Catching the Team Spirit

Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education
SUMMER 2002 • VOLUME 4, NUMBER 3
Masaru Asahina (above), president of Suzuki’s plant in Rome, leads the grand opening festivities by
thanking community and state groups for their unwavering support. Gov. Barnes (far left) welcomes
Japanese dignitaries to help celebrate the first Eiger ATVs coming off the line (above left).
Catching the Team Spirit
Suzuki employees relish
Quick Start training in
Japanese style of teamwork
O
n a sunny May morning in
Rome, Ga., sounds of
laughter drift outside the
Quick Start mobile
classroom, parked on
the grounds of
Suzuki’s assembly
INSIDE:
plant for the Eiger
See the full
all-terrain vehicle.
Table of
Inside, an instrucContents
tor is leading Suzuki
on Page 2
associates in the class
“Working Together,”
New!
teaching them how to achieve synergy
and demonstrating that the sum of
our efforts is greater than its individual parts. Divided into three groups,
the trainees engage in animated
interaction as they are quizzed about
survival skills in the wilderness. The
exercise is designed to instill the
team principle from the start, before
they set foot on the plant floor.
The training pays off, especially
for a Japanese company that brings
with it a work culture unfamiliar to
Americans. Ask any employee at the
Suzuki plant, and they will smile
and talk at length about why they
Continued on page 6
QUICK START IS GEORGIA’S PREMIER SOURCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
Full Throttle
To celebrate the launch of the
Eiger ATV, the first all-terrain vehicle made in America by Suzuki, Gov.
Roy Barnes heralded the opening of
the company’s new, 108,350-sq.-ft.
plant in a grand-opening dedication
on May 31 in Rome.
“This is a great day for Suzuki,
the residents of Rome and the
citizens of Georgia,” Barnes said.
Up to 150 team members will
work at the facility when it’s fully
operational, with 85 percent of
employees expected to come from
within a 30-mile radius. Suzuki
officials also anticipate purchasing
more than half of production parts
from local suppliers.
The plant is a $30 million joint
Continued on page 6
Quick Notes
Jackie Rohosky
A
Communities
succeed when
local businesses
succeed ...
s I travel the state attending events related to Quick Start projects, I am continually
amazed at the vast potential Georgia offers in economic development opportunities.
In Albany, CallTech has opened a facility featuring the latest in call center technology.
In Winder, Johns Manville is undergoing a massive expansion. In Rome, Pirelli Tire is
locating its North American headquarters at a new, $140 million facility. And in
McDonough, ALPLA represents yet another international company that has recognized
the value of bringing investment to Georgia, building a technical center to house its
R&D activities for the entire United States.
In all these parts of the state that benefit from this economic activity, Quick Start has
been instrumental in helping develop a technically trained, highly skilled workforce. We
believe that communities succeed when local businesses succeed, and Quick Start helps
ensure that success through its training programs.
Attending the various groundbreakings, grand openings and training plan signings
all around Georgia allows me to view firsthand the fruits of Quick Start’s workforce
training initiatives. I’ve seen the enthusiasm that exists in our communities and the
effectiveness with which our Quick
Start staff works with local business
leaders. They exhibit a standard of
excellence that’s tops in the nation.
The economic development initiatives taking place in Georgia are truly
impressive. I’m proud that Quick
Start is such a key part of them.
Jackie Rohosky
Assistant Commissioner
Economic Development Programs
[email protected]
Table of Contents
5
3
5
8
10
11
Suzuki is one of the many new companies attracted to Georgia by its
economic development opportunities. Attending the recent grand
opening in Rome were Suzuki President Masaru Asahina (left) and
GDITT Commissioner R.K. Sehgal.
8
Events around the state
Phones are ringing at CallTech
Highlights from Manufacturing Appreciation Week
Pliant gets Quick Start boost
Firms benefit from DTAE employee education
12
12 JSC spells efficiency as Honda supplier
14 King America reopens plant
15 Partner’s Perspective from Georgia Tech’s Rick Duke
Summer 2002 • Volume 4, Number 3 • 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
Pirelli Tire Locates HQ in Georgia
At a ceremony held June 10 at the
Coosa Country Club in Rome, Quick
Start and Coosa Valley Technical
College formalized an agreement to
provide training to Pirelli Tire. In
April, the Italian-based company
opened a 400,000-sq.-ft. facility in
the Floyd County Industrial Park.
The $140 million facility is the
North American headquarters for
Pirelli’s corporate staff, research
and development center, and MIRS
manufacturing operations. MIRS,
which stands for Modular Integrated
Robotized System, is a revolutionary
process that reduces the conventional
14-step manufacturing process into
three steps and produces a new tire
every three minutes. Pirelli holds
100 patents on the MIRS process.
To maximize the success of its
new high-performance process,
Pirelli sought high-performance
support, which it found in Quick
Start’s training program.
Quick Start has provided a
wide range of consultation and
customized training services for
everybody, from Pirelli’s manufacturing workers to its executive staff.
To date, Quick Start has delivered
more than 1,800 manufacturing
trainee hours and 450 headquarters
staff trainee hours to Pirelli, which
has just begun hiring the first of the
305 people to be employed
at the facility.
From left: Dr. Ken Breeden, DTAE commissioner; Craig
McDaniel, Coosa Valley Technical College president; and
Gaetano Mannino, Pirelli Tire North America president
Yamaha Plant Tees Off to Make Golf Cars
Along with
some 150
invited guests,
Gov. Roy
Barnes helped
celebrate the grand
opening of Yamaha’s new, 220,000sq.-ft. plant in Newnan dedicated to
manufacturing golf cars. The $36
million building is an expansion of
Yamaha’s existing facilities, which also
produce ATVs and water vehicles.
The campus is Yamaha’s only North
American manufacturing facility.
Gov. Barnes attributed Yamaha’s
decision to locate in Newnan to the
area’s high-quality workforce, pointing out that technical skills make up
about 70 percent of jobs created in
Georgia. He praised the company for
encouraging excellence in education.
That commitment was exemplified
by the company’s use of the Quick
Start program, which provided
customized training programs such
as Total Productive Management
(TPM), safety and
quality. Yamaha boasts
about 1,000 employees
and plans to add
120 more. Dignitaries
taking part in the
July 8 event included
Toshinao Urabe, the consul general
of Japan; U.S. Rep. Mac Collins;
Wataru Suzuki, director of Yamaha
Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan; Keisuke
“Casey” Yoshida, president of
Yamaha Motor Manufacturing
Corp., Newnan; and Stu Horlak,
general manager of the Newnan
plant, who acknowledged Quick
Start as being instrumental in
helping with the plant’s workforce.
“Our goal is to provide Kando
to the people of the world,” said
Suzuki, referring to the
Japanese
word for
feelings of
excitement and
deep satisfaction.
From left: Keisuke “Casey” Yoshida, president of Yamaha
Newnan; Gov. Roy Barnes; U.S. Rep. Mac Collins; Wataru
Suzuki, director of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. of Japan; and
Ike Miyachi, VP of engineering of Yamaha Newnan
3
Events
Austrian Firm Opens
Georgia Facility
ALPLA, a world-renowned
plastic bottle manufacturer, celebrated its official grand opening
June 27 at a gala luncheon on the
grounds of its McDonough facility.
A lineup of local and state
dignitaries and officials from
ALPLA’s headquarters in Austria
addressed some 100 invited guests
in a spacious white tent erected
for the occasion. Guests were
treated to an informative plant
tour, viewing mammoth extrusion
blow-molding machines that
feature monitoring capability for
ALPLA CEO Helmut Scheffknecht (left) arrived
from Austria to help celebrate the opening. With
high-tech quality control.
him are Jackie Rohosky and Kurt Berkmann,
With more than 5,400 employees
ALPLA senior VP of North America.
worldwide, ALPLA considers its
workforce to be key to its success, emphasizing thorough preparation of team
members to ensure a smooth start-up of operations. At the McDonough
plant, Quick Start has trained 46 employees on topics ranging from conveyers
and pneumatics to industrial safety and mechanical blueprint reading.
“It was very easy for us to work with Quick Start,” CEO Helmut
Scheffknecht said, highlighting the efficiency of the training program. “We
had a very good experience with Quick Start.”
Kurt Berkmann, senior vice president, added that Quick Start complemented ALPLA’s in-house technical training. “Being new in the country,
we needed a lot of input and training in terms of safety, security and other
areas,” he said. “Quick Start did a marvelous job of joining the technical
side with other aspects in a flexible program.”
The McDonough plant produces bottles for Clorox, with plans under
way to serve additional customers. Construction recently began on another,
52,000-sq.-ft. building on ALPLA’s campus to host new production lines
and a new Technical Training
Center that will serve as R&D
hub for its U.S. operations.
Berkmann said he would
recommend Quick Start to
other European firms wanting
to locate in Georgia. “Any
company coming into this
country would appreciate the
help that ALPLA got from
Quick Start,” he said.
Kurt Berkmann leads the ceremonies,
joined by Austrian company officials
Helmut Scheffknecht (seated, left) and
Gunther Lehner, CEO of R&D.
4
QUICK START • SUMMER 2002
Present at the recent training plan signing were
(from left) Craig Rowland, Milco VP of sales;
Ron Purvis, Milco executive VP; W.L. Rowland,
Milco president and CEO; Don Speir, Swainsboro
Technical College president; Marla Lowe, Quick
Start director of regional project operations;
Donny Purvis, Milco plant manager; and Mike
Patrick, Quick Start training coordinator.
Jobs Created
in Swainsboro
After Florida revised its building
codes to mandate the use of windows
that can withstand frequent hurricanes — and with other East Coast
states planning to follow suit —
Swainsboro-based Milco Building
Products decided it could help.
In an expansion to its existing
plant, Milco acquired a 58,000-sq.-ft.
facility to fabricate and assemble a
line of vinyl, hurricane-resistant windows, patio glass doors, and security
and hurricane screens. Quick Start
trained 60 employees in such areas as
welding, saw operations, glass room
assembly and vinyl bending.
Also in Swainsboro, JABO Metal
Fabrication recently geared up production at its new, 70,000-sq.-ft.
facility, employing approximately
20 people. JABO, which is new to
Georgia, manufactures aluminum
and steel sheet-metal products and
related trim products used to finish
metal utility buildings. Quick Start
training will be provided in the areas
of manufacturing process, plant
safety, roll forming operations, slitter
operation, and cranes and rigging.
Pictured (from left) are Don Speir, Swainsboro
Technical College president; Marla Lowe, Quick
Start director of regional project operations;
and Don Flanders, JABO president.
Service Industry
Call Anytime
An Albany retail store goes
dark, but lights go up in new
CallTech facility
“W
e are live!” exclaimed Bob
Massey at the recent grand
opening of his company’s newest call
center, located in Albany, Ga.
As chairman of Columbus, Ohiobased CallTech Communications
LLC, Massey was the featured
speaker at the June 11 ceremony
marking the end of a whirlwind effort
to revamp a vacated Wal-Mart store
into a center that would handle thousands of incoming phone calls daily.
With 325 workstations in
21,000 sq. ft. of floor space, the
facility currently houses 170 customer service agents who provide
technical support for subscribers
to BellSouth’s asymmetric digital
subscriber line (ADSL). CallTech,
which operates four other call
centers, plans to serve additional
clients at the Albany location and
fill the facility with up to 600 agents
taking calls around the clock.
At the grand opening, Massey
commended those who participated
in the team effort to bring CallTech
to Georgia, including Albany city
officials, Albany Technical College
and Quick Start.
“The key to our success has been
finding the right
people to do the
job day in and
day out,” he said.
“To find 200
people who can
handle a very
technical product
coming out of the
gate is not easy.
But we’ve been
Marking the official opening of the CallTech call center are (from left) Tim
very successful
Martin, Albany Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO; Trevor Friesen,
in attracting the
CallTech senior director of operations; Bob Massey, CallTech chairman; Jeff
right people, getInnis, CallTech facility manager; and Tommy Coleman, Albany mayor.
ting them trained
and getting them
program taught fundamentals of
up and running.”
broadband, computer networks
To help CallTech prepare for its
and troubleshooting.
soft opening on June 1, Quick Start
“I thought the students were
provided 32 hours of pre-employextremely well-prepared and wellment training to 195 people in May,
trained,” Massey noted after the
utilizing Albany Tech’s computer labs.
ceremony. “They developed a lot
Massey commented that he has
of knowledge in a brief period to
already received feedback from a
become productive employees of
caller about the high quality of
CallTech.” Unlike many call center
customer service provided by his
start-ups, which ramp in 20 to 30
Quick Start-trained staff. “[He] said
agents at a time, this center was
it was the finest support call he had
launched with all 170 newly trained
ever had with an 800 number where
agents going live at once.
he asked for technical support,”
“The Quick Start program was a
Massey said. “So I think we’re
nice adjunct to the normal training we
doing something right.”
provide our employees,” Massey said.
Designed to develop technical
“It made our people better equipped
support skills with realistic job
to handle the day-to-day situation
simulations, the Quick Start training
they would face on the job.”
About CallTech
I Founded: 1996
I Service provided: Outsourced technical support and
I
After learning about broadband and computer
networks, Quick Start trainees go through
realistic job simulations to understand how to
handle myriad situations as CallTech agents.
I
I
I
customer service
Clients include: BellSouth, CompuServe, Abercrombie
& Fitch, Priceline.com and Universal Studios Florida
Number of employees: 1,670
Sales: $35 million
Call centers located in: Columbus, Ohio (two facilities);
Brownsville, Pa. (Pittsburgh area); Fort Myers, Fla.; and
Albany, Ga.
5
Cover Story
Full Throttle continued from page 1
investment by Brea, Calif.-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC),
which owns 80 percent, and Japan-based Suzuki Motor Corp. (SMC), which
owns 20 percent. At the opening ceremony, special guests from the two
firms included ASMC President Rick Suzuki and SMC officials Sokichi
Nakano, executive VP; Shunichi Wakuda, senior managing director; and
Tsuneo Kobayashi, managing director.
Jackie Rohosky, DTAE assistant commissioner of economic development
programs, and R.K. Sehgal, commissioner of the Georgia Department of
Industry, Trade and Tourism, attended the event along with other state,
county and city officials. Representing the Rome facility — called Suzuki
Manufacturing of America Corp. — was Masaru Asahina, president.
In his speech, Asahina reflected on the great strides his company made in
only 14 months from groundbreaking to production. Among the organizations
he thanked for helping Suzuki achieve this success was Coosa Valley Technical
College, which provided office space for Suzuki during plant construction.
“We cannot thank enough Georgia’s famous Quick Start,” Asahina said.
“We learned a lot from Quick Start, and we are very pleased with the results.
We believe Quick Start is one of the best incentives the state of Georgia has.”
In addition to the Eiger, the plant will produce the Vinson model beginning
next year. Processes completed onsite include welding, painting, assembly,
packing, storing, shipping and quality control. Assembly-line processes include
robotic subassembly of ATV frames; electro-coated treatment of frames;
powder-coat painting; and continuous, in-process quality-control inspection.
The United States is the world’s top ATV market, and the Southeast is one
of the top U.S. markets. Georgia’s Suzuki plant should help satisfy that demand,
with a new vehicle coming off the line every two and a half minutes.
Gov. Roy Barnes (far right) visits the Suzuki facility in Rome, accompanied by (from left) Sokichi
Nakano, SMC executive VP; Craig McDaniel, Coosa Valley Tech president; and Masaru Asahina,
Suzuki Manufacturing of America Corp. president.
6
QUICK START
•
SUMMER 2002
Gov. Barnes tries out a brand-new Suzuki ATV.
Continued from page 1
love the Japanese way of working.
Ironically, instead of feeling that
their individuality has been compromised, they say they are empowered
by the team philosophy.
“We come together in a team as
one, and our voices stand out,” says
Joy Smith, an assembly technician
who has completed the Quick Start
training. She was part of the first
group, hired in January, that came
on board to weld, paint, assemble
and ship the Eiger ATVs. The plant,
Suzuki’s first in the United States,
officially started production May 20.
Brad Clay, one of Smith’s classmates, notes, “Where I worked
before, it was every man for himself.
Here, you’ve got people you depend
on to work with.”
The Suzuki team members express
gratitude for the Quick Start training, coordinated through Coosa
Valley Technical College. “The last
job I had, when I started working
they just put me out there on the
floor, so I was nervous,” Smith
Already acquainted through Quick Start training,
team members work in harmony at the Suzuki plant.
recalls. “But going through
Quick Start, I was prepared.”
Another classmate agrees,
pointing to the quality of Quick
Start instructors. “The teachers
were knowledgeable and made
you feel at ease,” says LeRoy
Dunaway. “By the time we got on
the floor, we knew what to expect
from the other person. It was easier
to work with each other because
you understood each other better.”
Trusting one’s co-workers is vital
in an assembly line plant, where
safety issues can arise. Jeff Ford,
safety and training coordinator, has
years of safety experience in traditional work environments. He says
he has never before witnessed such
intensity of participation and willingness to lead in safety team meetings.
“The biggest challenge for me has
been believing that a company could
be run where the team members
have so much freedom to make
decisions,” he says. “It’s sometimes
In foreground, from left, are assembly technicians LeRoy Dunaway, Joy Smith and Brad Clay,
who were among the first group of Quick Start trainees. Jeff Ford (rear) is Suzuki’s safety and
training coordinator.
amazing to think employees have
that much say in a business.”
The notion of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is central to the
Japanese workplace philosophy.
“They look for ways to improve on
safety, quality and productivity,”
Ford explains. “Team members are
encouraged to look for anything we
can improve — every facet, program
and procedure we have.”
“I like Kaizen,” says Clay,
“because if we’ve got an idea that
will help the team, they will listen
to us. It makes the plant better.”
The concept of the five S’s, or 5S,
also figures prominently. “Smaller,
neater, fewer, shorter, lighter,” Clay
reels off the list using English words.
What is Kanban?
Kanban is a system for managing logistics in manufacturing. In this process, parts required for assembly
are taken in small batches from storage areas only
when they are needed. Kanban, which means “visible
record” in Japanese, utilizes cards as a means of
communication from workstations to storage areas.
The cards signal that a certain part is needed and
therefore should be moved or produced. In this way,
inventory does not build up unnecessarily in warehouses, nor is anything stored in production areas,
leading to significant cost savings.
“You make everything as simplified as
you can, but you get the job done.”
About 20 Quick Start classes are
taught in a range of topics, such as
operation of powered industrial
trucks, industrial safety, Japanese
culture and Lean Manufacturing.
Dunaway had worked with a Japanese company before, so he was
already familiar with Kanban, a Lean
Manufacturing technique (see box).
“But we never had Quick Start to
really show us,” he says. “They
showed us here.”
Masaru Asahina, company president, says Suzuki might have faced
a challenge in developing new
employees’ skills and teaching the
teamwork concept. “When we came
here, we thought it would be quite
difficult for us to train American
team members,” he says.
Quick Start offered an ideal
solution. “Already Quick Start had
established many experiences with
Japanese companies,” he says. “They
had all the materials in English and
developed exciting customized
programs specifically for Suzuki.”
Not surprisingly, Asahina attaches
great importance to employee
training. “To have a successful
company,” he says, “team members
are key.”
7
State Celebration
Manufacturers Honored
Governor hails Georgia firms
at 8th annual Manufacturing
Appreciation Week luncheon
M
ore than 1,000 business leaders
from across the state gathered
in Atlanta April 18 for the annual
awards luncheon for Manufacturing
Appreciation Week.
The three winners for this year’s
Manufacturer of the Year Award
are: HL-A of Bremen, in the small
category (150 or fewer employees);
Sweetheart Cup Co. of Augusta, in
the medium category (151-750); and
Briggs & Stratton of Statesboro, in
the large category (more than 750).
Gov. Roy Barnes was joined by
Dr. Ken Breeden, DTAE commissioner, and R.K. Sehgal, Department
of Industry, Trade & Tourism
commissioner, to pay tribute to
manufacturing’s role in the vitality
of Georgia’s economy.
In his address, Gov. Barnes noted
the importance of Georgia’s manufacturing base. “In order for us to
provide meaningful employment for
our citizens,” he said, “we have got
to make sure our manufacturing
base continues to grow.”
Representatives of the three
winning companies recognized the
contributions of Quick Start and the
technical colleges to their success.
CEO John Shiely of Briggs & Stratton
Did you know that manufacturing ...?
I
I
I
I
I
Contributes $52 billion to Georgia’s economy annually.
Employs approximately 600,000 Georgians.
Accounts for 15 percent of the employment in Georgia.
Is the third largest segment of Georgia’s private-sector workforce.
Boasts some 10,000 facilities across the state.
Seated at the head table were, from left, Jim Reese,
Randstad; Phil Jacobs, BellSouth; Gary Grant, KPMG
Consulting; Gov. Roy Barnes; Jerry Silvio, Pattillo
Construction; Becky Blalock, Georgia Power; and
R.K. Sehgal, GDITT.
pointed to the extensive amount of
pre- and post-employment training at
his firm, conducted by Quick Start in
partnership with Ogeechee Technical
College. Brett McGuire, Sweetheart
Cup’s plant manager, called Quick
Start the “most pro-business state
incentive in the country.”
Manufacturing Appreciation
Week and the gala luncheon were
sponsored by BellSouth, Georgia
Power, Pattillo Construction,
KPMG Consulting, Randstad North
America and the Georgia Tech
Economic Development Institute.
Small-Employer Category:
HL-A, Bremen
From left: Gov. Barnes; Mike Burnett,
plant manager; Tetsuro Komaki, president;
and Toshitaka Kimura, chief engineer
HL-A has been instrumental in
re-establishing a manufacturing base
in Haralson County.
The Japan-based company, which
employs more than 100 people in
Bremen and surrounding counties,
will have invested $30 million in its
facility by 2004. HL-A first came to
Georgia in 1998 and has expanded
three times in four years.
Initially, the automotive component supplier made zinc diecasts for
door locks on Honda cars. It now
also produces latches, mirrors and
handles, and has a painting facility.
In his acceptance remarks, plant
manager Mike Burnett highlighted
Quick Start’s role in making HL-A’s
expansion in Georgia a success.
Medium-Employer Category:
Sweetheart Cup Co., Augusta
Gov. Barnes and Plant Manager Brett McGuire
Sweetheart Cup Co., which makes
disposable polystyrene drinking cups
and lids, has been in operation at the
same location in downtown Augusta
for 54 years. The company employs
242 Georgians and has an annual
payroll of more than $8 million.
“I can’t begin to measure the
impact that the Department of
Technical and Adult Education has
had on the Sweetheart Cup Augusta
plant,” said plant manager Brett
McGuire in his acceptance comments.
Thirty-six percent of the employees at
Sweetheart are graduates of Augusta
Technical College.
In 2001, the company won the
Augusta Metro Chamber of
Commerce awards for workforce
education, workforce retention and
site beautification.
Large-Employer Category:
Briggs & Stratton, Statesboro
Gov. Barnes and President/CEO John Shiely
With 850 employees, the Briggs
& Stratton facility in Statesboro has
a payroll of more than $22 million.
The plant has been in operation
just over six years and had annual
revenue of $230 million in 2001.
President/CEO John Shiely
underscored DTAE’s role in Briggs
& Stratton’s success story.
“Education is the key to creating
value,” he said, “and the efforts of the
Quick Start people have allowed us
to develop and train employees with
skills necessary to be a world-class
manufacturer of gasoline engines.”
Briggs & Stratton manufactures
gasoline engines used in the lawnand-garden industry. Diecasting,
machining, punch press and assembly
take place at the Statesboro facility,
which is considered a flagship plant
for the Wisconsin-based company.
9
Plastics Arena
Filmmaker Streamlines
Production
Quick Start helps plastic
film company implement
new computer system
A
n established film extrusion firm
in Wilkes County is among the
first beneficiaries of Quick Start’s
services available to existing industry. Pliant Corp., one of the largest
employers in Washington, Ga.,
makes plastic film liners for diapers
and medical products.
Through contacts at Athens
Technical College, the company
sought Quick Start’s services to help
upgrade an older computer system to
a new system that would document
inventory and cost of production
more efficiently.
Under the new system, a computer
terminal is installed at each line,
with employees entering data and
tracking production in real time. A
team from Pliant’s headquarters in
Salt Lake City had come in to collect
the data and build the system. But
10
QUICK START
•
SUMMER 2002
before the new system could “go
live,” some workers needed training
in computer basics. It needed to be
done fast, and for a lot of people.
“We realized that employees
would first need basic computer
training to get the fear of the mouse
and keyboard out of the way,” recalls
B.C. Kennedy, who coordinated the
project as Pliant’s training manager,
but has since become the company’s
environmental and safety manager.
After identifying and training
those who didn’t have basic computer
skills, Quick Start began training on
the new system. In the end, 123
employees took the introductory
computer class, and a total of 240
were trained on the system.
Another problem was space.
With this many people to train,
Quick Start needed a large facility.
The local high school, WashingtonWilkes High School, stepped up
and offered its four computer labs
containing 20 computers each.
In six days the training was
completed. The new system went
live in January. “When we did start
it up, we had one day person and
one night person on the floor from
Quick Start,” Kennedy says. “They
were in here like clockwork. It all
went really well.” Quick Start also
created a manual for Pliant to use
in training future employees.
Says Kennedy of Quick Start,
“All the people are excellent. Their
goal is to reach your goals.”
Top: Wesley Echols (foreground) and Nick Graves operate a line at Pliant. Above: Pliant’s B.C.
Kennedy (left), who coordinated the Quick Start training, observes Marvin Blackburn (center) at
work on the new computer system. Looking on is Tommy Lyon, program manager at Athens Tech.
College News
CCSS Grads Get Cash Bonus
Dr. Freida Hill (left), president of Southwest Georgia Technical College, assists Dr. Breeden in awarding the CCSS certificate to D’Nena Stevens, patient accounts counselor at Archbold Medical Center.
R
eceiving $500 bonuses for their
commented on the close partnership
achievement, 50 employees of
between Southwest Georgia
Archbold Medical Center recently
Technical College and Archbold
graduated from the Certified
Medical Center. “The college and the
Customer Service Specialist (CCSS)
hospital have worked together on
program offered by Southwest
many initiatives,” he said. “I truly
Georgia Technical College.
appreciate the support of Ken Beverly
In a ceremony held June 13 in
in the past.”
Thomasville, hospital President Ken
After the ceremony, Kathy Harvill,
Beverly honored the students for
VP of economic development at
completing the course, which they
Southwest Georgia Tech, recalled
took on their own time — evenings
how this particular initiative was
and Saturdays — over two quarters.
launched. “We explained the benefits
“This is a great investment,”
of the CCSS program to Archbold,
he said, emphasizing
and they promoted it
Archbold’s longstanding
heavily,” she said.
reputation in the
“They were surprised at
community for good
the number of employcustomer service.
ees who enrolled in the
Dr. Freida Hill,
course.”
president of Southwest
This was the first
Georgia Technical
time Southwest Georgia
College, lauded
Tech had such a large
Archbold’s effort to
group of CCSS students
encourage employees to
from one employer. The
continue their education.
college plans to present
“Learning and earning
the program to other
go hand in hand,” she
area businesses as well.
said. “This is a real
“Many companies see
testimony to that.”
customer service as a
Dr. Ken Breeden,
— Archbold Medical Center vital part of their sucDTAE commissioner,
cess,” Harvill said.
President Ken Beverly
“This is
a great
investment.”
Shaw employees
complete IT+ program
Seven employees of Dalton-based
Shaw Industries recently became the
first graduates of the 18-week IT+
program, which was developed by
DTAE and offered through the technical division of Dalton State College.
The certification program instructs
information technology professionals
in “soft” skills
such as business
interaction,
analytical ability,
personal effectiveness and
organizational
proficiency. Topics
include managing
customer relationships, the
global economy,
Robert Shaw
managing change,
Chairman and CEO
leadership styles,
Shaw Industries
ethics for IT
professionals and critical thinking.
Robert Shaw, chairman and CEO
of Shaw Industries, was on hand at
the graduation ceremony to honor
the students. “There are no machines
that do anything as well as our own
people,” he said. “We are very proud
of each of you.”
The largest manufacturing employer
in Georgia, Shaw Industries contributes
significantly to the economic vitality
of the Dalton area. Dr. James Burran,
president of Dalton State College,
spoke about the longstanding and
beneficial relationship between Shaw
Industries and his school.
Dr. Ken Breeden referred to the
graduates as standard-bearers for
the IT+ program. “Every developing
nation, every state in the United
States and all companies worldwide
are crying out for a skilled labor
force,” he said.
11
Manufacturing Sector
Clockwork Operations at JSC
Maker of Honda structural
parts ramps up new plant
in northwest Georgia
T
he immaculate plant floor of
Jefferson Southern Corp. is a
sea of colorful automatons rising up
and down, swiveling and dipping
like midway rides at the state fair.
The mechanical clanging of steel
against steel and the whoosh of air
in pneumatic machinery add further
to the impressive sensory experience
at this new, 137,000-sq.-ft. facility
in Rockmart, Ga., where components for Honda Odyssey minivans
are produced at a rate exceeding
500 per day.
Efficiency is king at JSC, already
exemplified at its two sister plants in
Ohio and Ontario (called Jefferson
Industries Corp. and Jefferson Elora
Corp., respectively). So when Quick
Start officials visited these sites two
years ago in the early stages of planning a workforce training program,
they knew the project would proceed
like clockwork.
And it did. Construction of the
building was completed last summer;
by November the plant was operational, with 110 associates fully
trained on such topics as operating a
2,500-ton press, welding, plant safety and assimilation into the Japanese
workplace philosophy — all taught
by Quick Start. The training, which
began in May 2001, continues today.
JSC associates change work positions throughout
the day to alleviate stress on one part of the
body, thereby ensuring maximum efficiency.
Company president Koichi
Miyazaki, who previously worked at
the Ohio site, remarks on the nearperfect launch of operations at the
Georgia facility. “Quick Start enabled
us to have a smooth and speedy
opening,” he says. “The training gave
“I want to offer my sincere
appreciation to Quick Start
for enabling us to have a topquality business in Georgia.”
— Koichi Miyazaki, JSC President
12
QUICK START
•
SUMMER 2002
us a good focus and concentration on
safety. This start-up was extremely
efficient, in comparison to other
experiences I’ve had.”
Scott Brooks, sales and purchasing
manager, also came from the Ohio
site and initially found it difficult to
Good Neighbor
Scott Brooks (left),
sales and purchasing
manager, and Steve
Blankenship, HR
manager, view rows of
steel components on
the plant floor. Brooks
and Blankenship are
already gearing up
for the plant‘s expansion, which will serve
new customers and
add 50 people to
the workforce.
Fifty-five robots are
placed throughout
the plant floor,
with 90 percent
performing resistance-welding and
10 percent doing
sub-assembly. The
plant produces
integral structural
parts, so absolute
precision is required
to meet Honda’s
stringent safety
standards.
believe what Quick Start offered. But
he soon became a believer. “We have
since recommended Quick Start to
other companies relocating here,”
he says.
The training provided by Quick
Start was custom-tailored to fit JSC’s
needs. Although many trainees had
years of prior manufacturing experience in the textiles industry, skills
learned in Quick Start classes represented an entirely different approach
to the manufacturing process.
“The class in Total Productive
Maintenance was eye-opening to
them,” recalls Mike deGraauw, plant
manager. “It introduced the idea of
involving operators in maintenance
of the machinery, which takes the
burden off the technical people.”
Maintenance can’t be down-
played in a plant that has 80 percent
automation, with 55 robots welding,
drilling, transporting and doing quality checks on chassis and dashboards
— 11 different parts altogether.
With Honda vehicles already
in great demand and JSC seeking
additional automaker customers, the
company plans to expand its production capabilities, adding square
footage to the existing plant and
hiring 50 new team members. Quick
Start will be involved in Phase II
as well.
“I want to offer my sincere
appreciation to Quick Start for
enabling us to have a top-quality
business in Georgia,” Miyazaki
says. “We ask for Quick Start’s
continued support, so we can have
a second smooth start-up.”
One key component that
strengthened JSC’s start-up strategy
was Coosa Valley Technical College,
whose Polk County campus sits
adjacent to JSC’s 46-acre spread.
The college hosted company
executives while the plant was
under construction. Coosa Valley
furnished office space, computers,
telecommunications and other
necessities of conducting business,
as well as classroom space for the
Quick Start training.
Pete McDonald, VP of economic
development at Coosa Valley, notes
that the school’s direct role in the
JSC project was an educational one.
“But we also
play an important
indirect role, providing local support
and helping families
move here,” he
says. “That’s the
great advantage of
the teamwork
Pete McDonald
between the technical colleges and Quick Start. After
Quick Start does the initial training,
the technical college remains a
partner to the company in the long
term. JSC will still need welltrained people, and we’ll be here to
help them with that.”
Some 350 people have completed the Certified Manufacturing
Specialist (CMS) program at Coosa
Valley since the beginning of 2001.
“We remain a
partner to the
company in the
long term.”
— Pete McDonald
VP of Economic Development
Coosa Valley Technical College
13
Economic Development
Finishing Touches
King America fabric plant
reopens in Screven County
W
hen financial woes forced
Spartan International to close
its King America textile-finishing
plant in rural Screven County in May
2001, some 230 stunned employees
were suddenly unemployed. Among
them was plant manager Warren
Beck, who would spend the next
seven months often frustrated by
legal wrangling, yet vigilant in finding a new buyer and determined to
see the 33-year-old plant reopen.
Finally, in December 2001,
Westex Inc. purchased the facility.
The Chicago-based company — a
former customer of King America’s
— supplies flame-resistant fabric to
manufacturers of work garments for
the petrochemical, electric utility
and other industries where there’s a
danger of combustion.
About 100 employees are now
back to work at King America, and
Beck is pleased with the effort put
forth by those who shared his vision
to keep the plant running. “We’ve
asked people to do a lot of things we
would not have asked them to do a
couple of years ago,” says Beck, now
president and CEO. “And people
have responded. There’s no such
“We’ve asked
people to do a
lot of things ...
and people have
responded.”
— Warren Beck
President and CEO
King America
thing as my job or your job right
now. Hopefully, with this kind of
attitude, we’ll pull this off.”
Fortunately, Beck will have some
help in pulling it off. Quick Start and
Ogeechee Technical College will provide technical training in dye house
operations, finishing, preparation
and printing, as well as instructor
training and pre-employment training. When fully operational, the
plant will employ about 200 people,
primarily from Screven, Bulloch and
Jenkins counties.
At the recent training plan signing, Ogeechee Tech President Dr.
Stephen A. Deraney applauded the
plant reopening and praised King
America for its perseverance. “Your
effort to protect jobs in a rural
community is just phenomenal,” he
said. “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.
What a success story this is — due
to your hard work, enthusiasm and
can-do attitude.”
Beck credits the new owners for
supplying much of the zeal. The
Renaldi family, owners of Westex
since 1919, provided financial and
moral support throughout the reopening process. “Their enthusiasm
is contagious,” he says. “Westex is
a very close-knit family, and it’s a
wonderful feeling to be associated
with them.”
As part of that relationship, King
America supplies fabric to Westex’s
Chicago facilities, where the fireresistant treatment is applied. King
America also sells fabric to other
customers in the apparel and homefurnishing industries.
The acquisition enables Westex
to concentrate on its core business
of flame-resistant technology. “The
Westex principals look at [this plant]
as a growth opportunity,” Beck says.
“Their goal was to put people back
to work and have a viable business.
It’s good for all of us.”
Present at the recent training plan
signing were (standing, from left)
David Russell, Ogeechee Tech VP of
economic development; Donnie
Saxon, King America HR manager;
Michael Corbin, King America VP;
Joel Martin, Department of Labor
Career Center manager; and
Ron Russell, Quick Start training
coordinator. Seated are (from left)
Stephen A. Deraney, Ogeechee
Tech president; Warren Beck, King
America president and CEO; and
Richard Fountain, Quick Start
project operations manager.
14
QUICK START
•
SUMMER 2002
Partner’s Perspective
Rural Georgia’s Fiscal Fortitude
Georgia Tech Economic
Development Institute helps
crucial rural businesses
succeed before they fail
I
t’s become an all-too-common
scenario: A major employer in
a small town announces it has to
shut its doors. Along with the loss
of jobs comes the loss of traditions,
habits and hopes that are the foundation of any community.
The pain and suffering of displaced workers is bad enough. In
many cases, though, the real tragedy
is that such business failures could
have been prevented.
It’s the goal of Rick Duke and the
Georgia Tech Economic Development
Institute (EDI) to make sure such
stories aren’t retold in rural Georgia.
“There are a significant number
of manufacturing companies in rural
communities that we cannot afford
to lose,” says Duke, director of the
EDI. “We need to do whatever we can
to help them remain competitive.”
Often, the causes of business failure are identified only after the pink
slips have gone out. Such culprits
could include international competition, a drop in consumer spending,
the cost of raw materials or limited
access to capital.
Duke and the EDI, however, are
promoting an initiative that would
help companies spot the key factors
that threaten their viability, and
help them take steps to increase
their competitiveness. With this
initiative, Georgia’s economic
development agencies would collaborate to identify what Duke calls
“rural Georgia’s top 100 critical
manufacturing companies.”
“As a coordinated team of state
service delivery organizations,” he
says, “let’s approach those companies and offer to assess where they
are now, and assist them with
strategies and implementation that
will make them the most competitive
they can be.”
Georgia Tech and the EDI have
a long history of helping Georgia’s
businesses. Georgia Tech has been
involved in facilitating the transfer
of new technology to business and
industry for more than 100 years.
By the 1940s, divisions within
Georgia Tech began working toward
“industrial development,” focused
mainly on recruiting industry to the
state. But by the 1980s, it was seen
that economic development involved
more than just industrial recruitment.
“Our role is to make
sure businesses are
aware of the services
and resources that this
state team can deliver.”
— Rick Duke, Director of the Georgia Tech
Economic Development Institute
“It’s now a much more comprehensive approach,” Duke explains.
“There’s business retention and
business expansion; there are nontraditional ways to attract jobs, such
as tourism, downtown development
and entrepreneurial development.”
In 1993, the EDI became more of
a freestanding entity within Georgia
Tech, and it now has approximately
175 people in 18 locations around
the state working to support
Georgia’s businesses.
“Today, our role is to make sure
businesses are aware of the services
and resources that this state team can
deliver,” says Duke.
Local communities also benefit
from EDI’s services. It helps communities conduct fiscal and economic
impact analyses to evaluate the costs
and benefits of development. The
goal is to calculate the broader impact
Rick Duke has served as director of EDI since March
2001 and director of the economic development
services group (which is part of EDI) since 1993.
of new projects beyond the initial
investment or construction costs.
Feasibility studies and strategic
planning are part of EDI’s offerings
to local development agencies.
For companies, the EDI helps
assess their financial, quality and
management systems, and consults
in the areas of Lean Manufacturing,
information technology, quality
standards, energy and environmental impact.
“Our mission is to analyze the
competitiveness issues a company
faces,” Duke says. “We work with
those companies to address the areas
where they can solve problems and
become more competitive.”
As part of Georgia’s economic
development team, EDI’s partners
include GDITT, DNR, DCA and
the DTAE, among others. Working
together, Duke says, Georgia’s team
will not only be able to attract new
business, but also, just as importantly,
help protect Georgia’s existing business and prevent more locked doors
and broken communities.
“Let’s don’t just react after the
fact,” he says.
15
DELIVERY
Kenneth H. Breeden, Commissioner
Georgia Department of Technical
and Adult Education
www.georgiaquickstart.org
SYSTEM
34 Technical Colleges • 16 Satellite Campuses
4 Technical Divisions
Quick Start Project Announcements
... Serving communities throughout Georgia
Albany: Woodgrain Millwork is receiving
Quick Start training in new technology
for some of its 195 employees.
Rome: Keebler is adding 50 new employees and will receive
Quick Start training on new production equipment.
Social Circle: CertainTeed Corp., maker of vinyl siding,
is expanding its business to include 80 new jobs.
Alpharetta: APAC, which provides asphalt
and concrete paving services and materials,
is opening a shared services center, creating
136 new jobs.
Thomasville: American Signature Furniture is opening a distribution center, creating 225 new jobs.
Tifton: Orgill Inc. is expanding its distribution
center for hardware goods, creating 25
new jobs.
Athens: Dairy Pak, a producer of dairy and
juice packaging containers, plans to expand
production and hire an additional 25 people.
Augusta: Murray Biscuit Co. is receiving Quick
Start training for some of its 3,000 employees.
Toccoa: Meadowbrook Machine and
Tool, maker of machine components, is
expanding its business and will hire an
additional 25 people.
Columbus: McCauley Propellers, makers of
aircraft propellers, is opening a facility here
and will hire 75 people.
Trion: Gill Manufacturing, an automotive supplier, is hiring an additional 28
people and will receive Quick Start training on new production equipment.
Dublin: Fred’s is building a new distribution
center for its chain of discount general
merchandise stores, creating 275 new jobs.
Union Point: Union Point Hosiery, which
makes athletic socks, is locating here and will
employ 120 people.
Ellaville: TCI Inc., which makes thermo powder coatings, is
receiving Quick Start training for new technology recently implemented.
LaGrange: Wal-Mart’s distribution center, with a workforce of 500,
is receiving Quick Start training on a new inventory/picking system.
Valdosta: Regal Luxury Performance boat manufacturer is locating a
new business here, creating 250 new jobs.
Marietta: RDM Technologies, manufacturer of beverage-blending
equipment, is locating a plant here and will hire 80 people.
Waycross: SeaPak, which makes food-service and related food products,
is opening a new facility and will employ 80 people.
McRae: Crossroads Homes, which produces assembly pre-manufactured
single-family houses, is opening a business here and will create 85
new jobs.
Winder: Chico’s FAS is opening a distribution center for retail stores,
creating 160 new jobs.
Milledgeville: Mohawk Industries is expanding its carpet and industrial
yarn facility to include 75 new jobs.
The art of manufacturing
To teach students about the role of manufacturing in Georgia’s economy, a statewide art contest is
held each year in conjunction with Manufacturing Appreciation Week. First-place prizes of $500 are
awarded in three categories: T-shirt design (high school), poster design (middle school) and placemat
design (elementary school). Shown at right is the winning T-shirt design, by Michael Amosu from
McIntosh High School in Peachtree City.
Georgia Quick Start
•
1800 Century Place
•
Suite 300
•
Atlanta, GA 30345
•
404.679.2915