Industry leaders in Hall County were honored Wednesday at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce's Thirteenth Annual Industry Appreciation Luncheon and Awards.
The event, held at Lanier Technical College, honors key industry leaders. According to the Chamber, awards are based on “economic impact, workforce excellence and corporate responsibility.”
This year, Senator Butch Miller, a member of the Georgia State Senate from the 49th District, was the keynote speaker.
Tim Evans, vice president of economic development with the chamber, says it's very important to celebrate industry in the region. “Existing industries in Hall County employ almost 30% of all the workforce in the community. There are 320 manufacturers, processors, and distributors in the community.”
Mike Zeiler, director of operations with Bitzer spoke on behalf of the organization. . Bitzer is heavily involved in workforce development and youth education in the region.
The winner for the “Large Employer” category says that they are grateful to be in this area. Mike Zeiler, director of operations with Bitzer, a refrigeration and air conditioning manufacturer, spoke on behalf of the organization. “Bitzer US couldn’t have picked a better spot for our North American headquarters than Hall County. It’s just a great community, a great infrastructure, and it’s great working with the chamber.” They were one of seven businesses that received awards.
A full list of award winners is as follows:
- VDL Industries Gainesville, in the category of “Small Employer, 1-50 Employees”
- Lasercraft Technologies, Inc, in the category of “Medium Employer, 51-200 Employees”
- Bitzer US, in the category of “Large Employer, 201+ Employees”
- John Soules Foods, Workforce Development Recognition
- Kubota Manufacturing Corporation, Safety Performance Recognition
- King’s Hawaiian, Corporate Responsibility Recognition
- Green Box Mushrooms, Inc., Environmental Responsibility Recognition
The event was sponsored by Lanier Technical College.
Gainesville-Hall County is home to more than 320 manufacturing and processing concerns, and 50 international company locations representing 15 foreign countries. The Greater Hall Chamber’s Economic Development 2021 Fiscal Year Summary included 10 new and expanded businesses in Gainesville-Hall County adding 717 jobs and $215 million in capital investment. Since 2015, 121 new and expanded businesses have announced 6,100 jobs and $1.6 billion in capital investment.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2021/11/1056499/hall-county-industry-leaders-honored-at-annual-awards