Business Today

POPLAR BLUFF -- Joe Driskill, director of Missouri's Department of Economic Development, recently presented two local factories with Customized Training Grants.

Gates Rubber Co. received a check for $17,250 and Briggs & Stratton received a check for $25,300.

"They are, as far as we can tell, good investments in state dollars," Driskill said. "It's not large sums of money but it is our down payment on assistance to them for job training, essentially."

The Department of Economic Development (DED) and its Division of Workforce Development have approved almost $4 million in state assistance to help companies offset costs of training programs.

"These grants will be used to upgrade the skills of their workers so that the plants can be more productive," Driskill said.

Briggs & Stratton plant manager Mark Malloy said the grant money will provide training for about 160 employees.

The programs are coordinated through Three Rivers Community College.

"We have installed some new machining technology and some new robotics. We are working on developing new assessments and related training for those technical positions," Malloy said. "As manufacturing gets leaner, we have to develop our employees to handle new responsibilities. New technology dictates new training for it."

Gates Rubber Co. plant manager Jim Pry already has plans for the grant money.

"We feel in order to compete with companies in China and Malaysia, we have to do a lot of training and streamlining of our processes," Pry said. "We really appreciate the state of Missouri and the Department of Economic Development for recognizing our efforts to be more competitive. It's great to get this kind of support."