August 2025

This month we highlight partner Dustin Chambers of Haering Precision located in Hart County. Mark your calendar and register below for our September in-person manufacturing sector meeting. Our regional Georgia manufacturers continue to grow and expand in Georgia, and we are so proud to be working alongside of all of you.

-Shelley and Greg, Workforce Strategies Group LLC 

Meet Our Partners

We are excited to introduce Dustin Chambers, Commercial Plant Manager at Haering Precision USA in Hart County.



"The impact has been tremendous as many of our apprentices and work-based learning students choose to stay, which helps us maintain a skilled and reliable workforce and is invaluable to our success.” Chambers said.

Read the full article here.

Join us on September 10 for our in-person Georgia Mountains Works Manufacturing Sector Meeting at Lanier Technical College. No cost to attend but registration is required.

Registration includes the opportunity to select from breakout session topics aligned with your workforce development interests:

• Apprenticeship: Pre-Apprenticeship
• Workforce Development: Discerning Go-Getters
• Workforce Development: Internal Marketing
• Workforce Development: Short-Term Skill Training
• Work Based Learning and MFG

The 2025 Wage Survey is here! Region 2 Employers are invited to participate. The purpose of the survey is to publish current wages for the Top 10 Occupational Priorities+ as identified by the Georgia Mountains Works MFG Sector Employer Sector Partnership.

• 17 Job Descriptions
• 26 Perks and Benefits
• 13 county area
• MFG and Trade-Related Only

Survey results are presented in a format to ensure the confidentiality of all participating manufacturers as it relates to specific job compensation levels.

Success Story

As his Stephens County High School graduation approached, Logan was uncertain about the future. He knew he didn’t want to follow the traditional college route but wanted a career , a good income, and a stable future. He enrolled in the two-week Manufacturing Challenge offered through North Georgia Technical College. The training provided the foundational skills necessary to succeed in a modern manufacturing environment, including Forklift Operation, Precision Measuring Certification, CPR/First Aid, Manufacturing Safety, and Work Readiness.

After successful completion, Logan was given the opportunity to interview with four employers. Ultimately, he accepted a position with Georgia Mountains Works partner GM Wood Products of Georgia and began working in July as a Molder, earning $17 per hour. He is enjoying his new role and is excited about the opportunities for growth and advancement in the industry.

Georgia Mountains Works is proud to bring your attention to the collaboration between a development authority, high school, a technical college, employers, and WorkSource Georgia Mountains to facilitate this young men’s success.

Nine manufacturers and trade-related employers across 3 counties took advantage of Incumbent Worker Training funds this past year. Over $50,000 was reimbursed to employers for training employees — helping upskill more than 80 existing team members through programs like SAIL and LEAD, SolidWorks, and Foreman Certifications.

Participating companies include: ASI Southeast, Bitzer US, Caldwell Electric, Georgia Poultry Lab, Murray Plastics, Panel Built, Patterson Pump, and Ranger Manufacturing.

Incumbent Worker Training funding (IWT) reimburses 50% or more of training costs. Companies must complete the IWT agreement before training begins. Contact Niki McPherson at WorkSource Georgia Mountains for more information.

APPLY NOW! Apprenticeship Georgia's High Demand Apprenticeship Program offers up to $5,000 per Registered Apprentice to the company. The competitive application is open to employers now with an August 29 deadline. #ApprenticeGA

• Invite a motivational guest speaker for employee Lunch & Learns.
• Announce an employee skills competition with prizes.
• Dedicate a day to write inter-office thank-you notes.

Georgia manufacturers received a tax break in 2024, when the Gov. Kemp signed into law a new state income tax rate of 5.39%. Suppliers, fabricators, and other manufacturers save on by locating here, especially when their customer base is mainly outside of Georgia. #GaManufacturing

Congratulations to Luke Wheatley from Banks County High School FFA for being named a National Finalist in the Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Entrepreneurship proficiency award area. Luke’s SAE focuses on running his own agricultural equipment repair and maintenance business. #GaFFA

Congrats to these 2 Georgia Students for national awards for their top scores at SkillsUSA Georgia Post-Secondary! Jace Gephart and Jesus Vazquez Fonseca of Lanier Technical College received the Curtiss P. Bell Award for the highest team score in MECHATRONICS. #LanierTech

Our partner, Panel Built in Union County, was featured in the Georgia Chamber's "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia" bracket. They didn't make it to the final round, but it's hard to compete with something called a Super Hercules!

The competition is a new program by the Georgia Chamber to showcase our state's outstanding innovation and craftsmanship. #CoolestThingInGA

Nine more Industrial Maintenance Bootcamp graduates were celebrated! Job offers were made on the spot from employer partners Fieldale Farms and John Soules Foods and others. The first bootcamp launched 5 years ago through Georgia Mountains Works facilitated by Workforce Strategies Group LLC. Lanier Technical College, Gainesville High School, Hall County Schools, and Georgia Poultry Federation made this workforce development possible again.

#Manufacturing #Trades

Recently, Forsyth County Schools and the Forsyth County Chamber hosted the 2025 State of the Schools Address. This annual event highlighted the power of collaboration and how every business and organization in Forsyth County plays a vital role in shaping the success of the education system.

#StateOfTheSchools