SVAM 2021-2022 Annual Report

2021-2022

ANNUAL REPORT

FROM OUR LEADERSHIP

SVAM'SEXECUTIVEDIRECTOR

As I reflect back on what we’ve accomplished this past year, I’m grateful for the refreshing return to normalcy. What a joy it was to be able to offer in-person opportunities again, while

taking advantage of the benefits of virtual offerings. We were finally able to bring back our annual Expo, Awards Banquet, and Women in Manufacturing Symposium. We were able to get back into schools to help students understand the great career opportunities awaiting them in manufacturing. Taking advantage of virtual platforms, we facilitated meaningful member connections to share challenges and best practices, and we offered more virtual trainings than any year prior. As I review what we’ve accomplished this year, I see businesses strengthened, individuals assisted and encouraged, and even lives changed. It makes me incredibly proud to serve this organization and excited for what’s to come next year.

Lennie Gail Mitcham Executive Director

This year's annual letter is during a time of great contrast from the previous year when Southwest Virginia manufacturers’ primary challenges revolved around COVID-19 and staffing shortages. As we come out of the pandemic crisis, we face another growing challenge of rising inflation, rising fuel costs, etc.

The challenges for the manufacturing sector are great

and the industry continues to face challenges that perhaps are unprecedented this decade. Through managing during the pandemic, we gained strengths, skills and resiliency that certainly will help us find ways to be successful, even in these times. I am proud to say that The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing is doing the same and working hard to support our Southwest Virginia region's manufacturing community with services to help you be successful.

SVAM remains a manufacturers-driven organization with a strong, dedicated board, a talented, hard working small staff, and broad-based support across the region’s manufacturing community. We are taking the position to find creative and alternative ways to continue to serve our members. You will find various ways throughout this report where SVAM is listening to your needs and providing support for our Southwest Virginia manufacturers.

Today, we see a struggling national economy with pockets of industries where demand is increasing rapidly. Supply disruptions and recruiting skilled talent remain some of the major challenges. The one constant we can provide with SVAM is our continued readiness to support our members and help you all be successful.

I want to sincerely thank our board members for volunteering their time and abilities, our Executive Director, Lennie Gail Mitcham, and our Program Assistant, Mandy Barker, for staying positive, hopeful, being flexible, and working very hard. I also thank our community partners for your continued support throughout the year.

I thank you all for your support, and I look forward to this year as we rebound together.

Alan Freeman, Chair of the SVAM Board of Directors Global Safety Manager, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

ABOUT US

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Supporting the sustainment and advancement of manufacturing in Southwest Virginia through regional collaboration, improving the image of manufacturing, and closing the skills gap.

OUR HISTORY

The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc. (SVAM) began as a joint effort between the SmythWashington County Industrial Facilities Authority (SWIFA) and local manufacturers. The group identified a lack of services available to meet the current needs of manufacturers. As a result of this group's discussions, a core group of interested employers were identified and began to meet to explore the possibility of a formally-structured organization, led by manufacturers. In 2003, through a Planning Grant, the group conducted a Workforce Demand Study, identifying deficiencies in the area’s workforce. During this time frame, the core group of employers became known as the “Southwest Virginia Association of Manufacturers”. As this group grew and strengthened, its members saw the need to develop their own legal entity. In 2007, The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing became incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since its establishment, the organization has seen tremendous growth and has made many positive impacts to strengthen manufacturing across Southwest Virginia.

WHO WE ARE TODAY

The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing, Inc. is a manufacturing-led 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Our vision is to unite the region’s manufacturers to strengthen our position as a worldleading region of advanced manufacturing opportunities. The initiatives reflected in this report are created with the intention of meeting SVAM's three goals:

Establish and promote regional collaboration in support of manufacturing and its careers as part of an educational and economic development initiative.

Redefine the image of manufacturing with young people, their parents, their educators, the community, and policy makers in a manner that increases the number of young adults and other members of the workforce who pursue manufacturing-based careers.

Close the skills gap for regional manufacturers by aligning educational and workforce training resources with the most pressing demands of area industry.

OFFICERS OF THE BOARD

Chair: Alan Freeman

Global Safety Manager

Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

Vice Chair: Gene Chumley

Director, Virginia Operations

Strongwell

Treasurer: Eric Miller

President and Owner

Wolf Hills Fabricators, LLC

Secretary: Steve Barrett

Color and Compounding Manager Universal Fibers, Inc

BOARD MEMBERS

Melinda Roberts

Human Resources Manager

Scholle IPN, Inc.

Dedra Helbert

General Manager

Human Resources and General Affairs

Tadano Mantis Corporation

Fred Vermeer

President and CEO

Hapco Pole Products

Alex Lupi

Director of Operations

Tempur Production USA, LLC

Jeff Dunnack

General Manager of Supply

Chain Management

Somic America, Inc.

Stacy Street

Human Resources Specialist

Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company

Kelly Debusk

Compliance Manager

Appalachian Plastics, Inc.

Larry Wyatt

Plant Manager

Innovative Millwork Technologies, LLC

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“I serve on the Board because SVAM is the only organization focused purely on improving manufacturing in the Southwest Virginia region where we do business and where our employees live.”

MEMBERSHIP

“Smyth County Machine and Fabrication has been a member of SVAM since 2020. In that time, we’ve found the organization to be an invaluable resource for education, collaboration, and promotion of the manufacturing industry in Southwest Virginia. From job fairs to roundtable discussions, peer groups and expos, SVAM is always at the heart, fully contributing to ensure the success of its membership. If you’re not a member of SVAM, I would encourage you to join and take advantage of the many benefits that are available.”

- Becky Crouse, Administrative Director. Smyth County Machine, Atkins,

VA

OUR MEMBERSHIP

SVAM Membership consists of all sizes of manufacturing companies, located across Southwest Virginia. SVAM's affiliate members represent organizations who support Southwest Virginia manufacturers in a variety of ways.

A full listing of SVAM members is included on the back cover of this report.

MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS

As a membership-driven organization, we are primarily focused on providing valuable services to our member companies. Manufacturing members see SVAM as a beneficial way to connect to other manufacturers, access support services, and impact the community’s perception of what careers in manufacturing look like today. Some of the major ways we supported our membership this year include:

Training Offerings

SVAM provided eleven member-requested training opportunities for its membership, at no cost. Topics included trainings for supervisors, employment law, and an OSHA 10Hour training.

Member to Member Networking

SVAM facilitated member-to-member conversations virtually and in-person to assist our member contacts as they shared information and resources regarding hiring and retention, benefits, supplier recommendations, and more.

SVAM Member Preferred Vendors Report

SVAM provided a report to its membership that included manufacturing vendors that members work with and would recommend to one another.

Filling Job Openings

SVAM is providing advertisements of member job openings, daily, on our website and across our social media platforms. SVAM has a page on our website that compiles all openings for member companies, with links for job seekers to apply. This page gets updated every Thursday.

SVAM also facilitated multiple on-site hiring events for membership.

48% MEMBERSREPRESENT OFTHETOTALSWVA MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENTPOPULATION

Manufacturing and Legislative Roundtable

SVAM hosted a virtual Manufacturing and Legislative Roundtable, which allowed for a discussion about the current needs of manufacturers and how local legislators can offer assistance. Several local and federal legislators were in attendance. Manufacturers brought attention to hiring needs, supply chain issues, and other timely topics.

FINANCIALS

We are committed to sharing not only our program success stories with you, but our financial information as well. The numbers below are unaudited.

REVENUE & EXPENSES 2021-2022

OUR PROGRAMS

WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING SYMPOSIUM

In March, SVAM, along with Northeast State Community College and the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, hosted the Women in Manufacturing Symposium. Coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, this event celebrated the contributions of women to our region’s manufacturing base. The event provided an opportunity for women in manufacturing, teachers, students, and the community to come together in a networking and learning environment. The Symposium centered around a panel discussion provided by four women professionals in manufacturing, as well as a keynote address.

“

ATTENDEES

“The Manufacturers’ Expo is a great event that brings together manufacturers and service providers from our region and allows networking that is essential to sustainability for our business. The ability to talk face to face with funding providers, vendors, training professionals, and other industry leaders to share ideas and programs is invaluable and helps to strengthen our region as well as our manufacturers. During the 2021 Expo, Somic America was able to meet a contact that not only has the potential to strengthen our plant, but also our sister plant in Brewer, Maine.”

-Bobby Angles, Continuous Improvement/Process and Asset Planning Manager, Somic America

Each year I have the pleasure of attending the Women in Manufacturing Symposium with a group of my fellow female colleagues from our organization, and each year I have been delighted with the program and panel discussions. There is something genuinely electric about being with a large group of amazing women in industry, many of which have had similar experiences, doubts, and challenges. I truly believe that informing and inspiring women while celebrating outstanding work and achievements are great ways of building better communities.”

- Jennifer Roundtree, Global Brand and Marketing Manager, Universal Fibers, Inc.

SWVA MANUFACTURERS' EXPO

In September, SVAM hosted its annual Manufacturers’ Expo. Representatives from 16 manufacturing companies, showcasing a wide variety of products and company sizes, attended this year’s Expo. Vendors and resource providers, offering a wide variety of services to manufacturing, were also in attendance. This event provided a unique opportunity for manufacturers to network and share ideas with their peers while meeting companies and organizations that can support their business. The Expo offered several blocks of networking time, breakout sessions, and the opportunity for manufacturers to give presentations about their companies.

MANUFACTURING COMPANIES

THE SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA MANUFACTURERS' AWARDS BANQUET

The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing hosted its annual Manufacturers’ Awards Banquet, in connection with National Manufacturing Day, on Thursday, October 14th, 2021. Business and community leaders from across Southwest Virginia gathered at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center to celebrate manufacturing and its achievements over the past year. The intention of the banquet is to change perceptions and highlight the outstanding achievements and impact of manufacturing to the region.

The focal point of the banquet was the awards ceremony, during which SVAM presented awards in seven categories – each category chosen showcased to the community the impactful ways manufacturers benefit Southwest Virginia. This is in pursuit of SVAM’s goal to change the perception of manufacturing and increase the number of individuals pursuing careers in manufacturing.

2021 AWARD WINNERS

Community Impact Award

- Somic America, Inc. of Wytheville, Virginia

Environmental Excellence Award

- Samuel Pressure Vessel Group of Lebanon, Virginia

Innovations in Manufacturing Award

- Scholle IPN of Chilhowie, Virginia

Excellence in Safety Award

- Tadano Mantis Corporation of Richlands, Virginia

Community Choice Award

- Real Performance Machinery, LLC. of Independence, Virginia

Manufacturer of the Year Award

- General Dynamics Mission Systems of Marion, Virginia

Manufacturing Employee of the Year Award

- Tim Grubb of Hapco Pole Products of Abingdon, Virginia.

OUTSTANDING WOMAN IN MANUFACTURING AWARD

Each year SVAM accepts nominations for its Outstanding Woman in Manufacturing Award. The nominees are scored by a panel of judges based on company impact, community impact, personal drive, and leadership. Through the Outstanding Women in Manufacturing program, many amazing women have been recognized for their contributions to the world of manufacturing in Southwest Virginia. The purpose of this program is to change the image of manufacturing and highlight the significant role that women play at all levels in manufacturing. It is SVAM’s hope that through the positive example that the winner and honorees of this award display, other women will be encouraged and see the opportunities they have to succeed in a manufacturing career.

The winner of SVAM’s 2022 Outstanding Woman in Manufacturing Award is Brenda Justus, President/CEO of Consolidated Steel, Inc.

14 additional women were recognized as honorees for this year's award. A full listing and profiles of each woman can be found on SVAM's website.

I am deeply humbled to accept the award for the 2022 Outstanding Woman in Manufacturing. I am honored to be recognized as someone who has in some way contributed to the manufacturing industry in our area and to represent our collective home of Southwest Virginia. I congratulate my peers and all of those nominated for their achievements in their respective field and feel honored to be counted among this prestigious group of amazing women."

- Brenda Justus, Consolidated Steel, Inc.

WOMENRECOGNIZEDFOR THEIRCONTRIBUTIONSTO SOUTHWESTVIRGINIA

IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF MANUFACTURING IN SCHOOLS

MANUFACTURING CAREERS SCHOLARSHIP

Each year, SVAM awards scholarships in pursuit of its goal to promote manufacturing and its careers. The purpose of the scholarship is to raise awareness about manufacturing careers and retain the talented worker pool we have in Southwest Virginia. The scholarships are awarded to assist students in their goals of pursuing a manufacturing career in Southwest Virginia. For 2022, the qualifying fields of study were engineering, welding, machining, robotics, industrial maintenance, instrumentation, controls systems/PLC programming, drafting/design, and environmental health and safety. SVAM awarded 13 deserving students with funding, up to $2,000 each.

“When I got into high school, I knew it was time to start looking for a career. I started taking Engineering and Manufacturing classes and soon fell in love with it. Knowing that it was time to figure out where I was gonna go with it, I decided I wanted to stay close to home. The SVAM committee really spoke out to me because it was exactly for me. I wanted to stay in our region and make a life in Engineering. This scholarship has allowed me to get my degree in Mechanical Engineering and stay close to home."

- Tanner Hartford, Buchanan County

PRESENTATIONS IN SCHOOLS

Over 600 high school students at 11 schools had a chance to learn more about manufacturing in Southwest Virginia through the Opportunities in Manufacturing program. The presentations included information about the expected salary and benefits of manufacturing jobs, the job outlook for students, and what manufacturing looks like today. This year, employees from SVAM member manufacturing companies also had the opportunity to educate students about their companies and available jobs.

MANUFACTURE YOUR CAREER

6 Manufacture Your Career panel discussions were hosted by colleges across the region. During these discussions, a panel of manufacturing professionals answered questions about their companies, the benefits of working in manufacturing, and available opportunities. Some participating employers were able to gain employees through these events. Almost 250 total students were reached through these panel discussions.

SVAM MANUFACTURING MEMBERS

AFFILIATE MEMBERS

Southwest Virginia WDB; Virginia Highlands Community College; Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center; Hollingsworth & Vose Company; At Work; Appalachian Environmental Resources; Employee Benefit Consultants; GBC Wellness Center/The Medfit Center; Bristol Rent All; SESCO Management Consultants; Tri-County Skill Center; Occupational Enterprises, Inc.; United Way of Southwest Virginia; Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority; GKT Properties, LLC; Dickenson County Board of Supervisors; New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium Board; Joint IDA of Wythe; Mountain Empire Community College; Micronic Technologies; Virginia's Industrial Advancement Alliance; OpX Solutions, LLC; SWCC's Procurement Technical Assistance Center; Wytheville Community College; Appalachian Council for Innovation; King University; Smyth County Chamber of Commerce; Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce; UVA-WISE Office of Economic Development; The University of Virginia's College at Wise; Radford University; Old Dominion University; Virginia Tech; Ballad Health; Washington County IDA

COUNTYPARTNERS

Smyth County

Washington County

Wythe County (Affiliate)

Scott County (Affiliate)