Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions administers the state’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program and has been assisting companies with their development needs since 1995. Director Keith Gammill has been part of that effort for the past twelve years, using his background in Human Resources, technical and industrial engineering, and quality and plant management to assist manufacturers in finding successful paths to growth.
The MEP has twelve employees with expertise in various disciplines spread among three locations around the state, including offices at the University of Arkansas and Arkansas State University. Metals and fabrication, defense, boat building, and food industries are the major industries in the state, and make up the bulk Manufacturing Solutions’ clients, although they also work with a variety of other manufacturers.
Company Support is Paramount
Like other MEPs nationwide, they assist companies with obtaining quality certifications, implementing lean manufacturing processes, training programs, supply chain optimization, continuous improvement programs, strategic planning, etc. When beginning work with a company, they like to observe and analyze the possible needs of the specific company situation, rather than coming in with a preconceived idea about what to offer.
Like other MEPs, they are very familiar with the personnel issues that manufacturers face. Gammill says, “I just keep hearing over and over again, ‘We’ve promoted these front-line leaders, and some of these young managers based on their technical ability. They were operators, and they were good operators and technical people, but we haven’t taught them how to lead,’ so we’re doing everything we can to address that.” To that end, team building and leadership development are important components of what they offer to clients.
Right People, Right Position
Another significant aspect of personnel concerns for manufacturers is simply finding the employees to do the job. Of that issue, Gammill says, “There is no short-term solution to this problem. As you look out over the next ten years, the problem doesn’t get better. It gets worse. What that leaves us with is that we must do the best that we can to attract, engage, and equip the people that we already have. That’s been my focus in the areas of planning and leadership development, and the like. We’re making sure we’re helping companies curate a culture and environment that is engaging and retaining those people that they can attract.” Very simply, high turnover makes the labor shortage that much worse, and it is a continual battle to fight the perception that all manufacturing is manual and dirty. “It’s important to showcase the new state of manufacturing,” he says.
A big part of that is technology adoption and implementation which is an emerging focus for the Arkansas MEP, although it has not always been that way. As they look to offer greater assistance to manufacturers in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence, Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions is bringing on a new staff member to specifically focus on that area. With automation and AI, Gammill explains, “We’re not trying to get rid of people, we’re trying to redeploy people from an ergonomic and safety standpoint, and repetitive, monotonous work. We’re redeploying them to a better purpose.” Exposing manufacturers to the available technology that can make processes more cost effective and time efficient is an important goal and they are doing that with a “technology road map” to allow companies to see the benefits and plan for future development that will keep them on the cutting edge.
Recruiting new talent into the manufacturing world means getting the word out about the opportunities and possibilities to young people. That goal translates to reaching out to all levels of education, from K-12 through college, to show that manufacturing is a viable career choice with multiple paths. Although the MEP is not directly involved in setting up apprenticeships, they work to promote other programs bringing in new workers.
Planning for the Future
Although not geared toward students, the upcoming Arkansas Manufacturing Showcase, rebranded from their earlier Workforce Best Practices Summits, will include manufacturers, educators, and economic development agencies, and will focus not only on staffing needs, but also supply chain issues and technology expansion.
On the tariff and trade situation, uncertainty about what it will all actually mean for the future seems to be the present situation, but Gammill says, “We’re positioned to help Arkansas manufacturers succeed no matter what. We need robust connections to sources. If we’re going to make things here, we’ve got to be able to get the things to make things.” Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions continues to collaborate with other states’ MEPs, regionally and nationally, to exchange ideas and build on successful results in other places. “It’s not that we’re twelve team members in Arkansas. We’re part of a 1,400- member team ecosystem,” says Gammill, and that will only serve to strengthen the entire country’s manufacturing sector going forward.
