is designed to help accommodate the extra capacity as the company ramps up production. With Quick Start's help, the new employees will become operator-mechanics, capable of both running the machines and fixing them. Once Quick Start's training is completed, Augusta Tech will provide follow-up training.
"It's a win-win situation," said Plant Manager Larry Reinhardt at the recent training plan signing.
"P&G is a great company that is very important to this community, and we're very pleased to be working with them," said Quick Start Director of Eastern Operations Ken Boyd.
Above right: Procter and Gamble Plant Manager Larry Reinhardt (right) and Augusta Tech VP of Economic Development Ted Duzenski sign the training plan. Bottom right: Quick Start is training P&G machine operators to maintain the system that packages Tide at the company's Augusta plant.

Richmond County's premier cup manufacturer, Solo Cup, is hiring 28 employees to manufacture a new line of paper plates with training help from Quick Start and Augusta Technical College.
This isn't the first time Solo Cup has relied on Quick Start's customized training and follow-up training from Augusta Tech. The three-way partnership with Quick Start and Augusta Tech reflects their longterm alliance with the Augusta facility, which was named Georgia's Manufacturer of the Year in the medium manufacturer category in 2002.
Solo Cup Plant Manager Brett McGuire couldn't be more pleased with the partnership. "I've said it before and I'll say it again," McGuire said at the recent training plan signing, "Quick Start is the most pro-business program any state in the country offers."

STI Ribbon-cutting Satish Sanan
(center, with scissors), executive chairman of STI Knowledge, recently joined state and local officials to cut the ribbon on a new customer service center in Americus. Quick Start, in conjunction with South Georgia Technical College, helped train the first group of employees who will be using state-of-theart technology to provide help desk and customer service support for many national companies.

Top photo: Examining Solo Cup's new plate making system are, from left, Solo Cup Human Resources Director Robert Bailey Jr., Augusta Tech VP of Economic Development Ted Duzenski, Solo Cup Plant Manager Brett McGuire and Quick Start Project Operations Coordinator Bob Archer. Bottom photo: Quick Start will train Solo Cup employees to operate plate making machines such as this one.

3

Events

Austrians Tour Quick Start
For the 14th year in a row, Austrian visitors toured Quick Start's Atlanta facilities to learn about the DTAE's workforce development programs. The visitors were executives and managing directors of European companies participating in a joint program between Emory University's Goizueta Business School and the University of Linz in Austria.
"They're really interested in job training and job retention," said Leslee Trammell, manager of executive programs at Emory University's Goizueta Business School. "They're interested in what would bring a European company to Georgia."

GAP Q.M.S. Administrator Raenell Long with one of the metal parts that are manufactured and silk-screened at GAP's Rabun Gap plant.

GAP Closes the Gap in Rabun

GAP Manufacturing is helping to close the unemployment gap in Northern Georgia. The maker of precision fabricated metal parts is adding 20 new jobs at its expanded Rabun Gap location with help from Quick Start and North Georgia Technical College. With Quick Start's help, said GAP Q.M.S. Administrator Raenell Long, "we're not only going to be able to provide what we need immediately, but to grow our people to move forward in world-class manufacturing." Quick Start is currently teaching GAP employees welding processes using a special mobile training van. Training will also include precision measuring and Lean Manufacturing processes, among other skill sets. North Georgia Tech will provide follow-up training. "It's a very exciting time for us," said GAP President Richard Wiggins at the recent training plan signing.
Attending the training plan signing, from left: Dr. Ruth Nichols, North Georgia Tech president; Charles Jenkins, state senator; Richard Wiggins, GAP president; Raenell Long, Q.M.S. administrator; and Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of Northern operations.

Chart Cares for Canton
Medical storage system manufacturer Chart Industries Inc. is expanding its Canton facility and its workforce with help from Quick Start and Appalachian Technical College. Quick Start will train 50 new employees and Appalachian Tech will provide follow-up training for Chart Industries.
"Quick Start has done an excellent job for us," said Greg Zaic, VP of manufacturing for Chart Industries. "We have had a lot of help," Zaic said at the groundbreaking ceremony. "With all the help from the state, the county and our employees, we will keep growing."
The Cleveland, Oh.-based company is a leading global supplier of products used in low-temperature and cryogenic systems. The company operates nine U.S. facilities and has plants in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Above: Chart Industries VP of Manufacturing Greg Zaic with Chart's new CAIRE line of portable equipment. Below: Chart's Canton facility manufactures low-temperature and cryogenic containment systems.

4

QUICK START FALL 2004

Florida Tile Lays Foundation for Success in Shannon
Recently, Florida Tile announced that it will expand its ceramic tile manufacturing facility in Shannon and create 75 new jobs with help from Quick Start and Coosa Valley Technical College. Quick Start will provide customized training and Coosa Valley Tech will provide follow-up training.
"We're very appreciative of the assistance of the folks at Quick Start," said Florida Tile's Corporate Director of Human Resources Jeff

From left, Jeff
R
Pogue, Florida Tile corporate director of human resources; Pete McDonald, Coosa Valley Tech VP of economic development; Jeff Lynn, Quick Start director of Northern operations; and Preston Smith, state senator.

Pogue. "They have helped make the orientation and initial training program run very smoothly."
The collaborative partnership drew praise from local and state representatives. "To me, it was a perfect example of the government partnering with private enterprise to bring economic development to an area that needs it, and we want to

see a continuation of this type of partnership," said Georgia Senator Preston Smith.
The Shannon plant has been in operation since 1981. Florida Tile is currently the second-largest producer of tile in the nation, with 35 company-owned stone and design studios in 14 states and a nationwide network of independent distributors.

Georgia-Pacific Adds Jobs in Savannah

Well-known manufacturer Georgia-

Pacific is expanding its Savannah Gypsum

Division and creating 75 new jobs with

help from Quick Start and Savannah

Technical College. Georgia-Pacific is one of the largest producers of gypsum wallboard in the world and is known for its customer service and technical support. Quick Start will help train the new

Attending the training plan signing, from left: Ken Boyd, Quick Start director of Eastern operations; Charles Black, Georgia-Pacific corporate manager of talent development; and Reginald Hendricks, Savannah Tech executive VP.

employees to make innovative moisture- and mold-resistant wallboard, which is used in

construction projects. Savannah Tech will provide follow-up training. At the recent train-

ing plan signing, Georgia-Pacific Corporate Manager of Talent Development Charles

Black thanked Quick Start for its continued help.

"Georgia-Pacific has worked with Quick Start before on several plant expansions,"

Black said, "and we have always been well satisfied with the high quality of training

delivered for our new employees."

Freshness a Cinch in Clinch
With help from Quick Start, Sunny Ridge Farm will train 20 new employees to package and ship large quantities of fresh blueberries and raspberries at the company's new Homerville facility in Clinch County. Okefenokee Technical College will provide follow-up training to the new employees.

Perkins Shibaura Grand Opening
Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue (left) helped unveil the new line of diesel engines to be produced by the new Perkins Shibaura facility located in Griffin. At the same event, Gov. Perdue signed legislation changing the name of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Attending the training plan signing, from left: Ken Boyd, Quick Start director of Eastern operations; Michael Bruorton, Sunny Ridge plant manager; and Dr. John Pike, Okefenokee Tech president.
5

Events

Concrete Success in Camden County CVN Concrete Poles is bringing concrete
success to Camden County with a new facility in St. Marys. Quick Start will help train the facility's 75 new employees, and Coastal Georgia Community College will provide follow-up training. Attending the training plan signing, from left: Ken Boyd, Quick Start director of Eastern operations; Walter "Butch" Bentley, CVN CEO; and Dr. Dorothy Lord, Coastal Georgia Community College president.

TE Brings Mining to Brantley

Americans each consume seven pounds of titanium and zircon a year. TE Consolidated wanted to mine this trend,

Steve Ward, Iluka president and general manager,

so the company invested $36 million in Lulaton, Ga., building a new mine and mineral concentrator to extract and sepa-

speaks at the TE Consolidated grand opening.

rate these minerals from the soil.

But there was one problem: the com-

pany's 45 new employees needed technical

training to make the operation a success.

The company approached Quick Start

for help and, in partnership with

Okefenokee Technical College, training began recently with 51 separate

courses. Employees will receive customized training in a variety of subjects,

from mechanical and mining process skills to high performance leadership.

"I never cease telling people what a great job Quick Start has done for us,"

praises Sue Willower, U.S. director of human resources for TE Consolidated,

a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian-based Iluka Resources.

"It was a great innovation," says Iluka President and General Manager

Steve Ward about the Quick Start training video made for TE Consolidated.

"Sustainability begins with innovative thinking," Ward says.

The company's sustainability will also help economic development in

Southeast Georgia. TE Consolidated will pay about $400,000 a year to

Brantley County in taxes, according to The Brantley Enterprise.

"We want to thank you," Georgia Senator Tommie Williams told TE

Consolidated executives at the grand opening celebration. "You've made

a substantial commitment of new jobs to Brantley County."

TE Consolidated's new mine in Lulaton extracts the titanium used in a wide range of products, from donuts to makeup.

ACM Aids
McDuffie County
Quick Start has already begun training 20 new employees at Augusta Coating and Manufacturing's Thomson facility, which uses state-of-the-art E-coating and powder coating systems on a variety of products.
"They're enthusiastic. They're learning," said ACM President Wayne Wallace about the employees who are receiving training from Quick Start. "I'm really pleased."
After Quick Start completes the initial training, Augusta Technical College will provide follow-up training in a three-way partnership with the company.
"We are pleased with Quick Start and Augusta Tech for providing training that will not only make us more competitive in the marketplace, but also grow our abilities and give employees opportunities to grow with our business," Wallace said at the training agreement signing.
"The purpose of technical education is to provide a qualified workforce," noted Augusta Tech President Dr. Terry Elam.

6

QUICK START FALL 2004

From left: Ken Boyd, Quick Start director of Eastern operations; Wayne Wallace, ACM president; and Dr. Terry Elam, Augusta Tech president.

Continued from page 1
That training has paid off: less than a year after the facility opened, the Braselton team ranked #1 for service in the fiscal month of June by Tractor Supply Company's retail stores and has a 99%+ delivery on-time rate.
"The foundation was well crafted," Roman said, "and Quick Start was a main component."
Phenomenal Growth
This kind of solid foundation of skills training and team building is critical for companies such as Tractor Supply Company, which has experienced "phenomenal growth" recently, according to Roman.
Founded in 1938 as a mail order catalog business providing tractor parts to the many family farmers across the country, the company quickly established itself. As times changed, the company adapted, and today Tractor Supply Company serves a steadily growing market of "hobby" or "pleasure" farmers, who spend about $5.5 billion a year.
This booming market has led to the spread of nearly 500 Tractor Supply Company retail outlets in 31 states. Last year alone, Tractor Supply Company opened 113 new stores, positioning itself as the national leader in "fulfilling the needs of those who enjoy the rural lifestyle."
There are plenty of those who enjoy the rural lifestyle in the Southeast, so it was inevitable that the company would look to strategically locate a distribution center in

this part of the country. After considering other locations, the company chose a site along Interstate 85, centrally located between South Carolina and Alabama, and within easy reach of all the Southern states.
And with the market expanding, the company had to move fast.
Once the decision was made, Roman said, they began training with Quick Start and Lanier Technical College in late 2003 and wrapped up the first phase just after the new year.
"We signed a lease and were operational within 58 days," he said.
Having the services of Quick Start and Lanier Tech available made it possible for the company to keep on the fast track. "Having workforce development partners in the same mode is instrumental to a project's success," Roman added.
Once up and running, the company didn't slow down. The hiring continued, and so did the need for training.
Tractor Supply Company emphasizes the importance of its mission, Roman notes, and rapid growth can often prove a challenge to making sure everyone embraces the same values of honesty, respect and, above all, teamwork. The team in Braselton, though, easily dealt with those challenges by virtue of early, consistent and professional training.
"That first team trained by Quick Start became a core group to support the new team members," Roman said. "That training is what helps make our success possible."
Roman concluded, "Quick Start was, and is, invaluable."

Cover Story
From top: state-of-the-art inventory-control systems at Tractor Supply Company in Braselton; rows of gear and goods for the "rural lifestyle"; Tractor Supply Company's catalog.

"Quick Start's training is what helps make our success possible."
Roman Roman, Tractor Supply Company General Manager
7

Warehousing and Distribution

Furnished with the Right Stuff

Quick Start contributes to Havertys' ongoing success

It encloses more than 500,000 square feet of space, and contains 39 miles of racks holding furniture destined for households throughout the Southeast.
Workers inside the massive facility use state-of-the-art radio frequency communications to direct the flow of inventory, and their computers all have long-lasting battery backups so that work can continue even during power outages.
And, since it opened in 2002, Havertys' Eastern Distribution Center (EDC) and its 400 employees have had a stellar safety record thanks to the training provided by Quick Start.
"We've had zero major injuries thanks to Quick Start training and signage," says Steve Schingler, VP of distribution at the EDC. "Because of the safety training and signage, we also save on our insurance. The Quick Start training is very cost effective."
While Havertys' EDC now is one of the anchors in

the booming warehouse and distribution business growing up around Braselton and Interstate 85 (see Partner's Perspective, p. 11), a few years ago, it could have been different. The company had to decide where to locate a new facility that would carry the company into the 21st century. As Schingler explains, the competition was tight.
"If our employees know how, why and what they're doing, it's because of what Quick Start helped us do."
Dave Champion, Havertys Customer Service Manager
"We had discussed plans to expand and were looking at a number of sites," Schingler says. "We
were working on a new business model for doing distribution, and we

spent three years traveling around the country to see how the other players did it."
The company planned to consolidate distribution in three centers located around the country, all positioned strategically to accommodate anticipated growth. As they closed in on a decision, Georgia looked like a close second.
"We ran the numbers and they showed us being in South Carolina," Schingler says. "We found several sites in both states and began comparing the two, and when it came time to make a decision, we ended up going with Georgia."
As Havertys President Clarence Smith said at the opening of the facility two years ago, "The reason we located the distribution facility in Braselton is because of Quick Start and Lanier Technical College."
The assistance provided by Quick Start and Lanier Tech, as well as the full support of local business and community leaders, turned out to be a critical part of the EDC's start-up.

Dave Champion, Havertys customer service manager.

State-of-the-art inventory control systems keep Havertys' products moving throughout the Southeast.

Rebecca Frye, Havertys human resources manager.

8

QUICK

Above and at right: Havertys craftsmen prepare furniture for final delivery.

Havertys' Braselton facility

Quick Start developed training materials, instructional videos and customized training in warehouse operations, safety and team skills. Lanier Tech helped provide facilities for training before the EDC was built, and also taught Certified Warehouse and Distribution Specialist (CWDS) and Certified Customer Service Specialist (CCSS) classes.
"None of us had the experience with systems this large," Schingler says about the plan to bring a number of processes under one roof, and recruit and train hundreds of new employees. "But we did it, and now all the product in this region is coming through the EDC."
"This was a greenfield process," says Dave Champion, Havertys customer service manager. "It was a brand-new concept for us. We were consolidating processes and were faced with the challenge of keeping all these pieces together. It involved team building and a new culture. Because of Quick Start, we were able to keep track of all the pieces.
"I believe in training, training,

training," says Champion. "We never stop training. If our employees know how, why and what they're doing, it's because of what Quick Start helped us do."
"We couldn't imagine opening something on this scale without the kind of help provided by Quick Start and Lanier Tech," says Rebecca Frye, human resources manager at the EDC. "Our new employees got two full days of training before they even got out on the floor."
The benefits have been long-lasting, Frye says. "That first group we hired, all but one are still here. I attribute that to Quick Start."
Even today, two years after opening, the materials and signage developed by Quick Start are still in use.
"I still use the videos Quick

Start made for us all the time," Frye says. "They help get new employees oriented to their job and the company. I absolutely love them. It's very nice work. It's something we use every day."
"Georgia's very lucky to have something like Quick Start," Champion adds. "Companies come in and wonder how they're going to pull everything together. I say, they can do it with Quick Start."
Quick Start developed custom signage that helped the company achieve a stellar safety record.

From left: Jackie Rohosky, DTAE assistant commissioner of economic development programs and Steve Schingler, VP of distribution for Havertys' Eastern Distribution Center.

9

Service Industry

Prescription for Prosperity

Quick Start answers the call for customer service training

Express Scripts had a script in mind for its newest call center in St. Marys, Ga. But the pharmacy benefit management company needed help training 550 new Patient Care Advocates to take prescription orders and answer questions from more than 50 million members nationwide.
Enter Quick Start and Coastal Georgia Community College, with the prescription for prosperity.
Express Scripts executives knew training would be the key to success
New Express Scripts Patient Care Advocates receive customized Quick
Start training at Coastal Georgia Community College in St. Marys.
in Georgia, so they were excited to take advantage of Georgia's economic development initiatives. "The state of Georgia was very helpful and provided support," says Express Scripts Senior Director Roger Cheek, who oversees the St. Marys call center.
A key part of this support is Quick Start's customized training. "This is the first time I've ever seen where a state steps in and says, `I'm going to help you employ people,'" says Natalie Stockton, Express Scripts training manager in St. Marys. "I'm surprised other states haven't jumped on board. What a fantastic partnership!"

Begun in 1986, Express Scripts is the country's largest pharmacy benefit management company, with over $13 billion in revenue in 2003 and more than 8,400 employees nationwide. Last year, the Fortune 500 company filled over 32 million mail service prescriptions and answered over 25 million calls.
Quick Start's partnership with Express Scripts is already at work. In August, Quick Start began training Patient Care Advocates in customer service skills in groups of 100, using a customized self-study guide.
"People can begin to see the big picture through the training guide," Cheek says. "It's very clear, it's very concise and it flows well. That's very important."
"We think it's going to be a really important tool for a new Advocate just walking in to recognize and understand what the business is all about," says April Sullivan, an Express Scripts training manager based in Horsham, Pa., who worked with Quick Start on the self-study guide and a training video Quick Start is producing.
After 80 hours of classroom training, including Quick Start customer contract skills training, each group
Express Scripts Team Leads (from left) Tanaesa McInnis, Barbara Jacobs and Neider Capalungan in the company's state-of-the-art training area in St. Marys.

Express Scripts Senior Director Roger Cheek discusses training techniques at the new call center in St. Marys.
of Advocates will receive another 40 hours of on-the-job training. When fully staffed, the 24-hour call center will employ 650 new employees, including Advocates who will field an average of 45,000 calls a day, and 12 on-site pharmacists who will help Advocates answer member questions about benefit plans.
The 67,000-sq.-ft. St. Marys facility will be state-of-the-art, says Cheek, boasting flat screen computers, a community area for employees, even a cyber caf.
"It's a multi-million dollar investment in the community," explains Cheek, who says Express Scripts is eager to be a good corporate citizen. "We'll be the largest private employer in Camden County. We're going to be a part of the community."

10

QUICK START FALL 2004

Partner's Perspective
Responsive Workforce Training Programs Vital in Changing Times

By Russ Vandiver
Recently, I read an article by a professional consultant to the warehousing and distribution industry who noted that this business is undergoing fundamental changes. He noted that new technology and new demands by customers and clients were all changing the way goods are circulated through the economy. He said these changes required that the industry find new ways to adapt.
We in the Department of Technical and Adult Education saw that coming years ago.
A core part of our mission is to stay in close touch with Georgia's businesses in order to be able to respond quickly to just such changes. In 2000, Quick Start led development of the Certified Warehousing and Distribution Specialist (CWDS) certificate program to help address a need that was identified by some distribution employers in Tift County.
Today, almost five years later, the CWDS program has become even more important as the warehousing and distribution industry continues to grow as a part of Georgia's, and the nation's, economy.
The growth has been phenomenal. In 2003, the industry racked up $2.9 trillion in sales, employed one in every 20 workers in the U.S. and contributed seven percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
In Georgia, nowhere is this growth more evident than in Jackson and surrounding counties near Braselton in North Georgia. Strategically positioned between South Carolina and Alabama, these counties are right

next to Interstate 85 and have been able to leverage this transportation asset to become a fast-growing center for warehousing and distribution in Georgia. Today, North Georgia both its residents and its businesses continue to benefit from the CWDS program. With new warehouse and distribution businesses opening on a regular basis, Quick Start and Lanier Technical College are keeping very busy helping these new ventures face their daily challenges.
"If I see [CWDS] on
a resume, they'll
probably be hired
on the spot."
Roman Roman, Tractor Supply Company General Manager
About three years ago, Georgia's own Havertys opened its distribution center there (see story, p. 8). We at Lanier Tech were proud to work with Quick Start and play a role in that project, providing CWDS classes as well as customized workplace Spanish training during the company's start-up.
One of the newest distribution centers opening in the area is Tractor Supply Company (see cover story). That facility is fortunate to be run by General Manager Roman Roman, who has years of experience in logistics and distribution, and who also helped pilot the CWDS program with a previous employer. He knows the value of the CWDS

Russ Vandiver, Lanier Tech VP of Economic Development
program. As Roman says, "If I see that certificate on a resume, they'll probably be hired on the spot."
While Tractor Supply Company has the newest distribution center in the area, we are gearing up for even more activity. Currently, the Georgia Distribution Center is under development, a 200+ acre site that will be focused solely on warehousing and distribution centers for companies who want access to an interstate highway, a welcoming community and a well-trained workforce. The Center just completed a spec building covering more than 500,000 square feet, and its developer is making plans for building even more "big box" distribution centers.
As these distribution centers come, we at Lanier Tech are prepared to team up with Quick Start, the community and the businesses to provide the best in workforce training. We're all in this together. We are all part of a team of business, political and community leaders dedicated to keeping our workforce prepared so that we can continue to create and protect jobs in our area any way we can.
Russ Vandiver is the VP of Economic Development at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville.
11

Year in Review
Quick Start's Success Continues

Number of Projects Number of Trainees

Since 1967, the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education's Quick Start training program has served as an economic development incentive for qualified companies in Georgia. In FY04, Quick Start provided training for 310 projects involving 42,566 trainees. To date, 516,512 Georgians have benefited from Quick Start's 4,629 training projects. Quick Start is recognized internationally as one of the most effective, responsive and business-like training organizations in the country.

Projects Proliferate
Of the 310 projects for FY04, 116 were new projects and 194 were expanding/existing projects. FY04 is the 13th consecutive year in which the number of expanding/existing projects exceeded new projects.

Number of Projects 1995 through 2004

350

315

310

304

300

296

279 266

250 240

248 243

251

Number of Trainees 1995 through 2004

45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000

41,801 42,145 42,566 39,416
35,613 33,967 31,345 29,393 27,545

25,000
21,158 20,000

15,000

10,000

200

150

100

50

0 1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001 2002

2003

2004

Fiscal Year

5,000

0 1995 1996

1997

1998

1999 2000

2001 2002

2003

2004

Fiscal Year

Record Trainee Count
The number of trainees for new and expanding/ existing companies increased this year, from 42,145 in FY03 to 42,566. 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.

"We relied heavily on Quick Start to develop materials for training our employees... [and] I am convinced that the use of the materials, particularly the professional way in which they were produced, was a key to our success."

-- H. Jack Warden, Tom's Foods General Manager, Columbus

12

QUICK START FALL 2004

Geographic Distribution
Seventy percent of Quick Start's projects were located outside the Metro Atlanta area. Over one-third of the Quick Start trainees in FY04 were located in rural Georgia.
Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and Rural Areas
Albany Athens Atlanta Augusta Brunswick Chattanooga Columbus Dalton Gainesville Hinesville Macon Rome Savannah Valdosta Warner Robins Rural
Metropolitan Atlanta 93 Projects (30%)
Outside Metro Atlanta 217 Projects (70%)

Projects

Rural MSAs MSA # of Projects %

37.74% 62.26% Albany

6

1.94

Athens

6

1.94

Atlanta

93

30.00

Augusta

17

5.48

Brunswick

2

0.65

Chattanooga 6

1.94

Columbus

13

4.16

Dalton

2

0.65

Gainesville

10

3.23

Hinesville

3

0.97

Macon

6

1.94

Rome

8

2.58

Savannah

10

3.23

Valdosta

5

1.61

Warner Robins 6

1.94

Rural

117

37.74

Total

310

100.0

Trainees

MSA # of Trainees %
Rural MSAs

33.23% 66.77% Albany

263

0.62

Athens

233

0.55

Atlanta

14,020

32.94

Augusta

4,501

10.57

Brunswick

95

0.22

Chattanooga 333

0.78

Columbus

178

0.42

Dalton

0*

0.0*

Gainesville

767

1.80

Hinesville

1,600

3.76

Macon

473

1.11

Rome

1,720

4.04

Savannah

1,435

3.37

Valdosta

2,402

5.64

Warner Robins 400

0.94

Rural

14,146

33.23

Total

42,566

100.0

* Indicates a training project that is under development

13

Year in Review
Attracting International Firms
Approximately 22 percent of Quick Start's 310 projects in FY04 were with international companies. There were 69 international company projects in FY04.

Number of International Companies 1995 - 2004

Number of International Companies

80

70

74

70

69

60

65

50

49

45 40
41

30

35

34

37

20

10

0 1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Fiscal Year

Economical Training
As the number of trainees has increased over the years, the cost per trainee has decreased. In FY04, Quick Start's cost per trainee was $297, and there was a total of 42,566 trainees.

"Quick Start was instrumental in assisting APAC in starting up its shared service center... By outsourcing the training to Quick Start, we were able to accelerate our start-up by several months."
-- Mark Lambeth APAC Inc. Training Manager, Atlanta

Cost Per Trainee Versus Number of Trainees

45,000 40,000

39,416

41,801

42,145

42,566

35,000 30,000 25,000

35,613 33,967

27,545

29,393

31,345

20,000

21,158

Number of Trainees

15,000 10,000
5,000

$389

$332

$323

$320

$319

$321

$319

$334

$312

$297

Cost Per Trainee

0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Fiscal Year

Trainees

Cost

14

QUICK START FALL 2004

Creating New Jobs
Quick Start clients create jobs for Georgians, jobs that cover a broad spectrum of industry types. In FY04 there were 289 manufacturing and related trade projects out of a total of 310. In addition, there were 21 service operations projects. These service projects accounted for 14 percent of the total new jobs created.
Service Operations 21 Projects = 1,298 Jobs
Manufacturing Industry 289 Projects = 7,931 Jobs

Industry Food Manufacturing

New Jobs 2,048

Service Operations*

1,298

Transportation Products**

1,266

Textile Products

737

Industrial and Commercial Machinery

589

Warehousing and Distribution

492

Plastic Products

467

Fabricated Metal Products

420

Electrical Equipment

390

Printed Products

312

Stone, Clay and Glass Products

268

Paper Products

179

Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries

131

Primary Metal Manufacturing

129

Wood Products

102

Measuring Instruments: medical and optical goods 100

Furniture Products

90

Apparel Products

85

Chemical Products

69

Mineral Products

57

Total

9,229

* The Service Operations category includes technical support and customer service centers as well as business service operations such as corporate headquarters and billing and remittance centers.
** The Transportation Products category is predominantly automotive and aviation component manufacturers.

"Quick Start helped us take the skills throughout our organization to a higher level.... Workshops like Team Building, Problem Solving and High Performance Leadership gave us useful tools that are making the operation more competitive today and are preparing us for future changes to our business."
-- James McKenzie, Enforcer VP Supply Chain Retail, Emerson
15

DELIVERY SYSTEM
34 Technical Colleges With Multiple Campuses 4 University System Colleges With Technical Divisions

Michael F. Vollmer, Commissioner Georgia Department of Technical
and Adult Education www.georgiaquickstart.org

Quick Start Project Announcements
... Serving communities throughout Georgia

Athens: Oliver Rubber is expanding its tire manufacturing facility and creating 30 new jobs.
Atlanta: DS Waters, a leading bottled water company with brands that include Crystal Springs and Belmont Springs, is expanding its headquarters and creating 140 jobs.
Augusta: Dry detergent manufacturer Procter & Gamble is installing a high-end technology packaging line and training approximately 130 employees.
Augusta: Solo Cup Company, which produces paper cups and plates, is expanding operations and adding 28 new jobs.
Baldwin: Glenroe, maker of plastic dental and orthodontic products, is opening a new facility and creating 50 new jobs.
Carrollton: Retail display kit maker Sony Music Distribution is expanding its warehouse and distribution facility and creating around 96 new jobs.
Conyers: Golden State Foods is expanding its sauce-making facility and creating 15 new jobs.
Covington: Dry cereal maker General Mills is expanding operations and creating 30 new jobs.
Dalton: Automotive parts manufacturer SW Manufacturing is expanding operations and creating 150 new jobs.
Dublin: Decorative stone distributor Eldorado Stone is opening a new 60,000-sq.-ft. facility and creating 100 new jobs.
Evans: Catalog printer Quebecor World Inc. is expanding operations and creating 70 new jobs.
Fairmount: Brick and paving manufacturer Pine Hall Brick is expanding operations and creating 20 new jobs.

Flowery Branch: Rockwell Automation, maker of DC and ACA motors, is expanding its facility and creating approximately 34 new jobs.
Jefferson: Compressor manufacturer Toyota Denso Automotive Compressor GA is opening a new facility and creating 125 new jobs.
Macon: Kohls Department Stores Inc. will be opening a new warehouse and distribution center, creating over 200 new jobs.
McIntyre: Carbo Ceramics, the world leader in the production of ceramic materials used in the oil and gas industry, will be opening a new facility and creating 50 new jobs.
Perry: Perdue Farms is expanding its poultry processing facility and creating 250 new jobs.
Quitman: Electro-mechanical automotive component manufacturer Micro Craft is expanding operations and creating 20 new jobs.
Rabun Gap: High-quality precision fabricated sheet metal part and assembly maker GAP Industries is expanding operations and creating 20 new jobs.
Savannah: JCB Inc., manufacturer of industrial and commercial construction equipment, is expanding operations and creating 30 new jobs.
Thomson: Augusta Coating & Manufacturing, makers of specialized metal fabrications, is expanding operations and creating 20 new jobs.
Toccoa: Synthetic textile manufacturer Dewtex Inc. is opening a new facility and creating 20 new jobs.
White: Tire manufacturer Toyo Tire North America is opening a new facility and creating 350 new jobs.

Georgia Quick Start Centergy One 75 Fifth Street Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30308 16