Sandersville - Dr. Lloyd Horadan, President of Sandersville Technical College announced the nomination of PolyPipe, Inc.’s Sandersville Plant as the College’s selection for Georgia’s Manufacturer of the Year award.
PolyPipe is one of the largest pressure-rated polyethylene pipe producers in North America, and their products are used in natural gas distribution; oil and gas gathering; municipal, industrial and mining applications; and other applications. Innovative product applications and installation methods set this manufacturer part from the rest.
PolyPipe was selected because of their demonstration of corporate responsibility through workforce development initiatives and community involvement, their extensive impact on economic growth in the area, and their commitment to workforce excellence. Even with the economic downturn, PolyPipe continues to train and enhance the productivity and quality skills of its existing workforce.
Manufacturing Appreciation Week (MAW) will be held April 12-16th with an award luncheon on April 15th at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Last year’s winners of this statewide award were Toyo Tire-North American Manufacturing, Inc., Alcan Packaging Atlanta and Oracal. Previous winners include Perdue Farms, Kubota Manufacturing, Honda, and Lockheed Martin.
This will be Georgia’s fifteenth annual Manufacturer of the Year Award, given to companies in small, medium and large manufacturer categories that exhibit a high degree of corporate responsibility, economic impact on Georgia and workforce excellence.
Another component of the MAW festivities - and an objective of this event in general - is an educational one, i.e. making school children aware of industry and manufacturing as providing viable career options.
Each year there are several school-related activities initiated, such as poster or placemat design contests, with scholarships awarded. It is important for students to know that manufacturers provide jobs for engineers, scientists, technicians, advertisers, utility companies, and many others in our state. As students research manufacturing in order to enter the design competition, they will learn that a career in manufacturing can be an exciting and rewarding option and that they will begin to understand the significance of manufacturing to their part of the state.
“We had children from area elementary schools participate in the placemat design contest again this year,” explains Marketing Director Jennifer Ahrens. “A student from our service area won the contest in 2008 and was awarded a $300 scholarship check; perhaps we will have another this year.”
In promoting awareness of manufacturing and its importance to our state, the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department Economic Development emphasize these facts:
- Manufacturing is vital to Georgia's economy.
- Nearly 10,000 manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, providing jobs for approximately 450,000 Georgians.
- Manufacturing accounts for almost 10 percent of the employment in our state.
- Georgia's manufacturing operations include a variety of industries, such as transportation equipment, aerospace, computers and electronics, food, paper, metal fabrication, textiles, and plastics.
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For more information about the award and event, visit www.georgiamaw.org.
February 5, 2010
(2010, February 17). The Sandersville Progress, 9A. |
