2022: A Year End Review

2022: A Year End Review

By Todd Bingham, President, Utah Manufacturer’s Association

December certainly causes one to reflect on the past year and think about what we’ve accomplished and where we’d like to go in the future. We at your organization, the Utah Manufacturers Association, are pleased to have had another successful year representing, promoting, and strengthening the manufacturing community in the state of Utah. Your organization continues to grow in value, initiatives, and investment in key areas, including workforce development, workplace, safety, and leadership development.

Certainly, this year has not been without its challenges. The supply chain continues to work double time to get caught up globally. The need for manufacturing workers continues to be a critical issue as companies double down in the training and development of existing employees. With all of this being said, it’s still been a great year for most manufacturers in Utah and across the country.

As we look into 2023, most manufacturers are cautiously optimistic about what next year holds. With, however, some apprehension about inflation, rising interest rates, continued challenges with the supply chain, etc. These issues cause some pause for manufacturers as they consider what the first two quarters of the coming year will bring.

As an organization, we are pleased to have accomplished many things during 2022. We created a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called the UMA foundation to focus specifically on workforce development and training. We are working towards investments into that foundation for the furthering and creation of opportunities For today’s generation in manufacturing.

UMA created a position and hired a full-time Director of Workplace Safety for the organization. With a goal of assisting manufacturers who may not have a workplace safety person within their company. Certainly, this initiative allows for additional opportunities for manufacturers to get an outside, look at their operations, and potentially see where they could improve in guaranteeing a safe work environment for manufacturing employees.

UMA created a new membership category for the organization called Member+. The Member+ level includes an additional $20,000 worth of value to our manufacturers, including offerings in sales training, Frontline leadership training, workplace safety training, and a variety of other value-added services for manufacturers.

While we continue to face challenges this year and in the future. UMA stands ready to assist the manufacturing community in all aspects of your business.

The Utah Manufacturers Association exists to “Strengthen Utah’s Manufacturers by developing and providing resources they drive prosperity.”

Thanks for all you do as a manufacturer in the state of Utah because “What Utah Makes, Makes Utah.”