The formation of Iredell EDC through the consolidation of existing economic development organizations serving North and South Iredell created a unified strategy focused on jobs, investment, workforce development, and long-term community success.

Eight years later, the results speak for themselves.

Iredell EDC has helped generate more than $3 billion in investment, support over 150 new and expanding projects, and facilitate the creation of more than 6,000 jobs throughout the county. More importantly, it has helped position Iredell County among North Carolina’s most dynamic economies, ranking among the state’s leaders in population growth and average wages.

While the data is certainly meaningful, the real successes are the relationships and collaborations that have formed the underpinning upon which everything else rests. “The greatest accomplishment of Iredell EDC over the last eight years isn’t measured solely in jobs created or dollars invested,” says Jeff Cernuto, Chairman, Iredell County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. “It’s measured in the relationships we’ve built and the partnerships we’ve strengthened. Our municipalities, educational institutions, businesses, investors, and community organizations have demonstrated that when Iredell County works together, we all succeed together. Economic development is a team sport, and our collective commitment to a shared vision has made us stronger than any one community could be on its own.”

Driving growth through new and expanding business announcements
One of the clearest measures of economic development success is the ability to attract investment while supporting the growth of existing industries. Since its formation, Iredell EDC has worked closely with businesses, developers, utilities, municipalities, and state partners to help companies establish, expand, and reinvest in Iredell County.

The impact extends far beyond the numbers. New investments generate quality jobs, expand local tax revenues, strengthen infrastructure, and create opportunities for families throughout the community. At the same time, existing industry has remained a central focus of Iredell EDC’s strategy.

Nationally, most new job creation comes from companies already located within a community. Recognizing this reality, Iredell EDC has invested heavily in business retention and expansion efforts through executive visits, industry councils, workforce assistance, and company outreach. By maintaining strong relationships with employers and responding quickly to challenges, the organization has helped local businesses continue growing and investing in Iredell County.

Accuma Corporation, a leader in the manufacture of energy storage components for the battery industry, is just one example of Iredell EDC’s commitment to existing industry. Chris Totherow, Sales Manager for Accuma Corporation, shares, “Iredell EDC has been an invaluable partner to Accuma, providing support that extends far beyond traditional economic development services. Their team has helped us address operational challenges, connect with key local resources for facility improvements, and identify opportunities for future growth and market expansion. The relationships they have facilitated and the practical solutions they have provided have created measurable value for our business. Their responsiveness, hands-on approach, and commitment to our long-term success have made them a trusted extension of our team and an important contributor to Accuma’s continued growth.”

Product development: preparing Iredell County for opportunity
While business announcements generate headlines, successful economic development begins long before a company selects a location.

A critical component of Iredell EDC’s work has been product development, which includes the sites, buildings, infrastructure, utilities, and transportation assets needed to compete for investment. Without market-ready locations, communities struggle to attract new employers or support expanding industries.

Over the last eight years, Iredell EDC has worked closely with local governments, utility providers, property owners, developers, and regional partners to strengthen Iredell County’s inventory of competitive sites and industrial assets. These efforts have included site assessments, infrastructure planning, transportation improvements, utility coordination, and support for industrial development projects.

As industrial demand accelerated throughout the Charlotte region, Iredell County was positioned to capitalize on new opportunities, and during this period, Iredell EDC helped support the development of 17 new industrial parks and sites, representing an industrial pipeline of approximately 15 million square feet. Ryan Beadle, Vice President of Development for Jackson-Shaw, shares his experience: “Iredell EDC has been a true partner on LKN Crossing from day one—through annexation, rezoning, and entitlements, they were responsive at every step and knew how to get to yes. In my experience, that is what separates counties that talk about growth from counties that land it. Jackson-Shaw is proud to be bringing 885,000 square feet of Class A industrial space to the I-77 corridor in Mooresville, and Iredell County made that an easy decision.”

The organization has also leveraged external resources to improve site readiness. In 2025, Iredell EDC secured a Golden LEAF grant supporting road improvements at Mooresville Business Park East. More recently, Iredell County had two sites selected to participate in Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program. These investments help ensure Iredell County remains competitive for future business recruitment and expansion opportunities.

Creating a talent pipeline through Iredell Ready
If product development creates places for businesses to grow, workforce development ensures they have the talent needed to succeed.

Perhaps no initiative better demonstrates Iredell EDC’s commitment to innovation and collaboration than Iredell Ready, a countywide workforce initiative created to connect education and employment while addressing long-term talent needs.

Launched through a partnership investment of approximately $750,000, Iredell Ready was designed to create a unified workforce strategy that brings together employers, school districts, higher education institutions, workforce agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local governments around a common mission: preparing residents for meaningful careers while helping employers build a skilled workforce.

Rather than functioning as a single program, Iredell Ready serves as a countywide framework that aligns workforce efforts and creates career pathways from education to employment.

The results have been significant, with more than 150 businesses and community organizations participating in Iredell Ready initiatives. Career fairs, industry tours, internships, apprenticeships, classroom engagement, and work-based learning opportunities have helped thousands of students and job seekers gain exposure to careers available right here in Iredell County.

The initiative has also garnered recognition far beyond county lines. Iredell Ready received an Award of Excellence from the International Economic Development Council, highlighting its innovative and collaborative approach to workforce development.

Most importantly, Iredell Ready has transformed how workforce development is viewed locally. Workforce readiness is no longer considered the responsibility of any one institution. Instead, employers, educators, workforce partners, government agencies, and community organizations work together to build a stronger talent pipeline for future generations.

Advancing educational attainment and economic mobility
The success of Iredell Ready has helped fuel another significant achievement: advancing educational attainment across the county.

As North Carolina’s economy becomes increasingly skills-based, communities must create pathways that help residents earn credentials, certifications, and degrees aligned with workforce demands. Educational attainment is directly tied to workforce competitiveness, income growth, economic mobility, and business attraction.

Through strong partnerships among education, workforce, and economic development leaders, Iredell County has made measurable progress in preparing students for careers available in the local and regional economy. Participation in Career & College Promise programs has expanded, allowing more students to earn college credit while still in high school. Enrollment growth at Mitchell Community College and increased engagement in career-connected learning opportunities further demonstrate the county’s commitment to workforce readiness.

These accomplishments have been recognized at the state level. In 2026, MyFutureNC selected Iredell Ready to participate in its Attainment NC Cohort, providing $200,000 in grant funding to support continued expansion of workforce and attainment initiatives.

This recognition reflects the success of a community-wide effort to connect education and industry while ensuring residents have access to quality career opportunities. As employers continue seeking workers with specialized skills and credentials, these attainment initiatives help prepare students and job seekers for long-term success.

“North Carolina’s 2 Million by 2030 goal is state-led but it will only be achieved through local action and cross-sector collaboration,” states The Honorable John Fraley, Chairman, myFutureNC. “Programs like Iredell Ready connect students, families, educators, and employers to ensure every individual has a pathway to a meaningful credential, a rewarding career, and long-term economic mobility. When we invest in educational attainment and workforce readiness locally, we not only transform individual lives—we strengthen the future of our community, region, and state.”

The power of regional and statewide partnerships
A defining characteristic of Iredell EDC’s success has been its understanding that economic development extends beyond county boundaries.

Many of the organization’s accomplishments have been made possible through strong relationships with regional and statewide partners committed to economic growth, workforce development, and community advancement.

The partnership with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) has helped connect Iredell County to business recruitment opportunities from across the nation and internationally. Through collaboration on project leads, site selection efforts, and marketing initiatives, Iredell County has expanded its visibility and competitiveness. “As a key partner for EDPNC, Iredell County brings great value to North Carolina,” says Abbie Currens, Business Recruitment Manager for EDPNC. “New companies considering the region find an established manufacturing industry, strong industrial workforce, logistics advantages with the I-40/I-77 intersection, and significant utility access across a wide range of sites and product. Additionally, their economic development team brings a depth of knowledge, open spirit, and willingness to adapt to each company’s unique needs that is appreciated by both EDPNC and its clients.”

Workforce and talent development efforts have been strengthened through collaboration with the Centralina Regional Council, which has recognized Iredell Ready as a model for workforce collaboration and supported efforts that align education and workforce priorities throughout the region.

In addition, participation in the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA) allows Iredell EDC to engage with economic development professionals across the state, share best practices, advocate for economic development priorities, and bring innovative ideas back to the community.

Together, these partnerships have expanded resources, strengthened collaboration, and amplified Iredell County’s ability to compete for investment and opportunity.

Collaboration as the foundation of success
While investment figures, workforce milestones, and development projects are important measures of success, Iredell EDC’s greatest accomplishment over the past eight years has been creating a culture of collaboration.

From its beginning, the organization was founded on the belief that communities are stronger when they work together. That philosophy continues to guide partnerships among municipalities, school districts, higher education institutions, employers, workforce organizations, nonprofit agencies, investors, and economic development partners throughout the county.

The success of Iredell Ready, the county’s attainment initiatives, major business announcements, product development investments, and infrastructure projects all share one common thread: collaboration.

As Iredell EDC celebrates eight years of service, it can point to impressive accomplishments in investment, workforce development, educational attainment, product development, and business growth. More importantly, it has established a framework for continued success.

The story of Iredell EDC is ultimately a story about partnership. By bringing together business, education, government, and community leadership around a shared vision, Iredell County has created a stronger economy, expanded opportunity for residents, and positioned itself for a prosperous future.

The post Eight Years of Impact: How Iredell EDC Helped Transform Economic Development in Iredell County<p class="company">Iredell Economic Development Corporation</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

“We have a rich history that dates back to 1760 that makes itself apparent just by walking downtown and through our historic district. Hosting one of two original Town Commons in the United States, you can walk seven blocks from our Riverfront Park to the Town Common and feel right at home.”

One of Tarboro’s greatest strengths is the ability to maintain a genuine small-town sense of community, agrees Troy R. Lewis, Town Manager.

“People know their neighbors, local businesses know their customers, and there’s still a strong connection between our residents, our schools, our churches, our businesses, and local government,” Lewis says. “That creates a quality of life that is increasingly difficult to find. For residents, it means being part of a community where people are invested in one another.”

Tarboro’s economic history has long been tied to transportation and trade, developing along the Tar River and becoming an important river port during the 18th and 19th centuries. In many ways, transportation helped create Tarboro.

“Tarboro has a long history of trade dating back to colonial times when we utilized the river for trade,” says Mayo. “We were the furthest upriver port on the Tar-Roanoke River. With the advent of rail, the decline of river trade began and caused a greater shift to trade by rail.”

Today, a rail line that runs through town serves the town’s industries, with all rail capabilities greatly augmented in 2021 with the opening of CSX’s Carolina Connector Intermodal Terminal, allowing for goods to leave the town and make it to an inland port less than 20 miles away to be easily and speedily transferred to trucks or shipped by rail to the ports of Savannah, Norfolk, Wilmington, and Morehead City.

The Carolina Connector, located locally in Edgecombe County, allows containers to be transferred efficiently between trucks and trains. The facility was designed to improve connections to domestic and international markets and North Carolina’s ports. “For industry, that is a tremendous advantage. A manufacturer does not just look at the cost of land or a building anymore; they look at the entire supply chain,” Lewis adds. “They want to know how quickly raw materials can arrive and how efficiently finished products can reach customers and ports.”

Having that intermodal capability in the immediate region gives Tarboro and Edgecombe County a logistical advantage that many rural communities simply don’t have. There’s also a very strong industrial location within Tarboro itself at the Tarboro Commerce Center, a park that is home to Astemo, Prudential Stainless & Alloys, Piedmont Natural Gas, and Amazon, along with approximately 45 acres of pad-ready industrial property remain available for development. The Commerce Center is adjacent to U.S. 64, the future I-87 corridor, and is served by town water, sewer, and electric utilities. The Carolina Connector is within a short drive, giving Tarboro an immediately available site for companies that may not require the scale of the Kingsboro Business Park—rated by consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle as the only shovel-ready and competitive megasite in the state of North Carolina—but still want excellent infrastructure and access to multiple modes of transportation.

“Kingsboro is one of the most important economic development assets in our region because one of the biggest factors in industrial recruitment today is speed to market,” Lewis explains. “Companies considering major investments don’t necessarily have several years to assemble property, extend infrastructure, complete environmental studies, and work through all of the other issues associated with developing a large industrial site. They want to know that a community has done its homework and is ready to move.”

That is where Kingsboro distinguishes itself, he adds. The Kingsboro Business Park is a CSX-served industrial site between Tarboro and Rocky Mount with infrastructure including water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications. Significant due diligence on the site has already been completed, and the site has highway, rail, and intermodal access.

For Tarboro, landing a major employer at Kingsboro would have impacts well beyond the site itself. It can create employment opportunities, increase demand for housing, support restaurants and retailers, create opportunities for suppliers and contractors, and strengthen the tax base throughout the region. Like many small communities, one of Tarboro’s biggest challenges is maintaining and replacing aging infrastructure while keeping services affordable for residents—water, sewer, electricity, roads, stormwater, parks, and public facilities all require continued investment. Construction costs have increased substantially, so communities must be increasingly strategic about how they prioritize projects and leverage state, federal, and grant funding.

“Housing is another significant challenge and one that is increasingly connected to our economic development efforts,” Lewis shares. “Tarboro has seen tremendous growth through infill development in recent years, which has been very positive for the community. However, a recent housing assessment identified a significant need for additional housing. We need to continue improving and expanding our housing stock at a variety of price points.” As the town continues to recruit businesses and industries and create new employment opportunities, having quality housing available for the people who will fill those jobs becomes an important part of the overall economic development strategy.

The greatest challenge is the perception of workforce availability, adds the Mayor. “Our workforce is here and very close around us, but this is a constant talking point around the tables of development. We draw a workforce from 11 counties here in Tarboro. If there is work to be had, there will be people to work those jobs.”

He explains that the Town of Tarboro is continually able to keep taxes, electricity, water, and sewer rates lower than any other community in proximity to it.

“One of our accomplishments has been continuing to invest rather than simply maintaining the status quo,” adds Lewis. “We have made significant public investments in our downtown and riverfront, including improvements designed to better connect Main Street with the Tar River.”

Those public investments complement significant private investment that has occurred downtown through projects such as Taps on Main, Granville Lofts, Riverview Lofts, the former Cherry Inn property, and other historic rehabilitation projects.

“I’m proud that we continue to look beyond individual projects and think about what Tarboro should be 10, 20, or 30 years from now,” says Lewis. “The challenge for a community like ours is to pursue progress without losing our identity. We have been successful in recognizing that historic preservation, quality of life, housing, infrastructure, and economic development can support one another rather than compete with one another.”

The town’s economic development in particular has been impressive, and the past two years have seen a number of developments, creating significant jobs and investment: from Amazon, a $15 million investment and 100 jobs; from Prudential Stainless & Alloy, a $10 million investment with 30 jobs; expansions including that of LS Cable & System, a $50 million investment and 85 jobs; Astemo’s $44 million investment with 52 jobs; and Madem-Moorecraft’s $2 million investment, bringing 37 jobs. “$96 million—or approximately 80 percent of this investment—has come from existing industries, highlighting that Tarboro is a great place for business and industry to be successful,” says Lewis.

Tarboro is also currently making “very active headway” into finding more developable land to establish a new industrial park. The town has seen a massive boom in housing supply, expanding the housing stock by around 300 units in the past few years, with over 300 more currently on the books to be constructed.

“We’re also currently placing a great amount of attention into revitalizing the downtown,” Mayo adds. “This includes a bulkhead at Riverfront Park, revitalizing the Courthouse Square, and currently, using grants to help businesses downtown revitalize their storefronts.”

The town also plans to continue improving and expanding its housing stock; a good example is a recently approved 191-unit single-family and multifamily subdivision.

Another major milestone is continuing to improve recreational facilities and public spaces and move forward with projects such as a new farmers market.

“Those may seem like smaller projects when compared with a megasite, but quality-of-life investments are increasingly part of economic development,” Lewis says. “When companies recruit employees, those employees want good parks, recreation, restaurants, housing, events, and attractive public spaces.”

Ultimately, the milestones he wants to see are sustainable growth, additional jobs, new housing, continued downtown investment, additional industrial development, and a stronger tax base, while Tarboro remains recognizably Tarboro.

As for special events and activities, the town has many to share, including its “huge” football culture. “Our Tarboro High School Vikings have won 10 state championships, and the people of our town are very proud of our school and team,” says the Mayor.

The town also hosts a great number of events downtown throughout the year, including a summer concert series, a bluegrass festival at Riverfront Park, carriage rides at Christmas, pop-up markets, and pickleball courts on the Town Common; there are an endless number of events for all interests in Tarboro, and the Christmas season in particular is a special time, with the Christmas Parade and the Downtown Christmas Crawl along with numerous other community activities, while the year begins with the New Year’s Ball Drop. As the weather warms, events such as SpringFest, Blue Ribbon Kids Day, and Happening on the Common bring residents and visitors together on the historic Town Common. The Tarborough Faire is a free, family-friendly Renaissance Faire, while the Downtown Summer Music Series provides live music and another reason for people to come downtown, visit local businesses, and spend time together.

“These events are very different from one another, and that variety says something about Tarboro,” Lewis says. “There are opportunities for families, music lovers, history enthusiasts, outdoor recreation, and people who simply enjoy getting together with their neighbors.”

The Tar River itself provides opportunities for fishing, boating, and paddling, and parks and recreational facilities provide year-round activities. “Taken together, these festivals, sports, traditions, and community gatherings are more than entertainment; they’re part of what creates a sense of place,” says Lewis.

The goal, he stresses, is not to become something different simply for the sake of growth, but to promote economic development and new investment while also preserving the qualities that make people want to live, work, and raise a family in Tarboro in the first place. “That really gets back to what makes Tarboro special,” he says. “We have a remarkable history, but we’re not interested in simply being a historic town that looks backward. We want to use that history and our sense of community as the foundation for what comes next.”

Tarboro can offer a company sophisticated infrastructure, rail and intermodal access, and proximity to major markets, while still offering employees the quality of life and personal connections of a small town. “That combination of historic character, community, quality of life, and modern economic opportunity is the story we want to continue telling about Tarboro.”

The post A Sense of Place<p class="company">Town of Tarboro, North Carolina</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

In addition to several thriving unincorporated communities, including Cashiers, Cullowhee, and Whittier, the county is also home to four incorporated towns—Dillsboro, Sylva, Webster, and Forest Hills—and more than 185 recognized summits, 200 rivers and streams, stunning scenery, unmatched outdoor activity, and a beautiful setting for cultural and economic interaction.

Home to approximately 45,000 residents, Jackson County has experienced significant population growth, increasing by approximately 36 percent since 2000.

“Our goal is to build a more diverse economy in Jackson County, one that creates new opportunities for businesses to grow and for our residents to build meaningful careers close to home,” says Tiffany Henry, Director of Economic Development.

Central to that strategy is the Jackson County Business Campus, a roughly 42-acre former industrial property off Skyland Drive. The project represents Jackson County’s first intentionally developed business and industrial campus, creating new opportunities for business expansion, recruitment, and economic diversification. The property was also selected for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina’s (EDPNC) SelectSite program, recognizing its potential for industrial development. “Sites like this are extremely rare and difficult to find, especially in the mountains,” says Henry.

A relatively flat site, it is fully rail-served and will provide the county with something it has never had before. “It’s a place where we can proactively recruit businesses rather than waiting for an appropriate property to become available,” Henry says. “We’re focusing on right-sized businesses and industries that fit Jackson County, particularly manufacturing,” she explains. “We want to create opportunities for existing businesses and attract new employers that can provide quality, higher-wage careers for our residents.”

The county has entered into an economic development agreement with The Ruddell Group as its private development partner, with the goal of constructing buildings that will create much-needed, market-ready industrial space.

The development is also expected to attract a range of businesses and industries to the area. “The Ruddell Group primarily targets advanced manufacturing, assembly, specialty logistics, and B2B companies,” says The Ruddell Group’s founder, Dean Taitz. “That could be HVAC that needs 20,000 square feet or a custom cabinet manufacturer; we’ve seen it all, and those clients really like the product we put out.”

Taitz is eager to see development move forward and hopes to secure an early tenant, helping build momentum for the campus.

“It would be a huge win, providing great momentum for the area,” he says. “It’s a testament to how, when local government and private developers come together, we can achieve a whole lot more being on the same team. It’s also a very interesting concept, especially in real estate development. I’ve got to commend Jackson County for being on the cutting edge.”

“An important part of this project is that the county is retaining a portion of the property for a proposed workforce training center in partnership with Southwestern Community College,” Henry explains. “That creates a unique opportunity to bring business and workforce training together on the same campus. Our vision is to connect employers with the talent and training resources they need while creating new career pathways for our residents.”

Taitz also sees the site’s relatively flat terrain and existing rail access as significant advantages in a region where industrial development can be so challenging. “To find that in Western North Carolina is a huge incentive in itself,” Taitz says. “If you need to be in Western North Carolina and need a 50,000-square-foot building, this is one of the only rail-served sites that we could build it on easily and cost-effectively.”

“It’s an incentive to the right kind of people who know how tough it is,” he adds. “If you want to serve the area, be close, and reap all the benefits there, this is a site you can fit your business on.”

With access to both Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College, Jackson County is well positioned to connect businesses with workforce training and education resources.

“We have an interesting mix right here,” says Henry. “Having this workforce training center on this property will allow us the opportunity to provide hands-on training space for programs such as construction, electrical, plumbing, or other advanced trades needed in this space, and we hope it will respond to the needs of future employers.”

It will also help set Jackson County apart, drawing in both business and employees. “I’ve never worked on a project where we can train all the employers’ workers across the railroad,” adds Taitz. “They’re basically on the same site, which is really powerful.”

Of course, with extra jobs and employment comes the often-challenging task of providing adequate, affordable housing, an issue discussed nationwide and one that Jackson County is tackling head-on. “I’m excited that we’re not just studying these problems anymore; we’re putting projects on the ground,” says Henry. “In Jackson County, we’ve been working on a multi-partner development bringing workforce homeownership, workforce rental housing, and affordable senior housing.”

Webster Village is a collaborative housing initiative bringing together Jackson County, Mountain Projects, Western Carolina University, and Givens Communities. The development will include workforce homeownership opportunities, workforce rental housing, and affordable senior housing, addressing several different housing needs within the community. Jackson County has helped coordinate the partnership and secure funding for the infrastructure necessary to support the development. The Givens affordable senior housing component is scheduled to break ground December 8, with completion anticipated in 2028.

“We’re moving beyond studying the housing challenges and taking real steps to create more housing opportunities in Jackson County,” Henry explains. “We’re a small rural county, and that makes it really challenging. I’ve never felt like I could really, honestly recruit a business until we addressed some of these fundamental things: housing, childcare, broadband, and workforce training.”

Those are precisely the issues she has been working on diligently for the past five years, with housing in particular well on its way. “We’re also doing some significant work in the childcare space with a project we’re really excited about called Webster ChildPlex. It’s an innovative shared-facility model designed to help independent childcare providers open and operate their own classrooms while sharing common spaces and resources.”

A county-owned space being developed around a shared facility model to expand childcare capacity and support providers, the ChildPlex is akin to a “childcare incubator,” providing licensed classrooms, support, and resources needed to start a classroom while incubating and growing into a center model.

“We’re not trying to simply move childcare providers from one location to another,” says Henry. “We want to create opportunities for more providers to enter the market and expand the number of childcare slots available to families. For me, this is about more than childcare. It’s about removing barriers for working families and strengthening the foundation of our local economy.”

It’s certainly a vital one, along with the need for broadband. Broadband infrastructure is being actively deployed across the county, with close to 95 percent of address points either served or funded for broadband service.

With training, education, and housing all making headway, Jackson County boasts a multitude of other advantages, including stunning outdoor spaces to draw residents, tourists, and businesses alike. “Our quality of life is probably one of our greatest competitive advantages because we don’t have to convince people that Jackson County is a great place to live,” Henry says. “From fishing and hiking to public lands wedged in between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, visitors and residents love it because we have a lot of those assets right here at our back door.”

These are coupled with vibrant small-town downtowns and communities that have their own unique identities. “You get all of the benefits of a rural community that is vibrant, and there’s a lot going on in it.”

The county also boasts a strong cultural heritage, with approximately 10 percent or more of its residents identifying as Native American, predominantly of Cherokee descent. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, one of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States, is headquartered on the Qualla Boundary, which includes lands in Jackson and Swain counties.

Special events abound in Jackson County with Mountain Heritage Day, Greening Up the Mountains festival, and numerous community holiday events that bring a tremendous amount of art, music, and Appalachian cultural heritage to the region. Whittier Heritage Grounds sat largely vacant and is transforming into a community and event space that can host anything from festivals and markets to agricultural and youth events. “Plans for the property include a 48,000-square-foot open-air pavilion that will expand opportunities for community celebrations, agricultural events, festivals, and other activities,” Henry adds.

“It’s a unique project. Economic development in rural North Carolina looks very different than it does in our more urban neighborhoods, and this project is one of those.”

Henry has a close affinity for the county she has never left, growing up there and having attended both Southwestern and Western. “Jackson County has always been a place where I want to live, and I want people to want to live, and I’m invested in it because I know how special it is,” she says. “Our work now is making sure it’s a place where more people can build a career, raise a family, and create a future affordably. We’ve got to work on all of these different things so they can stay here.”

This also means increasingly looking at economic development as an ecosystem, she stresses. “We can’t talk about recruiting an employer without talking about where the employees are going to live and whether they can find childcare, access broadband, how we’re going to train the workforce—we’re trying to handle all of those collectively. That’s one element of our economic development strategy.”

Photos courtesy of Jackson County TDA

The post Connected Through Community: Bringing Business, People, and Training Together<p class="company">Jackson County, North Carolina</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Located within the Charlotte metropolitan region, Monroe has established its own identity as a center for manufacturing, industry, and employment. Companies benefit from access to the greater Charlotte market while operating in a community with an established industrial base; transportation connectivity through I-485, U.S. 74, and the Monroe Expressway; Charlotte Monroe Executive Airport; and the infrastructure necessary to support business growth.

“One of Monroe’s greatest advantages is our ability to work directly with companies as they navigate the development process,” says Campo. “The city is a one-stop development shop including planning and zoning, permitting, engineering, fire, and stormwater. Monroe also owns and operates its electric, water, sewer, and natural gas systems.”

While Monroe maintains an average 10-day turnaround standard for complete commercial permit submissions, speed alone does not define good economic development. It’s also about having access to people who will answer questions, identify potential obstacles, and work toward solutions.

“That is the Office of Economic Development’s opportunity to serve,” Campo stresses. “When a prospect comes to Monroe, we want to understand the entire project, not simply how many acres or square feet the company needs. We want to understand its utility requirements, transportation needs, workforce, investment, timeline, and plans for future growth. That allows us to ask a much more important question: What does this company need to be successful here?”

Answering that question requires partnership, and Economic Development strives to connect businesses with the right resources, whether bringing city departments together around a development issue, connecting an employer with South Piedmont Community College and the Centralina Workforce Development Board, or helping a company become part of the broader business community through organizations such as the Union County Chamber of Commerce.

“We place that same emphasis on our existing industries,” says Campo. “A project announcement is important, but it’s only the beginning of the relationship. The true measure of a business environment comes in the years that follow as companies hire employees, invest in equipment, expand production, and respond to changes in their industries.”

SEECO (Southern Electrical Equipment Company) is one example of a recent successful partnership that came about when its existing footprint became a constraint on its growth in Charlotte and in Indian Trail. “We knew we needed more space, but we didn’t want to just move into another building and find ourselves having the same conversation again in five years,” says Advisory Board Member, Christie Panto. “We wanted to make a decision that would give SEECO room to grow for the next 10, 20, and 30 years.”

The opportunity in Monroe allowed SEECO to consolidate operations into one much larger facility, with both the land and flexibility to improve the way people, operations, inventory, and equipment work together. “The Monroe facility gave us approximately 109,000 square feet in a new facility that we could make work for our operation, rather than trying to make an older, more expensive building work around us,” Panto says. “We wanted room to expand, and we wanted opportunities nearby that could support additional growth down the road.” Monroe made sense for practical reasons: the cost, the facility, the land, and the opportunity to grow.

Monroe was also a reasonable geographic compromise, offering a location with good access to major roads for those who wanted to commute while also being a community where employees could choose to live if they wanted to relocate closer to work with good schools and overall affordability.

Working with local officials and economic-development partners was nothing but positive and productive, Panto adds. “It was one of the nicest surprises of the whole experience. We had great cooperation from the City of Monroe, Union County, the Chamber, and our local education and workforce development partners,” she says. “There was a genuine interest in understanding what we were trying to accomplish and figuring out how everyone could help make it happen. We found a partnership with this community that understood the importance of growing manufacturing. When one of us succeeds, we all do.”

While SEECO came to Monroe because the business case made sense, what they found was so much more. “We didn’t necessarily anticipate how much we would appreciate the community itself,” Panto says. “Don’t underestimate the value of finding a community that actually wants you there.”

While SEECO is a new partnership, MacLean Power Systems’ (MPS) Monroe Operation—previously known as ITEC, a manufacturer of instrument transformers essential to the modern electrical grid—has been a proud part of the local community for more than 20 years. “Monroe is where we have built our team, expanded our capabilities, invested in our operation, and created opportunities for employees to create rewarding, long-term careers,” says Greggie Mull, Human Resources Manager. “Our growth has brought increased investment in machinery and equipment, employee development, and workforce training. We have also gained additional training resources through our partnership with South Piedmont Community College.”

MacLean Power Systems’ workforce includes employees from diverse backgrounds and a broad workforce that includes people from the Charlotte area, Lancaster and Pageland in South Carolina, and other surrounding communities, an important strength of its operation. Additionally, the Monroe Expressway has improved transportation routes for shipping products and made it easier to reach potential employees across the region, important connections for a company committed to operating, investing, and hiring in Monroe for the long term.

As the Monroe operation has grown, connection to the community has grown with it, Mull adds. “While many local residents still know us as ITEC, we are proud to be part of MacLean Power Systems and remain committed to investing in Monroe and the surrounding region.”

MacLean Power Systems relies on local talent to manufacture products and values partnerships with organizations such as South Piedmont Community College, which helps develop the next generation of skilled manufacturing professionals. Continued collaboration among employers, educational institutions, economic development organizations, and other community partners will help Monroe remain a place where manufacturers can invest, grow, and succeed.

“For our Monroe operation, modern manufacturing requires continued investment in technology, stronger and more efficient processes, and increased opportunities for employees to develop their skills,” says Mull. “Local education and workforce-training partners are an important part of that continued progress.”

That partnership between education and manufacturing plays a key role in Monroe. In fact, South Piedmont Community College views its manufacturers as true partners in workforce development, working directly with local employers to understand workforce needs, identify skill gaps, and respond with the right training solutions—from curriculum programs and short-term credentials to customized training.

“We also support manufacturing apprenticeships and help employers strengthen their recruitment and talent pipelines,” says South Piedmont Community College President, Dr. Stacy Waters-Bailey. “We are committed to being a trusted, reliable partner to our manufacturing industry.”

As speed and responsiveness are critical in today’s economy, South Piedmont Community College works directly with employers to quickly develop customized workforce solutions that address their specific needs. In many cases, this means moving from identifying a workforce challenge to launching training within days.

“Our goal is to remove barriers for our local manufacturing partners and help them respond quickly to changing business demands,” says Waters-Bailey. “Our employers have a direct voice in shaping what we do. Through advisory committees, employer surveys, and ongoing conversations with industry, we listen closely to what businesses are seeing and experiencing.” This feedback helps to continually refine programs so graduates are prepared for the jobs and technology that employers need today and will need tomorrow, benefiting not only employers but also students, as they can be assured that they are receiving industry-relevant training at South Piedmont Community College.

To that end, the college works hand-in-hand with industry to deliver both credit and short-term, non-credit programs that provide students with the technical expertise, practical experience, and durable skills area employers value, says Waters-Bailey. “Our goal is straightforward: to ensure our students are ready to contribute, grow, and lead in the workforce.”

When it comes to the independent business-community voice, the Union County Chamber of Commerce champions business growth throughout Monroe and Union County through advocacy, economic development, and collaboration, striving to maintain the region’s momentum by strengthening relationships between businesses and partners in government and education.

“Monroe’s diverse industry base makes this work easier by creating opportunities for talented individuals in nearly any industry imaginable,” says President and CEO, Clayton Whitson. “The Monroe area is unique in that business, government, nonprofit, and education partners collaborate with a goal of mutual success.” That collaborative spirit, coupled with the geography that places the Chamber in proximity to a major metro, access to ports and rail, and an ever-growing workforce base, gives companies a real strategic advantage in the marketplace.

The Chamber places a large emphasis on relationships with businesses, Whitson adds. As new businesses enter the market, the Chamber connects with the community in a variety of ways, particularly with the existing business network through Chamber programming. “We tailor our programming to continually provide content that will address areas of ongoing need for our employers, such as environmental health and safety or workforce development,” he explains. “Getting professionals connected to these groups provides peer support for current and future needs and strengthens ties to the community.” The Chamber then communicates needs and opportunities to community partners involved with business retention and expansion efforts.

“North Carolina has always had a business-friendly reputation, and that doesn’t happen by accident,” Whitson says. “The Chamber’s advocacy and public policy work with governmental units at every level to ensure we’re creating an environment where our companies can thrive and continue to provide economic opportunities for our friends and neighbors. Our businesses understand this value and actively provide feedback to guide our public policy work.”

Finally, working to establish that Monroe has access to a regional workforce system, not merely the labor force contained within the city limits, the Centralina Workforce Development Board understands that workforce development starts by understanding exactly what an employer needs and then connecting that employer to the appropriate resources.

As labor markets cross municipal boundaries, workforce professionals can engage companies during recruitment as well as after they locate, and employer needs—occupations, skills, wages, recruitment timelines, and training—should drive the workforce response. “The Centralina WDB and its local NCWorks Career Center in Monroe provide talent recruitment and retention services for employers and career advising, training, and placement services for career seekers,” says David Hollars, Executive Director, Centralina Workforce Development Board. “We work with local partners in developing a regional talent pipeline through the MonroeWorks initiative with the city.”

The Centralina WDB is also actively involved in Our Future in UNiSON—addressing career pathway development and increasing the number of individuals with post-secondary degrees, certificates, and certifications—and with Union JobReady and the Chamber’s Workforce Development Committee in developing strong career guidance, knowledge, and work-based learning opportunities for students in the local middle and high schools.

“These companies and organizations demonstrate different parts of our partnership,” says Campo, adding that SEECO offers the perspective of a manufacturer that recently chose Monroe, while MacLean Power Systems provides the perspective of an employer with approximately two decades of area experience. “Our Chamber, workforce, and education partners demonstrate the network that supports businesses before and after a location decision.”

For Monroe Economic Development, the responsibility does not end when a company selects a site or opens its doors, she adds. “We want to be there for the next expansion, the next workforce challenge, and the next opportunity. We want businesses to choose Monroe, and to have every reason to choose Monroe again when it’s time to make their next investment.”

The post Where Business Location Becomes Business Partnership<p class="company">City of Monroe, North Carolina</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

The DCAC team strives to help companies locate commercial land or buildings, connect them with Anderson County business and community leaders, and advise businesses on the Anderson County market and its many prospects.

Embracing a mission statement to support economic growth, job creation, improved quality of life, education, and workforce development throughout the county, the DCAC aims to increase capital investment, sustained job development, and diversity in the county by creating a robust, distinct, and enduring economy, drawing in key Tier 1 and 2 operators, expanding the employment and tax base of the county, offering training to every segment of the workforce, improving training to accommodate all job creators’ needs, and maintaining and improving parks, sports facilities, and lifestyle amenities.

Along with offering business incentives for industries looking to expand or relocate to the area, other DCAC projects include organizing events and meetings with county business leaders, persuading potential employees to seek work within Anderson County, engaging in workforce development and training initiatives such as student apprenticeship programs, and handling possible labor issues, such as moving workers from rural to urban locations.

The Anderson County Manufacturing Alliance also offers numerous benefits; it acts as a communication bridge connecting local manufacturing companies with other industries; offers a professional network to connect with other industries and share common interests and concerns; brings a unified voice to resolve any issues that may arise within or between entities and industries; and provides access to shared educational opportunities and technological resources. The Alliance also offers resource sharing and collaborative support options; quarterly meetings featuring engaging topics and valuable information; a chance for industry professionals, educators, and community members to address current and future workforce development needs, including skill-building and career awareness promotion throughout the county; and networking and communication channels between education and industry partners.

The Manufacturing Alliance welcomes all businesses, workforce development organizations, and education institutions throughout Anderson County, with a core mission to help the area flourish by attracting new industries and supporting the growth of existing ones within the community. The organization is committed to supporting business and industry growth through a range of economic incentives, creating customized incentive packages for both new and established businesses while taking into account factors like investment size, the quality and quantity of jobs being created, and competitive hourly wage rates.

And, as they say, location is often the key to success. “Anderson County sits directly between Charlotte and Atlanta on the I-85 corridor, with I-85 cutting through the heart of Anderson County and providing 40 miles of interstate frontage,” says Cameron Ford, Senior Project Manager of Commercial Development and Recruitment. “It’s also accessible by more than 10 interchanges, making interstate access easy from anywhere in the county.”

This frontage also provides plenty of greenfield sites for a manufacturer looking for both I-85 frontage and access, Ford adds.

“We also have a 150-plus-acre county-owned industrial park at Anderson Regional Airport, and a recent grant award has allowed us to open access into the park and begin construction on two pad-ready sites of 100,000 square feet and 77,000 square feet, pads that should see substantial completion by spring 2027,” he shares. Additionally, the Anderson Airport Business Park has heavy and redundant utilities that can meet the utility demands of almost any project.

In order to help the county thrive and grow as a whole, its workforce services and strategic partnerships provide a number of services, resources, and partnerships to support employers in attracting, developing, and retaining a talented workforce.

“Our most valuable role in workforce development is being the connecting piece between employers and our local training organizations,” says Kelly Parnell, Assistant Director of Economic Development. “Whether that is by hosting the HR One Stop, which introduces new manufacturers to these organizations, or through grant programs that provide stipends for high school students exploring career paths, we strive to provide the opportunities to let our partners show the impactful services they can provide to employers.”

The county’s corporate and manufacturing opportunities include access to available sites, services, and opportunities for companies seeking to establish or expand corporate headquarters or manufacturing facilities.

“The northeast corner of the county is probably our strongest location for the next corporate headquarters,” says Parnell. “There are close to 15,000 professionals living in that area who commute to corporate roles in Greenville and Spartanburg. We believe that the area is destined to land a corporate or regional HQ in the near future.”

For businesses looking to locate or grow, Anderson County’s streamlined permitting and business incentives embody the county’s ability to expedite permitting processes and offer strategic incentives to support both new businesses and existing businesses. “Similar to the HR One Stop, we provide a Construction One Stop,” Parnell explains. “Here the project team—the company, architects, general contractor, engineers, et cetera—present the project to utility and permitting reps.” The utility and permitting reps can then introduce themselves and provide a brief assessment of any issues the construction team may run into prior to submitting documents.

“This allows the project team to proceed on design with a clearer understanding of possible hurdles and areas of emphasis during the project,” she says. “They leave the meeting with the contact information of the utility and permitting reps and have a direct line to them throughout the design and build.”

Certainly, the county has experienced its fair share of successes lately in a variety of areas, but growth can bring with it some unique challenges. “We do not want to be victims of our own success, but like any place that has grown dramatically like Anderson, we have experienced growing pains,” Ford says. “These can be felt in places like the demands on our infrastructure as well as by people in the community who are unsure of all the changes occurring. However, we have taken steps to allay these fears by working to ensure the companies we recruit are always a greater value-add than not.”

Parnell adds, “To illustrate this, the companies that the county has incentivized have invested more than a billion dollars over their contractual obligations as well as created more than a thousand jobs over their obligation.” In fact, a new Land Use Development Ordinance is expected to be passed in the coming months that will further incentivize development in line with the character of the community.

“In 2009, the average wage of Anderson County sat below the poverty level,” says Ford. “Now that average sits healthily above that mark, and we have seen that metric grow at a rate higher than inflation over the past five years.”

Aside from its business development opportunities, there are plenty of other activities taking place in and around the area that are sure to keep residents and visitors entertained in every season. “Anderson County’s Civic Center has undergone a $12.5 million improvement at the amphitheater aimed at improving concert programming,” Parnell says. These improvements consist of a more intimate setting with a permanent seating area, a closer stage, and a VIP section, as well as increased amenities for performers. For this project, Anderson County has partnered with top promoter Peachtree Entertainment to promote the venue.

Anderson County is home to eight municipalities, each with their own history and culture and all holding their own events and festivals throughout the year. These communities are packed with amazing natural attractions and entertainment options, from fascinating historic landmarks and museums to lively local venues. These include live performances and events at the Anderson Civic Center, the excitement of the Anderson Motor Speedway, the Anderson University Rainey Fine Arts Center, the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium (GAMAC), Electric City Playhouse, and the Market Theatre for entertainment, as well as the Anderson County Museum—which houses the archives for genealogical and local history research—and the Quilt Trail, started in 2010 with a single painted quilt square that has now grown to over 180 squares spanning three Upstate counties as well as multiple others throughout the state. There’s also the historic district of Pendleton, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, with a downtown boasting more than 50 buildings that date back before 1850.

Other draws include shopping, dining, festivals, sports, amazing opportunities for boating, fishing, and tubing, and other outdoor adventures on an abundance of lakes, including Lake Hartwell, a 50,000-acre lake that attracts more than one million people on an annual basis. “Anderson County has over 35 boat ramps and access points, making the lake an easy recreational opportunity for everyone to enjoy,” says Ford.

As the county continues to grow and thrive in the years to come, Ford and Parnell both want the area to continue to not only provide ample entertainment but to embrace its business and development potential as well, drawing in new workers and exciting employment opportunities. “We would hope to continue our trend of growing the average wage in real terms and to fill out the Airport Business Park with quality, high-paying tenants that continue to diversify employment opportunities in the area,” says Ford.

Parnell agrees, adding, “We want to continue to develop innovative programs that connect our industries and our students for work-based learning opportunities.” Thus far, this has proven to be a winning formula for smart and sustainable success countywide.

The post Developing Opportunities<p class="company">Development Corporation of Anderson County, South Carolina</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

In addition to the Darlington National Raceway and the Southern 500, one of the oldest and most well-known NASCAR races, the nearby city of Florence features a performance theater, symphony orchestra, ballet companies, museums, festivals, and an excellent recreational complex.

Located in northeastern South Carolina and bordering North Carolina, the county has long been home to farmers who cultivated cotton and tobacco. Over the past 20 years, the county has seen an increase in manufacturing and distribution facilities, due in part to Interstate 95, which runs through the county from north to south, Inland Port Dillon, and Harbor Freight Tools, which boasts more than 2 million feet of distribution space under roof in the county.

When Inland Port Dillon opened in 2018, the manufacturing and distribution industries took notice that rural Dillon County was the place to be, offering tremendous opportunity for companies to prosper. Located in a fully serviced industrial park, Inland Port Dillon is ready to receive manufacturing and distribution enterprises and has all the necessary infrastructure—including gas, power, water, sewage, and high-speed Internet—and space needed for future construction.

“Everything we do surrounds an organization called DCP3, an acronym for Dillon County Public-Private Partnership,” says Dillon Economic Development Director, Rodney Berry. After holding positions as Congressional Director, County Administrator, and Mayor, Berry returned to this role to help attract more businesses to the area. “One of the main initiatives was getting this public-private partnership running again,” he says.

A “very impressive” board of local stakeholders—comprising bankers, utility companies, local co-ops, Duke Energy, Dominion Gas, the Water and Sewer Authority, those in the education field, and local colleges—meets monthly at the Inland Port Dillon to dictate the vision and the curriculum for Dillon Economic Development.

“We thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to educate our locals in economic development,” Berry says. This led to the advent of the Ambassador Program, created to educate a core group of citizens to serve as county ambassadors and speak about the benefits of doing business in the county via a series of monthly informational and educational presentations from leaders in business, education, and public service.

“The course presenters comprised experts from the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the local Pee Dee Regional Council of Governments, our utility partners, railroads, the ports and airports. They each spoke, and it allowed our attendees to learn the process of recruiting industry and all that it takes.”

Additionally, the DCP3 hosts the Bolts, Screws, and Fork Lunch Series featuring local entrepreneurs who share their knowledge and wisdom. “The only time residents see economic development is when you make an announcement, so we want to show people that we’re constantly working, bolts and screws are turning, to be competitive here in Dillon County,” says Berry.

The first lunch featured Tim Norwood, “recognized as the most successful entrepreneur in the general region.” Hailing from neighboring Florence County, Norwood is largely responsible for revamping the downtown, receiving many municipal association awards along the way. That was followed by the new president of Northeastern Technical College, Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston—the first female president in the history of the college—while the third guest was Micah Mallace, the new CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority (SC Ports), probably the biggest economic driver in the entire state, Berry adds. “We sit down on the stage and I do an informal interview, allowing our local stakeholders to see all that’s involved in getting economic development moving.”

Industry appreciation is taken seriously in the county, Berry stresses. “To that end, an industry appreciation event was held at all of our major industries, organized by the DCP3 Economic Development Board. Free cups of Mike’s Italian Ices were given to all the employees during their schedule breaks. North of 3,000 employees were served.

“Harbor Freight is a large user of the port. Everything we do here now, after announcing the port about eight years ago, surrounds the port,” says Berry. “The port is our competitive advantage. Harbor Freight was truly the reason why the port’s here, because it was an anchor tenant that could ensure high-volume container moves.”

Other notable quality industries in Dillon County’s impressive stable of businesses are Wyman-Gordon; Perdue Chicken, one of the largest chicken producers in the world; and Arclin Group, which enjoyed a large expansion last year, and Elite Quartz. “We’re really fortunate and proud to have these fine industries here,” says Berry.

Manufacturers, distributors, importers, and exporters have also been invited by Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon to take advantage of the benefits of connecting with the Port of Charleston, one of the biggest and busiest deepwater ports in the United States, which is serviced by roughly 12 ocean carriers. The Port of Charleston, which unloads products from all over the world and can carry them directly to Dillon via CSX’s Class 1 Rail, is a major economic generator in South Carolina. Goods can also be transported across the nation by train; alternatively, anything can be exported, including state-grown cereals and soybeans as well as manufactured goods.

Certainly, the inland port has given the region a competitive edge, and trade has grown yearly as a result of the substantial freight savings associated with rail—between 10 and 35 percent—compared to the cost of transportation by truck. Furthermore, SC Ports’ matchback program in Dillon expedites the process by matching exporters with vacant containers, ensuring that the cargo is ready for ship loading when it leaves Dillon via rail for the Port of Charleston.

Amidst all this success, Berry is actively looking to bring more businesses and manufacturers to the area. “We’re pretty active in our recruiting efforts, working with the Department of Commerce and a local group called NESA, the North Eastern Strategic Alliance. Their economic development entity is composed of eight counties, which we all fund, and they actively recruit and help us get prospects here in the county,” he shares.

In addition, “We’re always aiming to improve our infrastructure because it has to be present to get them here,” he says. This includes improving wastewater infrastructure for Perdue in an effort to remain competitive and to potentially receive another large food processor. “You’ve got to have the infrastructure in place. If you don’t have it currently available, there are just too many options for these prospects to locate elsewhere. We never want to have an industry come here and say, ‘You can’t handle our production.’ We’re always keenly aware of that and trying to improve our capacity, be it wastewater, electricity, or gas.”

Clearly, having an inland port is not the only incentive to establish or expand a business in Dillon County. South Carolina has a particularly strong business position; the county can attract investors by utilizing the statewide incentives and subsidies available to businesses, contingent on the size of the investment and the number of employees. Within 60 miles of the geographic center of Dillon County, employers have access to about a million workers. They can also offer the incentive of adopting a more relaxed, rural lifestyle combined with more active, exciting opportunities just two hours away in Myrtle Beach and metropolitan facilities a short drive away in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

“When people move here, especially from up north, they feel by way of proximity that they’re at the beach, because we’re only an hour away from Myrtle Beach,” Berry says. “People like the climate. They love having access to various amenities but treasure living in a smaller setting where their families can be raised in a wholesome environment. We’re a little bit slower-paced, and we still have an attractive, cherished rural environment.

In addition, Dillon County has some of the lowest living expenses of any county in the nation—much lower than the national average—as well as a rich Southern culture and heritage and appealing jobs in growing industries. A 200-year-old operational farm, the Dillon County Theater, one of the few remaining examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the country, and several homes and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are just a few examples of the area’s abundance of art, history, crafts, and culture.

The Ellis Performing Arts Center, which can accommodate more than 450 people and hosts a variety of cultural events, is another example of Dillon County’s dedication to the arts, with a small group of performers known as the Macarthur Avenue Players presenting a variety of plays at the Dillon County Theater each year. The Dillon County Wellness Center’s 40,000-square-foot indoor sports and fitness complex offers a gym and walking track, and the $4.1 million arena hosts business meetings, banquets, competitions, and receptions.

Additionally, Berry has experienced another unique advantage to the area he knows well. “I ran a congressional office for 10 years, and we were responsible for eight counties. I don’t know where I’ve ever seen a county and a city—and we have three municipalities within our county—where municipalities work in unison the way I’ve seen here,” he says.

“We’re all on the same page, and there’s no bickering and fighting. We all see the agenda and we all work toward it. All the mayors and the county administrator, the city and county councilors—it’s really a beautiful thing and a little unusual to be a part of. It’s something that makes everything run more smoothly and gets everyone’s goals met as well.”

The post Create, Grow, Thrive: Building Businesses in Dillon County<p class="company">Dillon County Public-Private Partnership</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

During its impressive 55 years in business, APM has expanded from a simple injection molder into a full-service manufacturing and product development company, with customer service forming the foundation for developing additional core skills in supply chain sourcing and project management.

Handling markets that include automotive, consumer/appliance, electric/utility, healthcare, industrial, lawn and garden, material handling, and office furniture, APM’s capabilities include injection molding, tooling/moldmaking (SMT), assembly and kitting, rubber gaskets and seals, insert molding, automation, visual inspection, overmolding, vibration welding, vertical molding, post mold decorating, design assistance, and supply chain management.

The company’s core values remain at the heart of daily operations; whether it’s integrity, purpose, teamwork, perseverance, or gratitude, it’s about communicating with unshakable candor, honesty, and respect, functioning with transparency, being motivated by meaningful work, and behaving with compassion and decency.

These goals have become easier to achieve since APM became employee-owned under an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2013, which in turn encouraged workers, boosted output, improved employee retention, maintained local employment, and supported business longevity.

“Employee ownership is at the heart of who we are,” says Lily Coomer, Controller. “Since becoming 100 percent employee-owned, we’ve built a culture where everyone understands they have a direct stake in our success. We often say there’s an owner in every seat, and that’s not just a slogan: it’s how we operate every day.”

In turn, APM’s employee-owners understand that their quality of work, the service they provide, and the decisions they make have a direct impact both on customers and on the future of the company collectively, she adds.

“What makes me most proud is the sense of responsibility and commitment that ownership creates,” says Coomer. “When people think and act like owners, they take greater pride in solving problems, helping teammates, and doing what’s right for the long term. That mindset is one of the reasons we’ve been able to build lasting customer relationships and create opportunities for our employees.”

APM is also fortunate to have an engaged board of directors that helps provide strategic oversight and long-term stewardship. Together, the board leadership team and employee-owners are working toward the same goal: building a stronger company that creates value for future generations of owners.

Michael Cook, President and CEO, agrees. “All of this is built around our company’s five core values that are very near and dear to our hearts: integrity, teamwork, purpose, perseverance, and gratitude. We’ve built behaviors around each of those core values that help embody how we work and how we demonstrate those core values. That’s really our foundation,” he says.

Indeed, the company’s commitment to its employees and its ESOP model has truly helped facilitate APM’s success. “It’s a great model,” Cook emphasizes. “For us, it’s something that was fully embraced and has enabled us to reward a lot of employees with generous financial commitments, and that goes both ways.” More growth for the company is also on the horizon, but with plans to grow “the right way with the right customers and for the right reasons,” he adds.

“We’re not just trying to grow for the sake of growing. We’ve focused on disciplined, profitable growth that creates opportunities for our employee-owners while still delivering exceptional service and value to our customers.”

That focus has resulted in investing in technology, automation, talent development, and leadership growth while also exploring and evaluating some strategic opportunities that can accelerate APM’s long-term vision. “Ultimately, our goal isn’t simply to become bigger,” says Cook. “It’s to become a stronger company to create more value for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”

Being a successful ESOP has also earned the team a sterling reputation in the industry, with the means to draw in new, qualified, and passionate employees. “We’re a 55-year-old business, and the value of the ESOP has spread amongst the community,” says Cook.

The challenge, however, is that some of the younger, newer employees don’t always see the value in that long-term ESOP ownership piece. To help alleviate that concern, APM has been showing new employees what value can look like for employees and what that means, not only long-term but short-term as well.

Drawing in outstanding employees bolsters the company’s ability to serve clients and provide total solutions within the industry. Many APM customers are looking for plastic injection molded parts, coupled with a partner who can help problem-solve for them. “That’s how we view our role,” says Cook. “We don’t want to just be another shoot-and-ship plastic injection molding company, and part of being a total solutions provider means we bring engineering support, tooling management, molding, assembly solutions, quality systems, automation, and supply chain management under one roof.”

APM is also dedicated to a number of community initiatives, with the company recently communicating to its employees that it will offer voluntary time off to participate in a charity they’re passionate about—or even one that APM sponsors—with up to eight hours of paid time to support that organization.

“It’s really encouraging employees so they don’t have to take their personal time and they can give back to the community during a normal working day,” says Human Resource Manager, Jennifer Donohue. “As a company, we’re also allocating a percentage of our earnings each year to go back to the community.” This initiative allows individuals within the organization to bring awareness to charities APM may not be familiar with, as well as encourage organizations throughout the community to approach APM for potential donations.

The response within the community has been positive all around. “Being a small, rural community, the opportunity for someone to have a day off and it not affect their pay is something that they really appreciate,” says Donohue. “Now people are trying to figure out where to support the community with what charity so they can take advantage of that opportunity.”

Although challenges over the past year have included labor availability, inflationary pressures—especially with some of the resin raw materials—supply chain disruptions, and changing customer demand, APM understands that the pace of change in manufacturing continues to accelerate, which requires businesses to adapt quickly while maintaining their operational excellence.

“I’m really happy and proud about it,” Cook says. “In the last year, we’ve strengthened our foundation while continuing to grow. We’ve doubled down on our EOS, the entrepreneurial operating system, working with an EOS implementer who’s helped us gain alignment, accountability, communication, and execution throughout the entire organization.”

In fact, APM has leveraged EOS across its entire organization, which has given the company a common language and a clear framework for turning its vision into action. It has also formulated a 10-year vision and a plan to achieve it.

“That’s been really instrumental in our ability to face the volatility and the challenges,” says Cook. “We’ve also launched a fair amount of new programs this year and continued to deepen our relationships with our existing customers. And really, none of that is possible without the engagement of our employee-owners.”

While growth is important to APM, the company aspires to go beyond financial performance to continue building a world-class employee-owned company that provides meaningful opportunities for current and future generations of employee-owners. Over the next several years, it hopes to expand within its target markets, strengthen relationships with key customers, develop future leaders, and continue investing in technologies and capabilities that support long-term success.

“We also plan to continue expanding on our EOS throughout the organization, so every team member benefits from greater clarity, accountability, and alignment,” says Coomer. “Most importantly, we want to continue increasing the long-term value of our ESOP. Every improvement we make as a company creates value for employee-owners, and that’s the one most rewarding aspect of being an employee-owned organization.”

Cook adds that what helps set APM apart within the industry is the three pillars of its culture, starting with an owner in every seat. “We feel very strongly about that,” he says. “Every person has a personal stake in the company’s success.”

The next pillar is the EOS system and the implementation of the daily, weekly, and monthly cadence of working through the most important issues day in and day out, he adds, along with holding themselves accountable with full transparency.

“The final pillar is our governance,” Cook says. “We benefit from having an engaged board of directors that brings valuable experience, strategic perspective, and long-term thinking to our organization.”

Essentially, that involvement helps APM make better decisions to stay focused on creating sustainable value. “We’re committed to being more than just a molding company,” says Cook. “Our customers rely on us to be a trusted manufacturing partner that helps them solve problems.”

It’s that ongoing dedication to both employee involvement and commitment to clientele that will continue to set APM apart for decades to come. “It’s an enjoyable place to work, and the team is fully engaged,” he adds.

Essentially, for APM customers, instead of them managing multiple suppliers and trying to coordinate solutions themselves, they can work with the company as a trusted partner from concept through production. “What it means for our customers is reduced complexity, faster decision making, and ultimately fewer headaches,” Cook says. “We’re committed to being more than just a molding company. Our customers rely on us to be a trusted manufacturing partner that helps them solve problems. That’s our mindset.”

The post An Owner in Every Seat: Core Values Create Customer Relationships and Employee Opportunities<p class="company">American Plastic Molding</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Accoya is a high-performance, sustainable acetylated wood designed to overcome these challenges. Offering exceptional durability, dimensional stability and reliability, it provides the beauty and versatility of natural wood with performance typically associated with far more resource-intensive man-made materials or tropical hardwoods.

Accoya has been steadily gaining popularity in North America and has gained traction through its use in landmark projects ranging from hospitality and residential developments to major restoration and public infrastructure projects including the Rivington Hotel in Manhattan, the zero-carbon Marisol Malibu, and the restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol.

“Accoya is the most durable and stable wood in the world,” says Sergio Munhoz, North American Sales Director. “It’s a modified wood made with radiata pine that goes through a process we call acetylation. After the reaction and change on a cellular level, this wood becomes extremely strong and durable, ideal for outdoor use.”

Changing wood at the cellular level
The acetylation process permanently transforms wood at a cellular level by increasing its naturally occurring acetyl content. This changes how the wood interacts with the elements, minimizing rot and decay. The result is an exceptionally durable material backed by a 25-year warranty for in-ground use and up to 50 years for above-ground use. The finished wood is completely non-toxic, contains no plastic, and can be recycled at the end of its life as normal wood.

Acetylation, in contrast to many preservative systems, penetrates the board’s thickness rather than acting as a surface layer. Because Accoya is transformed at the cellular level, users can drill, profile, and cut it without compromising its performance. This gives designers and manufacturers greater flexibility than many other wood species, for which exposed end grain and re-cut edges can become vulnerable.

“This is a unique product in the marketplace that customers love,” adds Munhoz.

These customers include landscape architects and manufacturers of siding, decking, windows, and doors, all citing the versatility of this product when compared to other woods in the market. “It’s workable and machinable but with the power of a hardwood,” Munhoz says. “People love it because it’s extremely stable, durable, and long lasting.”

Specified for high-profile projects
Some notable Accoya projects include the Bow Bridge and Gothic Bridge—both featuring Accoya decking—in New York’s Central Park, as well as the MOLLIE Hotel siding in Aspen; the Ark Encounter in Kentucky; and Google’s UK headquarters. The Google development is particularly distinctive. “It’s called a landscaper, similar to a skyscraper but in landscape mode,” Gillian Edwards, Head of Communications and ESG at Accoya, says of the Google project.

Growing investment in outdoor living is increasing demand for siding and decking that combine long-term performance with a natural look and feel. This preference for wood over plastic or metal gives Accoya a strong fit with the way homeowners and designers are approaching exterior spaces.

“That’s something we have seen as a trend in natural design, and it’s helping us grow faster and make Accoya a good solution,” adds Munhoz. The radiata pine used to manufacture Accoya also allows for a beautiful grain and a light color that in turn permits a wide variety of different, beautiful finishes.

On top of offering the regular natural look, a newer product, Accoya Color Gray, goes through an additional process that impregnates pigments on the wood, meaning it is colored through from surface to core without requiring a coating. “It’s natural. It’s beautiful—the soft touch, the feel—it’s amazing, and it offers the same warranty and the same properties, and it’s extremely popular,” Munhoz shares. “People love it.”

Local production supports wider adoption
Until recently, Accoya supply in North America was relatively constrained because all material was imported from Europe. That changed in September 2024 with the opening of the Accoya USA facility in Tennessee. With local production now fully operational, customers can benefit from improved availability, faster delivery, and responsive service.

“We’re growing significantly,” says General Manager, Rod Graf. “It’s about being able to let people know that we are here and we’re much more available. We’re still providing that special product, but now you can get your hands on more.”

Sustainability and performance hand in hand
Accoya’s performance is supported by strong sustainability credentials. All of it is made from responsibly sourced, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood, coming from well managed plantations in New Zealand. “Even as we grow and expand, the reason we choose New Zealand is that the wood grows very fast, so it’s on a 25- to 28-year cycle,” Edwards explains. “It can grow quickly and it can replenish quickly, and that makes it very sustainable.”

Accoya is low carbon over its lifetime. Because of its long service life of 60 years and excellent stability, the need for repair, restoration, and maintenance is dramatically reduced. Several coatings manufacturers even offer up to 15 years’ warranty for coatings on Accoya.

Accoya holds Cradle to Cradle Gold V3.1 certification, one of the strictest and most stringent eco labels to exist. “Accoya is one of the very few building products that is Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold, which is very difficult to get,” says Edwards. “It takes us about a year and a half to go through the certification process, which looks at all aspects of manufacturing, the ingredients of the product, whether they can be recycled, and the energy we use.”

The process even looks at health and safety, making sure the company is looking after its people and workforce. “It’s a really, really rigorous standard, and one we’re very proud to have.”

Accoya’s EPD can also help specifiers to achieve LEED v5, meeting high standards for environmental sustainability. “We have a verified EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) which is becoming very important for architects,” says Edwards. “There’s a lot of regulation now that’s looking at the whole embodied carbon of a building, so having an EPD is essential for people to be able to factor in the impact of our product.”

Its high performance attributes position Accoya at the premium end of the market. “It’s a premium product because of the performance attributes—the 50-year warranty, the 60-year service life, and the extremely low maintenance costs over the life of the building,” Munhoz says. “When the customer understands these benefits across time, they understand that it’s going to be cost-effective for them and their projects, and they love it.”

Now, Accoya is focused on expanding its range of products as it grows and attracts more customers, with different profiles and sizes to suit a broader range of requirements. The company is also continually exploring new, local species that may work as well as radiata pine.

More than a product, however, the personal belief in what Accoya is doing for the industry—and the environment at large—is vital. “I’m Brazilian, and I grew up in Brazil seeing a lot of tropical hardwoods around when I was a kid, and I don’t see those when I come back to see my family anymore because they’ve harvested those trees that live 150 years,” says Munhoz. “Every time I sell Accoya, I believe people are cutting fewer trees from my home country. That for me means a lot. I have some emotions behind it myself. I believe in this company. I was drawn by that.”

Edwards also has a personal connection to the company and its product. “We’ve got a purpose statement, which is ‘changing wood to change the world,’ and I was very drawn by that,” she says. “But I’m also a product advocate as well. Before I joined the company, I had some Accoya sash windows installed. I live in London, UK and we have Victorian housing where windows get jammed when it gets hot or wet. The Accoya ones I can vouch for have never gotten jammed and move perfectly like the day they were installed.”

For Graf, joining Accoya USA meant building a strong local business, creating skilled jobs, and increasing access to a product that offers something distinctive. “It’s the best substrate, the best wood fiber in the world,” he says. “It’s gold. It’s just a fantastic product.” He has also been struck by employees’ desire to work for a company with a sustainable product, strong environmental credentials, and recognized certifications.

“It has also impressed many of our clients,” says Munhoz, who have heard it’s the only wood that allows architects in New York City to not use metal or aluminum in some of their projects because of the product’s stability and other properties. “That’s powerful because we know that metal and aluminum are not really sustainable products… that’s super powerful.”

The post Addressing the Need for Sustainable, High-Performance Materials<p class="company">Accoya</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

According to AMFAS International’s Outlook for 2026, manufacturers’ operations are being redefined by nearshoring and reshoring programs, increased adoption of technology, and focused investment in high-value industries. While economic instability, tariffs, and labour limitations remain significant impediments, enterprises that embrace digitization, regional supply chains, and sophisticated manufacturing techniques are positioned for sustainable success. Chasing the lowest unit cost is no longer the focus of OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers; instead, building resilient, data-driven, and regionally balanced manufacturing ecosystems that can quickly scale, withstand shocks, and satisfy ever more complex technological needs is imperative.

For Canadian enterprises, reshoring often entails establishing or increasing Canadian manufacturing capacity, developing local Canadian suppliers, or transferring distribution and assembly operations back over the border, while for both Canadian and American businesses, nearshoring involves moving production or sourcing to a geographically close country; in this case, Mexico, the main nearshoring choice for the continent due to its strong industrial infrastructure, CUSMA free trade status, and relatively cheap manufacturing salaries, says AMFAS.

Advanced automation, electrification, sustainable energy, and high-precision manufacturing are the main areas of capital expenditure this year, with manufacturers giving priority to investments that increase flexibility and long-term competitiveness rather than randomly increasing capacity, while redundancy and transparency are now essential goals in the supply chain. Manufacturers are boosting visibility across tiers, deepening supplier qualification, and decreasing reliance on specific areas. Regional sourcing, dual-shore methods, and integrated logistics planning are becoming mainstream operating models.

The shift in global manufacturing geography that accelerated through 2020–2024 is now showing in how procurement teams approach supplier selection, adds Zara Akbar of Global Insight Wire, with North American manufacturing capacity expanding in several key categories.

The forces driving reshoring and nearshoring are structural, shaping how buyers should approach supplier qualification, lead time modelling, and total cost of ownership. In short, not all manufacturing categories are reshoring at the same rate, she says.

Semiconductors and electronics have seen the greatest investment motivated by policy, with significant announcements of fab development in Texas, Arizona, and Ohio. For consumers, this matters less at the component purchasing level than at the system design level—the supply chain for completed electronics still incorporates significant offshore content even when final assembly is domestic.

Industrial equipment and machinery have observed steady reshoring activity, motivated more by lead time concerns than by cost, with the working capital equation drastically altered by a custom conveyor system or industrial press that takes 14 to 20 weeks from an Asian manufacturer as opposed to eight to 10 weeks from a local fabricator, especially when demand forecasting is imprecise.

Building materials, notably those with high weight-to-value ratios, were never significantly offshore to begin with, as regional manufacturing dominated concrete goods, structural steel fabrication, and dimensional lumber, but automotive and transportation components remain the most intricate cases. Nearshoring, as opposed to reshoring, is represented by OEM supply chains that have been rebuilt around Mexican manufacturing (USMCA-compliant), and these supply chains are maturing rather than reversing.

Costs associated with logistics and freight have reset to a higher baseline. The abnormal freight costs of 2020 to 2022 have normalized, and they normalized at rates far above the pre-pandemic baseline, with the risk of port disruption and long-haul ocean freight factored into total landed cost calculations at levels that were previously absent from most procurement models, according to Akbar.

The labour arbitrage that formerly supported offshore sourcing for many product categories has shrunk due to wage rises in manufacturing-heavy offshore markets and investments in technology that lower direct labour content in North American facilities.

Nearshoring to Mexico under the USMCA has become the middle ground for many categories where full reshoring to U.S. or Canadian facilities is not cost-justified, adds Akbar. The model combines streamlined logistics, far quicker lead times than Asian manufacturing, and lower direct labour costs. Manufacturing in Mexico has advanced well beyond basic assembly processes, and aerospace machining, medical device production, electronics assembly, and industrial component fabrication are all well-established in industrial corridors around Monterrey, Juárez, and Tijuana.

The Supply Chain Alliance states that the intersection of U.S. tariffs on Canadian commodities, post-COVID supply chain fragility lessons, and growing costs in traditional Asian manufacturing markets has created a true strategic window for both reshoring and nearshoring. Businesses that take action now, when industrial space, labour power, and supplier capacity are reasonably accessible in both Canada and Mexico, will benefit in ways that those who wait might not be able to match.

Best-fit scenarios include short product lifecycles, high customization, products that require frequent design changes, and high mix/low-volume configurations—situations where rapid responsiveness to client demands benefits immensely from geographic proximity to Canadian customers and markets.

The labour premium of Canadian production is frequently more than compensated by logistics savings for heavy, bulky, or hazardous commodities when freight costs account for a significant amount of the overall landed cost, such as construction materials, chemicals, and major industrial components.

Additionally, Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit, Strategic Innovation Fund, and provincial industrial subsidies can considerably cut the effective labour cost of Canadian industry. Companies that engage in R&D or advanced manufacturing generally find the post-incentive cost gap with Mexico dramatically closed.

For products incorporating proprietary techniques, formulas, or technologies, the IP protection environment in Canada is much stronger. Companies with true IP risk may find the cost premium of Canadian production justified merely on a risk-adjusted basis.

“Reshoring isn’t a trend, it’s a correction,” according to sources from The Assembly, who note that Canada’s manufacturing industry has shed tens of thousands of jobs due to the pandemic, tariffs, and a disrupted supply chain, with the sector’s contribution to GDP declining from 18 percent in the early 2000s to about 10 percent now.

Consequently, Ottawa is making significant financial investments in reshoring. Federal procurements worth $25 million or more must give preference to Canadian vendors under the Buy Canadian Policy, which went into effect in December 2025. That cutoff fell to $5 million by June 2026. In the evaluation process, Canadian vendors are given a 10 percent price priority, with Canadian-based businesses having a structural advantage in the bidding process.

There’s also the Next Generation Manufacturing Canada’s (NGen’s) $87.5 million in advanced manufacturing financing, NRC IRAP’s new $244 million Defence Industry Assist initiative, and up to $2.1 million in refundable cash back offered annually through enhanced SR&ED credits. In order to make reshoring financially appealing, the federal government is stacking incentives.

According to surveys, Canadian customers will pay more for products made domestically if they can recognize them. For compliance, risk mitigation, and ESG reporting, B2B buyers are increasingly demanding Canadian content in their supply chains, meaning businesses that reshore today benefit from consumer preference, supply chain resiliency, government funding, and all the advantages of purchasing Canadian goods.

Infrastructure for government support is abundant with Canada’s combination of tax benefits, direct funding initiatives, and procurement favours for domestic production unmatched by any other G7 member. NGen, IRAP, SR&ED, ACOA, FedDev Ontario, PrairiesCan, PacifiCan, CanExport, and IDEaS all give direct financial support for enterprises that produce in Canada.

NGen finances advanced manufacturing technology projects, AI integration in manufacturing, and collaborative R&D. Projects must have at least two Canadian partners, with one being an SME (under 500 employees). It’s best for manufacturers investing in new production equipment, automation, or digital manufacturing capabilities as part of a reshoring push, with a completion deadline of January 31, 2028.

NRC IRAP (Industrial Research Assistance Program) assists with R&D initiatives, technology advancement, and process innovation open to Canadian SMEs incorporated and employing fewer than 500 people, paying for up to 80 percent of project expenses that qualify, with a range of funding of $50,000 to $1 million or more, and aimed at manufacturers involved in defence supply chains and SMEs innovating in their manufacturing operations, creating new manufacturing processes, or modifying production for reshoring goods.

The ACOA (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) provides funding for companies in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador) in the areas of company development, manufacturing scale-up, and export preparedness, ideal for Atlantic province manufacturers increasing their reshoring production capability, prioritizing regional economic growth, and funding facility expansion, equipment acquisition, and workforce development.

As for the United States, government incentives are one of the most important variables affecting reshoring decisions, alongside the availability of trained labour, local sourcing, and infrastructure, says Harry Moser of The Association for Manufacturing Technology.

The $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the $280 billion Chips and Science Act, and the $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act are three investments in the country’s economic competitiveness, energy security, and national security. Some have referred to it as a “modern-day gold rush,” fueled by new technologies and incentives and the belief that semiconductor chips are the “new oil,” while both domestic and foreign businesses are increasing their investments in green energy in the United States.

Due in large part to three bills intended to stimulate growth, de-risk vulnerable supply chains, manage the threat of climate change, boost competitiveness, and create good-paying jobs for American workers, new investments in U.S. manufacturing by both domestic and foreign companies have accelerated even more than expected.

These same forces—nearshoring, reshoring, and rising investment in high-value industries—are reshaping manufacturers’ operations across the continent. Economic instability, tariffs, and labour limitations remain real headwinds, but enterprises that embrace digitization, regional supply chains, and advanced manufacturing techniques are positioned for sustainable success, with transformation rather than disruption characterizing the manufacturing picture for North America in 2026 and beyond.

While growth may not be consistent, it will be maintained in industries where accuracy, speed, and dependability are crucial. Nearshoring, data-driven decision-making, and smart manufacturing are not passing fads; rather, they are the cornerstones of contemporary industrial competitiveness, offering chances for manufacturers who are prepared to change to become more resilient, leaner, and better positioned for long-term success.

The post Coming Home<p class="company">North America’s Manufacturing Reset</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Aved—as part of the Lithion Battery family, a North American business that produces state-of-the-art battery packs, cells, and energy storage devices, and provides high-performance solutions for critical applications worldwide—designs and produces custom battery packs, cable assemblies, and electro-mechanical systems for medical diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical equipment, along with high-reliability solutions for robots, security systems, and military operations. Additionally, every Lithion brand can expand, adapt, and meet shifting market demands thanks to its Henderson, Nevada, plant’s fully automated pack production line, prismatic cell manufacture, and internal design, testing, and engineering expertise.

Leading the way in electro-mechanical integration, complex cable construction, and customized battery systems created specifically for humanoid and next-generation robotics, Aved helps robotics inventors bring their ambitious ideas to life, from early prototype development to scalable production. Humanoids can move, think, and operate with precision and endurance thanks to the sophisticated, reliable power and connectivity technologies developed by Aved’s technical experts.

Embracing the quality, safety, repeatability, and dependability so crucial to humanoid robotics, Aved’s innovations include spearheading the creation of intelligent humanoid systems built to operate, adapt, and endure. Recently, the company has been expanding its presence in surgical navigation, robotics, and next-generation medical technologies.

“The medical technology industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation,” says Erick Lee Young, Senior Director, Sales, explaining that advances in surgical navigation, robotic-assisted procedures, portable diagnostics, connected healthcare devices, and artificial intelligence are redefining how care is delivered and improving outcomes for patients around the world. “At Aved Electronics, we see this evolution not only as an opportunity, but as a responsibility to help bring these life-changing technologies to market with the quality, reliability, and precision they demand.”

Medical devices have become increasingly sophisticated over the past decade, and today’s systems integrate advanced electronics, intelligent software, sensors, wireless connectivity, and complex power architectures into compact, highly reliable platforms. Whether supporting surgical navigation systems, robotic-assisted surgery, portable imaging equipment, or wearable medical devices, manufacturers require partners that understand the unique challenges associated with developing and producing products intended for critical healthcare environments.

“One of Aved’s greatest strengths is our commitment to quality,” says Young. “As an ISO 13485-certified manufacturer, we operate under one of the most stringent quality management standards in the world.”

ISO 13485 was specifically developed for medical device manufacturing and places rigorous requirements on risk management, traceability, process control, documentation, validation, and continuous improvement. For medical OEMs, compliance with this standard provides confidence that products are being manufactured within a framework specifically designed to support patient safety and regulatory expectations.

More than a contract manufacturer, Aved positions itself as a strategic partner throughout the product lifecycle. Its value proposition is centered on helping customers reduce risk, accelerate development, and maintain uninterrupted supply from concept through production. By engaging early in the design process, Aved combines engineering expertise, transparent pricing, disciplined program management, and advanced manufacturing capabilities to help customers bring complex products to market faster while minimizing technical and supply chain challenges.

“This commitment to quality has enabled Aved to become a trusted manufacturing partner to some of the most respected names in medical technology,” Young stresses. “From early concept development through full-scale production, we become an extension of our customers’ engineering, supply chain, and operations teams. Our objective is not simply to manufacture products, but to help customers solve complex technical challenges, reduce program risk, and successfully commercialize innovative technologies.”

Among the most exciting areas of growth within healthcare is the continued expansion of surgical robotics and navigation systems. These technologies are enabling greater procedural accuracy, reduced recovery times, and improved patient outcomes, and as adoption increases, the supporting electronics and power systems become increasingly critical. “Reliability is not simply a design objective; it is an absolute requirement,” says Young.

In addition to its growing presence within medical technology, Aved is collaborating with several leading developers of next generation humanoid robotic systems. “These partnerships include supporting advanced battery technologies, power systems, and complex electronic assemblies that enable robots to operate safely, efficiently, and reliably. While humanoid robotics remains an emerging industry, the pace of innovation is extraordinary, and we believe many of the engineering principles developed within medical devices will directly influence the future of intelligent robotics,” Young shares.

“Our partnership with Lithion Battery provides customers with a unique level of vertical integration. By combining custom battery design, advanced electronics manufacturing, cable assemblies, electromechanical integration, testing, and scalable production under one organization, Aved is able to simplify development, reduce risk, and accelerate time to market.”

As medical devices and robotic systems become increasingly mobile, intelligent, and autonomous, energy storage and power management will continue to play a central role in enabling innovation. “Looking ahead, we believe the future of healthcare will be defined by greater connectivity, increased automation, advanced robotics, and more personalized patient care,” he adds.

To that end, Aved remains committed to investing in the capabilities, technologies, and partnerships necessary to support that future. “By combining stringent medical quality standards with advanced manufacturing expertise, we are helping customers bring the next generation of medical technologies from concept to reality—ultimately improving lives and advancing healthcare worldwide.”

Behind every successful product launch is a manufacturing partner capable of scaling alongside its customers. Whether supporting prototype builds, design verification, regulatory testing, or high volume production, Aved’s engineering and manufacturing teams work collaboratively to ensure products transition efficiently through every stage of development while maintaining the quality and traceability demanded by high reliability markets.

Other services include high-reliability battery applications, custom battery pack manufacturing, testing and compliance expertise, contract technicians, O- lithium-ion regulatory compliance submissions, design for manufacturability (DFM Review), and pack integration.

For accurate battery module and pack testing, Aved employs a number of Chroma 17020 systems, as well as a variety of automated wire processing machinery with sizes ranging from 30 AWG to 4/0. Aved uses a wide variety of connector methods and is fully equipped with almost all termination alternatives, along with utilizing serialized controlled Cirrus, Chroma, and bespoke test stands as needed to test and certify all of its products.

In terms of the critical role of intelligent battery pack design in modern medical and portable device development, the company takes its position seriously, with custom battery packs, cable assemblies, and electro-mechanical systems for medical diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical equipment.

In order to maximize performance and packaging requirements for medical and mobility applications, the company has offered custom-engineered battery packs made in accordance with OEM specifications with the cell type and battery chemistry of its medical and high-reliability battery packs optimized in terms of voltage, cycles, pulse rates, capacity, charging, temperature, and packaging, as needed. Aved also performs end-of-line verification, simulates battery usage, records performance data, characterizes the battery, and provides resolute, serialized test data for each battery pack, making it perfect for critical care applications.

These specialized battery packs are FDA and IEC 62133 compliant self-aware smart packs with strong electronics and quick charge times of one hour to 85 percent when needed. Depending on the application, they can run between -30°C and +20°C, give clean voltage with an average deviation of less than five percent, operate at 1000 cycles or more, produce high pulses up to 100 A, and have capacities ranging from 24 V to 200 V (10 A/hr to 100 A/hr) and 4 kW.

When it comes to driving strategic growth through innovation, advanced manufacturing, and expansion into high-reliability markets, Aved’s vision is clear. Growth in today’s manufacturing environment is no longer driven solely by capacity or cost competitiveness; increasingly, it is driven by the ability to support complex technologies, navigate evolving supply chains, and help customers successfully bring products from concept to commercialization. At Aved Electronics, this philosophy is central to its growth strategy.

Over the past several years, the company has intentionally expanded its focus toward high-reliability markets where quality, performance, and consistency are critical. Industries such as medical devices, robotics, defense, and industrial automation continue to advance rapidly, creating demand for manufacturing partners capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated products and technologies.

Of course, a key component of Aved’s strategy is identifying emerging technologies early and building relationships with the companies developing them. Advancements in electrification, battery technology, artificial intelligence, and automation are creating new opportunities across multiple industries and driving demand for integrated electronic assemblies and custom power solutions.

“Equally important is our commitment to long-term partnerships,” says Young. “The strongest customer relationships begin well before production starts. Aved’s value proposition is rooted in helping customers reduce risk, accelerate development, and maintain uninterrupted supply throughout the product lifecycle. By engaging early, we combine engineering expertise, transparent pricing, disciplined program management, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and a resilient supply chain to support customers from design through full-scale production. Rather than acting solely as a contract manufacturer, we become an extension of our customers’ engineering and operations teams, helping solve challenges before they become obstacles.”

As medical technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced automation continue to evolve, manufacturers will increasingly seek partners capable of delivering more than production capacity. They will need organizations that can provide engineering insight, supply chain resilience, regulatory expertise, and scalable manufacturing solutions. By continuing to invest in advanced capabilities, strategic partnerships, and high-reliability markets, Aved is well positioned to help customers transform innovative ideas into commercially successful products while creating long-term value for the industries it serves.

The post Quality, Opportunity, Responsibility<p class="company">Aved Electronics</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.