Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County

MCPC Board Members represents:

- $500 million in revenue

- 1500 jobs and

- $60 million in payroll

ALL right here in Pickens County!

In 2013 a group of business leaders formed Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County (MCPC) and set big goals to improve the economic development climate and attractiveness of Pickens County.

MCPC sponsors an event that gathers guidance counselors from all the Pickens County schools to learn about job outlooks, training programs, economic development benefits and strategy, and what skill sets local manufacturers look for and hire. Manufacturers want and need skilled and educated employees in their work force. They can reach these employees through various efforts in cooperation with the School District of Pickens County and Tri-County Technical College. Better education does not only lead to better employees, but better parents, families and societal quality.

A well-educated work force will result in more companies expanding and moving to Pickens. More companies leads to more jobs, an increased tax base, and more money to be spent on education and social services. There are many other intangible benefits that are driven by economic

development within the county and MCPC is striving to make this happen.

Tom O’Hanlan, CEO of Sealevel Systems, one of the founders sums up the goals of MCPC very nicely in saying, “the group was formed to advocate STEM education, economic development and social benefits, impacting quality of life and growth in Pickens County.”

For more information on Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County please contact us at Info@ManufacturersCaringForPickens.com

In The News

MCPC Supports STEAM Education in

Pickens County Schools

As part of their ongoing commitment to supporting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art + Design, Math) education initiatives, Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County (MCPC) proudly donated funds to purchase art boards for the School District of Pickens County.

March 2017 was the first Youth Arts Months for Pickens County students. County art teachers alongside the Pickens County Museum of Art and History and the Pickens County Cultural Museum worked to expand the program to feature art at each of the four high schools. To properly display

Continued

Business Group Honors Capaldi for Education Impact

Julie Capaldi, President of the United Way of Pickens County, has been recognized by local business leaders for her impact on hundreds of students. Capaldi received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award from Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County (MCPC) for her work with Camp iRock, a summer reading camp to support struggling readers in Pickens County. MCPC presented the award at the school board meeting on March 26.

“Julie Capaldi’s passionate literacy work with students has spread across the county,” said Tom O’Hanlan, chairman of MCPC and owner of Sealevel Systems, Inc. “She has helped our schools engage the community to support students before they fall too far behind in reading.”

Continued

MCPC Announces Support for Upstate SC Alliance

The Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County (MCPC) today announced their unqualified support for Pickens County rejoining the Upstate SC Alliance.

Tom Strange, Sr. Director of Research and Development at Abbott (formerly St. Jude Medical), said, "The reentry of Pickens County to the Upstate SC Alliance represents a broad recognition that Pickens County needs to return as a member in full, which will allow the county to reap all the benefits other counties currently receive.”

It is the hope of MCPC that the county will give Upstate SC Alliance time to generate the leads that can produce new business opportunities.

Continued

Building an Educational Pipeline to Create a

Skilled Workforce

upstatealliance.com

Upstate manufacturers seize opportunity.

In the Upstate, industries are heeding the call to raise awareness for manufacturing careers.

An integral part of the SC Technical College System, Apprenticeship Carolina™ has worked with nearly 200 companies across Upstate South Carolina to register demand driven apprenticeship programs in hundreds of occupations with the US Department of Labor. Although the majority of Upstate SC apprenticeship programs have been registered in the manufacturing sector, other industries

Continued

The Mission:

Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County goal is to reach out to our Pickens County community, to enhance, develop, and

enrich our socioeconomic

values and conditions

to higher levels.

Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County Board

John Cutchin

Palmetto Plating Company, Inc.

PalmettoPlating.com

jcutchin@palmettoplating.com

864.859.9314