SOUTH-TEC's Showfloor Expands to Accommodate Growing Demand
September 28, 2013
SME’s manufacturing show, SOUTH-TEC, has expanded its showfloor to accommodate demand for more exhibit space at its Oct. 29-31 expo in Greenville, S.C.
More than 300 companies will exhibit on the SOUTH-TEC floor at the TD Center and approximately 4,000 attendees are expected, according to SME officials.
"SME SOUTH-TEC will provide attendees thousands of square feet of opportunity, bursting with a full spectrum of knowledge, innovation, training and learning," said Dennis Bray, CEO of Contour Precision Group, LLC of Clover, S.C., and president of SME.
He added, "Experts on manufacturing technology will share knowledge about advanced techniques, productivity, new technologies and skilled workforce to representatives of industry, innovation, government and education."
A few of the sessions on tap are listed here:
Dr. Gary Green, president of Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, N.C.,will lead a discussion of the importance of a strong network among industry, educators, government, and community colleges to address the critical need to "up-skill" current and future workers in the manufacturing industry, preparing them for high-tech manufacturing jobs. Jeff Hunt, Spartanburg Community College, Susan Pretulak, ReadySC and Pam Howze from Siemens will be among the panelists.
A panel, moderated by Bill Donohue of GENEDGE Alliance (part of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership), will address optimizing global supply chain performance. Guillaume Giroudon of Volvo Group Truck Operations, Bryan Dods of GE Power and Water and Barry Bell from Mahle Group will share how their companies are synchronizing their supply and value chains to create more dynamic overall performance.
Paddy Fleming, defense manufacturing specialist from MilTECH, provides an overview of contractor qualifications required by the Department of Defense. Also covered is how SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) can help fund product development work within your company.
South Carolina U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham sees this year’s SOUTH-TEC as recognition of the burgeoning strength of manufacturing in the region, according to show officials.
"The Southeast - and South Carolina specifically - is one of the fastest-growing manufacturing regions in the United States. We are proud SME SOUTH-TEC has recognized this by choosing Greenville to showcase manufacturing progress and technology innovation," Sen. Graham said.
He added, "Greenville, and the surrounding areas, are distinctive in their advanced manufacturing leadership that benefits countries across the globe through trade and raises per-capita income in South Carolina."
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