Event Details

Sailing through the Storm: Building Resilience in our Local Manufacturing Industry

Event Update – New Date Announced

Thank you for your interest in the Manufacturing Forum hosted by South Piedmont Community College and the Union County Chamber. We’ve rescheduled the event to Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to ensure stronger participation and a more valuable experience for everyone involved. Stay tuned for an updated agenda, featured speakers, and a broader focus on leadership, workforce development, and innovation across industries.

Event Overview

2025 has been a tough year for manufacturers. Many of our local partners are dealing with workforce shortages, the pressure to adopt new technologies, rising costs from tariffs and supply chain delays, and the challenge of keeping their teams engaged through it all.

This year’s forum will provide practical strategies leaders can use right away while connecting them with peers who are facing the same challenges. Together, SPCC and the Union County Chamber are partnering to strengthen the resilience of our manufacturing community.

Who Should Attend:

• Executive Leadership: CEOs, Presidents, and Plant Managers

• People & Workforce Leaders: HR and Training Managers, Supervisors

• Growth & Customer Leaders: Sales and Customer Experience Leaders

• Innovation & Technology Leaders: Technology decision-makers driving workforce resilience

Agenda 

• 8:00 – 8:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast

• 8:30 – 8:45 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks

• 8:45 – 9:30 AM | Customer Loyalty in a Disrupted World

• 9:30 – 10:15 AM | Selling Through Disruption

• 10:15 – 10:30 AM | Break

• 10:30 – 11:15 AM | Leadership in the Trenches: Building Trust & Retaining Talent (panel discussion)

• 11:15 – 12:00 PM | Workforce & AI: Recruiting, Reskilling, and Retention

• 12:00 – 12:30 PM | Networking Lunch & Closing for Morning Participants