Dean Peckham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2019

CONTACT: Michelle Stofan
Vice President
(916) 784-0200

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Local Manufacturer Receives President’s “E” Award for U.S. Exporting Achievements

ROSEVILLE, CA –– Garner Products, Inc., a manufacturer in Roseville and designer of NSA-listed hard drive degaussers and physical hard drive destroyers, is proud to announce that U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilber Ross presented Garner Products with the President’s “E” award for Exports at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2019. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition that any United States entity can receive for its ongoing significant contributions to the expansion of U.S. exports.

“Garner Products has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with Garner Products’ product modifications to support increased international sales. The company’s presence in approximately 85 countries was also particularly notable. Garner Products’ achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the company announcing its selection.

“We want to thank the U.S. Department of Commerce. We’re extremely honored and grateful for this recognition and for being presented this prestigious award.” said Ronald Stofan, president of Garner Products. “I’d also like to thank Garner’s hard-working and dedicated team members and business partners whose efforts have made our international expansion possible.”

In 2018, U.S. exports were the highest on record with U.S. services at $821.1 billion and U.S. exports of goods reaching $1.7 trillion, demonstrating how American private enterprise can not only survive, but thrive, in the international market.

In total, Secretary Ross honored 48 U.S. companies from across the country with the President’s “E” Award for Exports for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of our borders.

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About the “E” Awards

U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Department’s International Trade Administration. With offices across the United States and in embassies and consulates around the world, the International Trade Administration lends its expertise at every stage of the exporting process by promoting and facilitating exports and investment into the United States; administering Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties orders; and removing, reducing, or preventing foreign trade barriers.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II “E” symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America’s exporters. A criterion for the award is based on four years of successive export growth in one or more international markets. For more information about the “E” Awards and the benefits of exporting, visit www.export.gov.

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About Garner Products

From the office to the battlefield, Garner Products designs, manufactures, and sells high tech data security equipment that ensures data is unrecoverable and data theft protected. Garner Products builds NSA-listed data elimination equipment that completely and permanently erases and destroys data on hard drives, tapes, solid-state media and flash drives, whether the media is functioning or not. The privately held company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Roseville, California. To learn more, visit www.garnerproducts.com.

SVMI HOSTS SUMMER 2019 “TRAIN THE TRAINER” FOR HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS

“Folsom High School Instructor, Drew Bias, participating in the 2018 Train the Trainer” at Tri Tool.

SVMI is proud to announce that it is hosting its second annual “Train the Trainer” program for regional high school career technical education (CTE) instructors during June & July 2019.These training sessions are hosted by a variety of people including high school instructors, community college instructors, and business partners.  The training is meant for anyone that has an existing manufacturing or engineering program or will have one in the near future.

There will not be a cost to the trainee for participating in the training.  SVMI will rely on available district professional development funds, company sponsorships, and Deputy Sector Navigator funds to cover the overhead training costs.

Brochure Download

If you know of a teacher who may be interested, please share the EventBrite link below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summer-2019-manufacturing-teacher-training-tickets-60473690436

If your company, or one of your suppliers is interested in being a program sponsor, please see the following sponsorship flyer.  Your support is critical to developing a strong manufacturing sector in our region.

Folsom-Cordova Unified School District Recruiting New Welding Instructor

The Folsom-Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) is recruiting a welding instructor for the Kinney Adult Education High School for the Fall 2019 school year.  Kinney is one of the few adult education high schools in our region with a Manufacturing Career Technical Education program.

The position requires a valid California Single Subject Industrial Technologies Credential with English Learner Authorization or CTE Designated Subjects in Manufacturing & Product Development with an English Learn Authorization.  Experience with CNC machine operation s  and instruction  is highly desirable as the school is expanding the program.

This is a great opportunity for a high school instructor looking for a new challenge, or an experienced welder from the industry looking for a new challenge.

If you know of someone who may be interested, please direct them to the “Ed Join” website:

FCUSD Recruiting for Welding Instructor

 

 

SVMI & Sierra College Collaborate on CNC Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program

Sacramento Manufacturers Fund CNC Machining Training at Sierra College to Create Labor Pool

Through the partnership between Sierra College and the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative, an intensive 60 hour machinist training was developed, taught and paid for by manufacturing companies bent on creating a labor pool of people with basic skills who could enter the trade as apprentices.

April 22, 2019 (Rocklin, CA) – With a common need to fill open positions for machinists, members of the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI) led a partnership to create an intensive 60 hour Introduction to Machining program held at Sierra College, explained Tim Schaefer, West Coast Regional Sales Manager, CERATIZIT Sacramento (Formerly PROMAX Tools), and SVMI Leadership Committee member. “Our goal was to create an entry way to the employment pipeline for recruits and a labor pool of people with some understanding of basic machining skills for our members,” said Schaefer.

The SVMI training was very successful with 14 out 15 apprentices completing, explained Mike Bell, Deputy Sector Navigator for Advanced Manufacturing for the California Community College Chancellor’s Office in the North Region hosted at Sierra College and SVMI committee member. “The Sierra College Hass Center for Advanced Manufacturing by Design was equipped to provide participants with experience on standard tools used by industry,” said Bell. “Most of the trainees were hired, are earning an excellent starting wage and will qualify for a $500 Haas Foundation award for completing the program and being enrolled as a Sierra College student. Employers covered the cost of the instructors and lab, and two-thirds of that cost will be reimbursed by Employment Training Panel funding if an apprentice was hired and completed the 90 day probation.”

 

Michelle Stofan, Vice President, Garner Products Inc., sees the SVMI basic skills program as a new approach to recruiting. “It is difficult to detect work ethic in an interview or the genuine interest of candidates who have no experience in the field,” said Stofan. “When someone commits to participate in training three times each week for six weeks, you know they are personally motivated to explore a machining career.”

Bell indicated that the demand for machinists is high in the Sacramento region and state. “Modern machining is extremely precise using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) tools to make parts for space ships, medical devices, automated equipment, race cars and robotics,” said Bell. “Employers have open positions now and anticipate an ongoing need for qualified CNC machinists. Journeyman machinists earn high wages and have an excellent career outlook.”

When he heard about the intensive machinist training, Ben Furiosi was working in construction and now he is works as a Machinist Apprentice at a local company. “The training took away the intimidation of working in a new job because I was somewhat familiar with the tools and processes,” said Furiosi. “It is amazing to take a chunk of metal and turn it into something that serves another purpose. Working as a machinist apprentice is something that I take a great deal of pride in and now the day just flies by.”

Austin Wilkinson, Production Manager, TechnipFMC (formerly Schilling Robotics), who served as an instructor, indicated that the industry-developed training was unique because industry representatives could provide concrete examples of how the skill or method applied in the real world. “Instructors gave participants insight into the work they were doing in their shops.” said Wilkinson. “We shared personal tips and things we wish someone had told us when we were entering the field.”

Scott McLean says that he is excited to be starting a second career as a machinist apprentice as a result of the SMVI program. “I would definitely recommend this program,” said McClean. “The breadth of material covered gave me the introduction I needed to become an apprentice. As a scuba diver of over 30 years, I definitely feel ownership of my work knowing that the undersea robotic equipment will be used in oceans across the globe.”

This innovative machining training and recruiting project was a collaborative effort, explained Schaefer. “SVMI benefited from the support of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, Gene Haas Foundation, Valley Vision and Sierra College,” said Schaefer. “The machining curriculum was developed and taught by machine shop foreman from local firms including Airpoint Precision, CERATIZIT Sacramento, Garner Products Inc. and TechnipFMC. The companies identified common needs and agreed on the basic skill sets to teach in the fast paced training, such as using measuring tools and understanding tolerances.”

The SVMI training definitely shows promise as a way creating a pipeline of people interested in machining careers, explained Dirk Halvorsen, Machine Shop Supervisor, TechnipFMC. “Through the training, SVMI created a pool of candidates who had some hands-on experience in machining, enough to know if they were interested in pursuing this career,” said Halvorsen. “While those who completed had limited experience, they proved themselves to be motivated applicants.”

About SVMI
SVMI is organized by and for Sacramento’s manufacturers to work with educators and industry partners to proactively develop vocational, educational and workforce initiatives and programs leading to fulfilling manufacturing career paths for our region’s students and workforce. Learn more at: https://www.sacvalleymfg.org/

About Sierra College
The Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3200 square miles of Northern CA with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four year Universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diane Wright
Sierra College Marketing/Public Relations
916-660-7272
dwright@sierracollege.edu
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Photos provided courtesy of Mike Bell who gives permission to Sierra College to distribute them.

2- CNC apprentices completed training provided by members of the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative at the Sierra College Hass Center for Advanced Manufacturing by Design in Rocklin CA.

160404 – The Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative held CNC training at the Sierra College Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing by Design to introduce trainees to machinist careers and prepare them for apprenticeships at local companies.

The Next Generation of Manufacturing in the Sacramento Region.

 

Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI) Career Pathways in Manufacturing

Dean Peckham, Executive Director of the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative

Volume V/Issue 2 | Winter 2018

During the past decade, the Sacramento Region was disproportionately impacted by the last recession, with the collapse of the residential construction industry and related financial services. Economic studies identified that the region’s dependence on the government sector was creating an imbalance in the economy and related employment sectors. If the regional economy was to be sustainable, it needed to diversify to weather future economic cycles.

In April 2018, facing growing pressures to recruit and retain critical manufacturing talent, a group of 60 manufacturing CEO’s organized as the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI) to address the need for a qualified, trained workforce, with critical support from the California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC) and Valley Vision.

SVMI Train-the-Trainer Education 2018

SVMI proactively develops vocational, educational and workforce initiatives and programs leading to fulfilling manufacturing career paths for the region’s students and workforce. SVMI efforts ensure that the Sacramento area is viewed as a region of manufacturing excellence with a globally competitive manufacturing sector and a solid pipeline of skilled workers to showcase our region’s success and expansion.

SVMI education initiatives include presentations to high school manufacturing technology programs about career pathways; tours of local manufacturers by high school classes; high school and community college curriculum development to ensure that curriculum is relevant to modern manufacturing; Train-the-Trainer seminars for high school teachers; and serving on high school and community college career technical education advisory boards.

Second, SVMI has identified  critical  occupations  that  have an immediate workforce need in the region and the critical skillsets that benefit all occupations. Initial programs include the implementation of customized training programs such as computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinists and industrial maintenance mechanics (IMM).

CNC machinists are critical occupations within a wide variety of metal-working industries such as transportation and aerospace. IMM are critical middle skills occupations in the region’s food processing industry, which have a long history in the Central and Sacramento Valleys.

SVMI has partnered with Sierra College to provide contract education to manufacturers while the CA Manufacturing Technology Association (CMTA) and Employment Training Panel (ETP) provide critical training funds.

Recruiting the next generation requires ongoing collaboration with the region’s four workforce development boards (WDB’s) to educate and recruit young people, ages 18 to 24, into manufacturing career pathways. Last, the partnership with the WDB’s ensures that dislocated employees seamlessly transition to other regional employers to retain critical talent and transition some employees into new roles as community college educators.

Developing sustainable and healthy communities requires ongoing attention to workforce development, ensuring that all members of society benefit from a healthy economy. This can only occur through ongoing, sustained collaboration across diverse communities including neighborhood groups, public officials, education, workforce development, and industry partners.

For more information, please contact Dean Peckham, SVMI Executive Director, at dpeckham@sacvalleymfg.org