Industry leaders, elected officials, educators and community members gathered Wednesday at the Sparkman Civic Center for the city’s second annual State of Manufacturing event, where local manufacturing leaders expressed optimism about continued growth while emphasizing the need to develop the next generation of skilled workers.
Sponsored by several local industries and hosted by the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce, the event featured a panel discussion moderated by John Joseph IV of the Hartselle E-Center. Panelists included David Lugo of Sonoco, Phil Schmidt of Cerrowire, Matt Brooks of Nucor and Jeremy Nails of the Economic Development Center of Morgan County.
Discussion centered on the state of manufacturing in Hartselle and throughout Morgan County. Nails described the area as a “hot spot for growth” and the “fastest growing area in Alabama,” a sentiment echoed by the other panelists…