The Georgia Manufacturing Alliance continued its state-wide growth trajectory today as GMA members and guests toured the production facility and held a member meeting at the Savannah Morning News building, hosted by 29-year SMN veteran Stacy Jennings. GMA members were able to see and discuss the newspaper’s production and press process and equipment with the SMN staff. Most were impressed with the technology and system advances the company has embraced over decades to improve how the Savannah Morning News gets to readers most efficiently and timely every day.

“Manufacturing in Georgia covers a wide range of materials, products and organizations,” said Jason Moss, CEO of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance. “Newspapers are most definitely something people see and use every day that they may not connect to ‘manufacturing,” yet after seeing the way the Savannah Morning News has invested in huge amounts of equipment and production process improvement, this is manufacturing at its core,” Moss stated.

Promoting Georgia’s Best People and Products

Already established firmly in the Atlanta area, the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance has three main goals – to connect, educate and promote Georgia’s manufacturing entities to one another and to the state and region at large. The Coastal Chapter of GMA was launched in April with a tour at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, followed by Thunderbolt Marine in May. The chapter has a local leadership team in place and has secured dates for tours and meetings the fourth Friday of every month through 2015, with the goal of adding related events later in the year to supplement the needs of the local manufacturing community. Members are already benefiting from meeting each other and touring production facilities. Scott Rasplicka, CEO of Delta Metals, stated: “Many of our customers only see us when we install metal products or roofing in their facility; but, what most people do not realize is that we are a manufacturing facility. Consequently, we need to stay close to our customer base and learn from fellow manufacturers, and GMA gives us those opportunities.”

“We manufacturers are as much alike as we are different,” said Laura Lee Bocade, Business & Community Development Leader at DIRTT Environmental Solutions. “This is the first group devoted specifically to connecting manufacturers in our local community and sharing best practices and solutions on common ground. Secretly, we all want to see inside everyone else’s manufacturing “closet,” and this is a legitimate and beneficial way to do that while building a strong resource like the GMA for our area,” Bocade said. 

To register for upcoming events and learn more about the tours hosted by GMA, visit http://www.GeorgiaManufacturingAlliance.com