Manufacturing leaders swap work force ideas at Midwest City conference

BYLINE: Ginger Shepherd

Manufacturing in the state is in good shape, but leaders are trying to find ways to bolster the work force, said Roy Peters, president of the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence.Peters was among 350 manufacturing leaders who took part in the Oklahoma Conference on Manufacturing Wednesday at the Reed Center. The Alliance presented the conference, which was sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce."Recent history tells us manufacturing jobs went from 141,000 to 145,000 in the state," Peters said. "It's going up; we're hiring.

"The increase in production is beginning to put a strain on the work force. Peters said state manufacturing and education leaders are collecting their thoughts and beginning to come up with answers."There have been some solutions," Peters said. "Career Tech has stepped up with a shorter-term program. Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech has redesigned its program to make it more attractive to students. "Peters said the Governor's Council and the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence have created ideas that could utilize welfare recipients. Also, a program with the Department of Corrections concerning early parolees could boost the employee numbers, he said."We are looking at the problem of high school and college dropouts and finding ways to get them into the work force," Peters said. "The sales pitch is that these are fairly high-paying jobs. The average is about $15 an hour with benefits. "Peters said the oil and gas industry and the aerospace industry have increased manufacturing figures in the area."A lot of the growth has been driven by energy, particularly in refinery replacement parts, gas processing and tanks; it's really a growing sector," he said. "Also, commercial and military aerospace has grown, and a lot of aerospace companies like Precision Machine and Manufacturing of Grove are not that visible. That company makes things for Boeing. "Five manufacturers were given Governor's Manufacturing Leadership Awards during the program.Recipients included Muncie Power Products of Tulsa, UPCO of Claremore, Cammond Industries in Ada, Freightliner Specialty Vehicles in Clinton and Rosewood Industries in Stigler.Muncie produces "power take offs" and additional parts for trucks and selected mobile equipment markets. UPCO gained its award for manufacturing steel sucker rods used in the oil drilling industry.Cammond Industries provides tractor implements for agricultural operations and industrial site preparation, Freightliner manufacturers a SportChassis line of luxury towing vehicles, and Rosewood builds custom cabinetry.John Brandt, chief executive officer for the Manufacturing Performance Institute, was keynote speaker at the conference and focused on creating customer value and sustainable profits in a global market.The conference also featured several breakout series, including Secrets of Competitive Intelligence, Federal Energy Tax Incentives, Real World Solutions to Workforce Issues, Synchronizing Strategic Improvement Methods for Business Growth, Lean Manufacturing for the Job Shop, Key Elements of WorkKeys and Oklahoma Business Tax Incentives and Oklahoma Department of Commerce Resources.