2021: Reflection

2021: Reflection

By Todd Bingham, President, Utah Manufacturer’s Association

There’s something about the end of the year that causes one to reflect. Perhaps it’s looking back. Evaluating what you’ve done, mistakes you’ve made, opportunities missed, goals achieved and milestones made. This year certainly is no different than previous years. We’ve been plagued with our share of challenges this year both is an industry and personally. It does cost one to think and ponder looking forward to the coming year. What will I improve upon, what resolution will I make and will I be able to stick to it?

Certain things have been challenges for us during the Covid pandemic. Talent acquisition and talent retention certainly is one of those. The workforce scenario in Utah is in a tenuous position at best. With unemployment rates hovering around 2%, if you want to job you have a job. Recent reports in November 20 21 indicated there are 145,000 bacon jobs along the Wasatch front and only 45,000 individual seeking jobs.

This will continue to be a major challenge for the foreseeable future. As this edition of the magazine is coming out Covid numbers are spiking with the new Oma Cron virus and this is putting even more pressure on the already fatigued workforce in various industries including manufacturing.

The good news is the manufacturing industry is in a very good position in terms of production and work. However, busy times are not without their challenges. It has been an increase in the number of accidents, incidents, and deaths in general industry and manufacturing as well. Caught in between‘s and falls are the highest number of incidents reported by OSHA in 2020. That number continues to climb into 2021.

Some of this may be caused by the incredible turnover rates with employees and temporary employees in the industry. Companies are struggling to keep production lines full and therefore having ever changing and rolling over workforce which in many cases have never worked in production line facilities and have a limited experience. This puts pressure on manufacturing companies to attempt to train and educate these new employees more rapidly and in some cases train them and cross train them for various areas. This potentially increases their exposure and potential for accidents and incidents. All of this is creating a challenge for manufacturing companies to continue to develop culture within manufacturing companies.

Culture is the core of who we are as a company. What we are about and what we focus on daily is the relationship between our team members and in

many cases the engine that drives us. Developing that culture determines whether the engine hums along smoothly or whether it sputter’s and struggles to run properly. During the last couple of years, certainly companies and specifically management, have focused extensively on continuing to build this culture and develop it for a variety of reasons. One specifically is the constant effort of retention of employees. Building an environment where team members want to continue to work for your organization. Secondly, is the essential need to create an environment of belonging. To help our team members feel some semblance of normalcy, stability, and a level of comfort and what has otherwise been a fatigue ridden time.

As we start the new year, a lot has changed and some things remain the same. I look forward to seeing company’s individually address their opportunities for the coming year. Collectively, as an industry, we sit in a very good position. There certainly are some struggles. However, the industry has always risen to the top and will continue to do so through their innovation, creativity, hard work, and determination. The Utah Manufacturers Association looks forward to being a cog in the engine that continues to assist these manufacturers in continually moving forward.

What Utah makes, makes Utah.

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