Operating under the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Asheville-Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition supports the area’s existing manufacturing industry by working with advanced manufacturing companies. 

Director of Industry Services Ashely Swanger said there are about 360 companies in the county that consider themselves within the manufacturing industry, from large corporations like Pratt & Whitney with hundreds of employees to many smaller companies operating with teams of 10 to 20 employees. The EDC works to support all of these companies who are making a wide variety of products, connecting them to resources and assisting with workforce needs.

After coming out of “crisis mode” during the height of COVID, Swanger said most leaders in this industry seem to have settled back into their regular routines. While employees seem to be working for longer terms, many employers’ focus has become staying connected to future workforce pipelines.

“They’re considering how to engage with students from high schools, community colleges, and universities as well as increasing engagement with underrepresented demographics in the community to help find career paths for people,” Swanger said. “They are now able to do more future planning instead of putting out fires.”

In addition to seeking future talent, many companies are working to retain their incoming and existing workforce. Companies are showing people the opportunity for a prolonged career path that is more than just a job. They are helping with education via offers like tuition reimbursement, allowing people to work while pursuing their degree or certificate, and training internally for higher-level positions. Some even offer options for employee childcare support.

The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, a partnership of private business executives and the leading workforce development organizations in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania Counties, is also helping support manufacturing workforce growth. They coordinate programs focused on eliminating barriers to employment, and manufacturing is often a good fit for the programs’ participants.

Working closely with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College’s workforce development team, Swanger helps keep manufacturing companies informed about potential customized training programs, which can support both existing and incoming manufacturing companies.

“We also work to build a sense of community,” Swanger said. “We meet at different manufacturing locations to host a quarterly sustainability council event. This allows a chance for networking and for people to ‘talk shop’ about things like best practices, ways to recycle, how to evaluate waste streams, as well as discuss employee development.”

Other trends Swanger is noticing include considerations for growth planning. Expansion can be challenging when looking for commercial property, as there is not much flat land available. When the EDC does hear of space becoming available, they do their best to let companies know right away. Commercial property information also appears on their website. Other growth solutions that leadership teams of many companies are considering include automation complementary to their existing workforce and investing in technology to help people work more efficiently.

“It will be interesting to see how companies incorporate ways to be flexible that may not be the way people have traditionally seen manufacturing,” Swanger said. “The narrative is changing around what workers actually do, what opportunities are out there, and how companies are collaborating with one another. The entrepreneurial spirit carries the community — a unique attribute of this area regardless of the types of work or size of the company. This is a place where people want to be, and it helps to have so many different ideas and experiences being brought to the region.”