Weiss also says his company learned how to be agile , adopt virtual practices when possible and roll out safety practices to keep on-site employees safe during working hours .
However , growth in any industry brings challenges , and one of those is finding a skilled workforce to help meet the demand for these products .
“ Again , the pandemic mostly accelerated changes that were already happening in our industry and marketplace . This includes a shortage of workers . After the pandemic , we moved from simply collecting employment applications at our front door to actively recruiting potential employees ,” says Caperton . “ For the first 25 years of our business , the furniture supply easily exceeded the demand . This was due to shrinking demand and expanding supply . We now operate in an industry where demand easily outstrips supply . Our production lead times have moved from six weeks to six months . The factory is sold out through August . We are now in a race against inflation . We need to get furniture to customers fast — not just for service but to keep our production costs below our sale prices .”
Rebecca McPhail , the West Virginia Manufacturers Association ( WVMA ) president , says many West Virginia manufacturers are running at capacity and seeing challenges with workforce and supply chain issues . However , the outlook for the state ’ s manufacturing industry is positive and reveals new opportunities .
“ In many ways , supply chain shortages that manufacturers and end consumers experienced during the pandemic create a compelling argument for increased domestic manufacturing . With an abundance of natural resources and the prospect of downstream natural gas development for use in chemical manufacturing , West Virginia is well positioned to see more investment in manufacturing operations ,” says McPhail .
To help bring in these investments , McPhail would like to see the West Virginia Legislature remove some hurdles , including the taxing of investment in new technologies and environmental controls as personal property .
“ Being one of only a few states that impose this tax on manufacturers without broad exemption is a competitive disadvantage for West Virginia ,” she says .
According to McPhail , despite many challenges , state leaders have worked over the past few years to remove barriers to manufacturing growth and investment and have done a wonderful job highlighting the benefits of investing in our state .
“ There is still more work to be done , but the needle is moving ,” she says . “ Newly announced investment by NuCor Corporation and GreenPower has set the stage for even more growth . The Legislature is motivated to create good jobs for West Virginians , and manufacturers can provide those jobs and more . Manufacturers are community partners who invest not only in plant operations but also in the communities that surround their facilities . More manufacturing means better jobs and stronger communities .”
Like the industry , the WVMA is also in growth mode , according to McPhail .
“ We are adding new members and programming regularly ,” she says . “ We spend our time cultivating a network of manufacturers in West Virginia that can share best practices , help meet supply chain demands and represent a strong voice when it comes to policy advocacy and mobilization . We believe manufacturing can be the foundation of our state economy and are proud to represent the companies that are creating great jobs , quality products and helping West Virginia gain prominence as a wonderful place to live , work and raise a family .”
McPhail is proud of the industry and how it handled the pandemic .
“ I ’ ve said it many times during the pandemic , but manufacturers are leaders in health and safety . Industry leaders and front-line manufacturing professionals worked tirelessly during COVID-19 to continue to make the items consumers need while maintaining high safety standards in their plants ,” she says . “ They did this by being nimble in the deployment of increased safety measures , encouraging safe and healthy practices and working proactively to provide testing and vaccinations to employees .” •
“ We continually invest in new facilities , equipment and training to bring topnotch offerings to our customers . We have embraced a new normal . We offer flexible schedules when possible and are happy to see our employees back .”
Photo by Northrop Grumman .
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