New Manufacturing Jobs Coming to Henry County, Virginia
Two companies are making headlines this month as Southwestern Virginia continues its push to rebuild its manufacturing sector. Alcoa has announced it will invest more than $8 million to expand its aerospace forging operation at its Titanium & Engineered Products facility in Henry County. The expansion will include adding a new grinder and two new forge furnaces which will double the plant’s capacity and create 15 additional jobs.
Also in Henry County, Performance Livestock and Feed Company announced it will invest $4.2 million dollars to establish a new feed production operation. A family-owned business, the company has committed to sourcing nearly $11 million in Virginia grains and feed ingredients. This new facility is expected to create 32 jobs.
Years ago, manufacturing accounted for a great many jobs in Southwest Virginia, primarily in the textile industry. Cheap foreign labor, however, drove numerous companies overseas. Like in other parts of the country, however, the tide is starting to turn. Advanced automation systems and robotics are reducing the number of people required to produce manufactured goods, effectively neutralizing the value of cheap labor. The remaining jobs, however, require great skill and education. The professionals who work at these clean, modern facilities must be able to program, maintain, and troubleshoot advanced manufacturing systems.
A number of organizations – including the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing and the Virginia Manufacturers Association – are working diligently to recruit additional companies. They are also trying to persuade prospective employees to consider advanced manufacturing. Therein lies a particular challenge. There are still a great many people who are unconvinced that manufacturing has a future. They also believe it’s a dirty, somewhat unpleasant work environment. Nothing could be further from the truth.
According to the Reshoring Initiative, a non-profit group dedicated to rebuilding America’s manufacturing sector, there are now more manufacturing jobs coming into the United States than out.
In the case of Alcoa and Performance Livestock and Feed Company, they may want to look just a short distance to their south, just across the North Carolina border. That’s where ECPI University and its Greensboro campus has programs specifically designed for the advanced manufacturing sector.
The Electronics Engineering Technology program is designed to produce graduates proficient in such areas as:
- Digital Electronics and Communications
- Computer Hardware and Software
- Computer Programming and Networks
- Data Acquisition and Control Systems
The campus’ Mechatronics program covers that same curriculum but also includes coursework in computer and information systems and mechanical engineering technology. Having a broad overview of operations makes them a valuable link between specialized technicians and the engineering staff.
ECPI from sheetrock hanger to electronics engineer in six short weeks, Get you some.
— Geo (@GeoMeek) May 17, 2015
Here’s the good news: Once someone decides this is the path they want to pursue, they don’t have to spend the next four years in college to get started. At ECPI University and its Greensboro campus, they can enroll in an accelerated, year-round program which means they can earn their Bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years! Interested? You can chat, email, or talk with an admissions advisor.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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