Dalton manufacturing summit draws national attention

Published 7:30 am Monday, May 16, 2011

The manufacturing summit that will be held in Dalton Thursday has attracted not only some of the nation’s top business leaders but some of the top political leaders from Georgia and Tennessee.

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens will be one of those government officials who’ll be there to listen to what’s on the minds of American manufacturers.

“Georgia needs jobs and nothing can generate jobs as quickly as manufacturing. As Georgia’s insurance commissioner I want to do all I can to encourage growth with the right climate to buy insurance in Georgia,” Hudgens said.

The conference is sponsored by Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, who will be there. Joining him will be another member of Congress, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn.

“Rep. Fleischmann wants to support Rep. Graves in his efforts to use free market principles to help manufacturing. He’s interested in listening to manufacturers and finding out what the government can do for them and whether they want them to do something or just get out of the way and make it easier for American business to thrive and produce the goods they are best at,” said Jordan Powell, spokesman for Fleischmann.

Dalton and Whitfield County officials have high hopes for the conference, which has been named “We can make it in America.”

“This summit will be the beginning of a renewed focus on manufacturing and the importance it has to our overall economy. Since Dalton is one of the last manufacturing clusters in America, it only makes sense that we lead this,” said Dalton Mayor David Pennington.

According to data on the Dalton-Whitfield County Joint Development Authority website, some 36.73 percent of the county’s work force works in manufacturing, not including those in management. They made an average annual wage of $35,984 in 2009, the latest year for which data are available.

In addition, five of Whitfield County’s 10 largest employers and all of its top three largest employers are manufacturing firms.

Those who attend the conference will hear from several prominent business leaders and economists on the importance of manufacturing to the economy and how government, at both the state and national levels, can help boost manufacturing.

Stephen Moore, columnist and editorial board member of The Wall Street Journal, will discuss how manufacturing leads to economic growth. In a recent column headlined “We’ve Become a Nation of Takers, Not Makers,” Moore noted there are nearly twice as many people in America working for government than in manufacturing and all but two states have more people working in government than manufacturing.

T. Boone Pickens, a Texas billionaire known for his expertise on energy affairs, will discuss the state of manufacturing in the United States. Pickens is the author of the Pickens Plan, which calls for reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by investing in wind and solar power and by converting commercial trucking to natural gas from petroleum.

In fact, energy issues will have a prominent place at the event.

Tom Fanning, CEO of the Southern Co., will discuss how energy affects manufacturing. And Dalton Utilities President and CEO Don Cope will moderate a panel discussion on energy issues. Participants in the panel will include Atlanta Gas Light President Suzanne Sitherwood, Georgia Power Chief Operating Officer Paul Bowers, Southern Natural Gas President Norman Holmes and MEAG Power President Robert Johnston.

Textile Rubber and Chemical Co. President Chip Howalt will talk about diversifying from carpet manufacturing to other forms of manufacturing.

And Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun will moderate a panel discussion on  state and federal regulations. Shaw Industries CEO Vance Bell is scheduled to be among the participants for that panel.

Education will have a prominent place on the summit’s agenda as well.

Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson will discuss the importance of education in manufacturing.

Melvin Elverson, from the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, will moderate a panel on work force development. Participants in that panel will include Ron Jackson, commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, and Chattanooga State Community College President James Catanzaro.

In brief

The 2011 Manufacturing Summit will be Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center in Dalton. The event is free and open to the public, but there are currently less than 280 seats available and they must be reserved in advance. To find out more about the summit and to reserve seats go to www.mfg2011summit.com.