EVCO Plastics, Jefferson Southern and OTR MAW 2008

Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) and the area Chambers’ of Commerce have nominated three local manufacturing companies for the 2008 Georgia Manufacturer of the Year award. The nominees are EVCO Plastics, Calhoun; Jefferson Southern Corporation, Rockmart; and OTR, Wheel Engineering, Inc. Rome. The nominees for Manufacturer of the Year will be honored by Governor Perdue at a luncheon at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, on April 17, 2008. This luncheon is the highlight of Manufacturing Appreciation Week (MAW). MAW recognizes the valuable impact manufacturing makes on the State of Georgia.

EVCO Plastics, manufacturer of a variety of plastic products, was nominated by the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce and Coosa Valley Technical College in the small category for manufacturing companies with a workforce of less than 150. EVCO employs approximately 70 people, with 90 percent being residents of Gordon County, and has a yearly payroll of $1.3 million. Tim Hart, CVTC’s Director of Business and Industry for Gordon County says, “EVCO represents the high quality of our companies in Gordon County. They have made a positive economic impact on our community and continue to expand and improve their products. They give back to the community, provide jobs, and ongoing training for their employees. EVCO's local leadership team displays integrity and values each employee.”

Jefferson Southern Corporation was nominated by CVTC and the Polk County Chamber of Commerce in the medium category. Companies in the medium category have 151-750 employees. Jefferson Southern has about 200 employees, and nearly 90 percent of the workforce are residents of Polk County. Jefferson Southern’s annual payroll is $7.5 million, much of which flows back into the local community. The company also generates annual sales of $62 million. Jefferson Southern manufactures automotive components. “Jefferson Southern is an example of how the industry mix has changed in our area. CVTC and Quick Start have enjoyed working with them to help fill their workforce training needs,” stated Jim Powell, CVTC’s Director of Business and Industry for Floyd and Polk counties.

OTR Wheel Engineering, Inc., founded in 1987 by Fredrick B. Taylor, was nominated by the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and CVTC. OTR, the leading specialty “off the road” tire and wheel distributor in North America, is engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of wheels, tires, and mounted tire/wheel assemblies used on “off the road” equipment. OTR produces high quality products to meet customer requirements on a global scale and has annual sales of over $135 million. OTR Wheel Engineering, Inc. was nominated in the medium category. “OTR has demonstrated a strong commitment to our community. They have been a supportive community partner as well as a strong member of the manufacturing sector,” said Powell.

In promoting awareness of manufacturing and its importance to our state, the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education and the Georgia Department of Economic Development emphasize that 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; and Georgia’s manufacturing operations include a variety of industries, such as transportation equipment, aerospace, computers and electronics, food, paper, metal fabrication, textiles, and plastics.

Also included in Manufacturing Appreciation Week are the awards for the student design contest. Student artwork, depicting manufacturing in the state of Georgia, is judged in three categories, including placemats (elementary school art), posters (middle school art), and t-shirts (high school art). The student winner of each category will receive a $500 cash prize.