Inside Innovation: Monthly Meeting Hosted by The Timken Company

Our June SCMWDP Membership Meeting was graciously hosted by The Timken Company, bringing together manufacturing leaders, educators, workforce partners, and community stakeholders for an informative meeting of networking and industry insights.

The meeting featured an engaging presentation from the Timken leadership team, who provided members with an update on the company’s strategic direction and core areas of focus under its new president. Attendees learned about Timken’s continued commitment to innovation, operational excellence, customer-focused growth, and investing in its people, priorities that have positioned the company as a global leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion solutions.

Following the presentation, members had the opportunity to view a display of Timken’s diverse product portfolio. The product showcase highlighted the wide range of industries Timken serves and demonstrated the precision engineering and manufacturing expertise that continue to drive the company’s success around the world.

In addition to the valuable presentation and product display, members enjoyed connecting with one another over lunch, strengthening the relationships that make the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership such a collaborative network.

A sincere thank you to Timken for their generous hospitality, providing lunch, and sharing their time, knowledge, and vision with our members. We appreciate your continued partnership and commitment to advancing manufacturing and workforce development in our region.

NEW Member Feature: Member Spotlight – Hendrickson

We are excited to launch a new feature in our monthly newsletter: the SCMWDP Member Spotlight.

Each month, we will highlight one of our valued manufacturing partners to showcase their company, workforce initiatives, innovations, community partnerships, and industry insights. This is a great opportunity to increase visibility for your organization while helping fellow members better understand the incredible work happening across our regional manufacturing community.

Why Participate?

• Showcase your products, services, and capabilities
• Highlight workforce needs and hiring opportunities
• Share leadership insights and industry lessons
• Promote community involvement and employee development initiatives
• Announce company news, innovations, or product launches

If interested, please fill out the SCMWDP Manufacturing Member Spotlight Submission Form.

Our featured company is Hendrickson, submitted by Stephanie Janecek, HR Manager.

What products, services, or capabilities does your company provide, and what makes your organization unique within the manufacturing industry?

Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems provides a comprehensive portfolio of suspension systems, axle and brake systems, wheel-end solutions, and related components for the global commercial vehicle industry. Hendrickson delivers not only individual products, but fully integrated systems designed to work together. These solutions are supported by advanced research and development, technical and OEM support, field service, digital tools, and training resources that help customers optimize performance and uptime. What differentiates Hendrickson within the manufacturing industry is our system-level engineering approach. Components are designed as part of a complete solution rather than standalone parts, supported by a long-standing commitment to innovation and close collaboration with OEMs and fleets. This customer-centric model focuses on maximizing payload, durability, ride quality, and total cost of ownership. Ongoing partnerships and continuous development ensure our solutions evolve with industry needs, positioning Hendrickson as a provider of long-term value rather than just a component supplier.

What current workforce, training, or hiring needs is your company focused on, and how can community or industry partners support those efforts?

Hendrickson is focused on strengthening its workforce through continued investment in internal training and development programs. Key initiatives include hands-on weld training and leadership development for front-line supervisors, both designed to build technical expertise and enhance operational effectiveness. In addition, Hendrickson actively partners with local high schools and colleges to support workforce development and expand access to skilled talent. These collaborations help build a sustainable talent pipeline while ensuring employees are equipped with the capabilities needed to support ongoing innovation and long-term growth.

What advice, innovations, or key lessons would you share with other manufacturers in our region as they navigate today’s workforce and industry challenges?

As technology continues to evolve, particularly with the rise of AI and industrial automation, training programs must adapt to emphasize not only core manufacturing skills, but also digital literacy and continuous learning. Manufacturers that proactively align workforce development with emerging technologies, while maintaining strong collaboration with community and industry partners, will be best positioned to attract talent, close skills gaps, and sustain long-term growth.

What community partnerships, educational initiatives, or employee development programs are you most proud of?

Hendrickson is proud of its strong community partnerships and ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of skilled workers. The company has hosted several middle school camps facilitated by TomTod, providing early exposure to manufacturing careers, and has welcomed high school students and educators for plant tours in partnership with SCMWDP. Hendrickson also continues to hire graduates from local vocational programs, including high school welding students. In addition, Hendrickson has a long-standing relationship with United Way and regularly supports Leadership Stark County programs by sending employees to the Signature and Spotlight Programs, as well as hosting the Youth Leadership Academy. These efforts reflect Hendrickson’s commitment to investing in the future of manufacturing and community leadership in Stark County.

Additional Good News

Hendrickson continues to advance several key initiatives focused on innovation, education, and customer engagement. This includes ongoing promotion of our HXL extended-life wheel-end packages. As one of the leading wheel-end installers in North America, we know wheel-end reliability is critical to keeping trailers moving and operations running smoothly. We’ve also expanded our training offerings through the Hendrickson Service Academy with the addition of a new OMR Outboard Mounted Rotor course, and we are preparing to introduce a TPMS tire pressure monitoring system course soon. These efforts reflect our continued commitment to providing value through both product innovation and enhanced customer support resources.

SCMWDP Honored with Junior Achievement Work Readiness Champion Award

The Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership was honored to receive the Work Readiness Champion Award from Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio in recognition of our commitment to preparing the next generation of talent for successful careers in manufacturing.

This award reflects the collective efforts of our manufacturing partners, educators, workforce organizations, and volunteers who work together to provide students with meaningful career exploration, work-based learning experiences, and connections to local employers. Through initiatives such as career fairs, educator tours, Manufacturing Day, Speedy Interview events, youth camps, and classroom engagement, we strive to help students develop the skills, confidence, and awareness needed to succeed in today’s workforce.

We are grateful to Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio for this recognition and are proud to partner with an organization that shares our vision of inspiring young people and building strong talent pipelines for our region’s employers. This award belongs to every company and partner that invests their time, expertise, and resources to make work readiness a reality for the students of North Central Ohio.

Stark Makers Camp Inspires the Next Generation of Manufacturers

This summer, Stark Makers Camp gave middle school students an exciting, hands-on introduction to the world of manufacturing through immersive industry experiences and career exploration. The field trips to The Timken Company and Ohio Gratings, Inc. are an activity the campers value and look forward to. They learned firsthand about modern manufacturing, advanced technology, and the wide variety of careers available in the industry. In July, Hendrickson will also host the students.

Another highlight of the week was participating in Speedy Interviews, where students sat down with manufacturing professionals to ask questions about their careers, educational pathways, and what a typical day on the job looks like. The conversations were engaging, thoughtful, and demonstrated just how curious and eager these young learners are to explore future career possibilities.

The feedback from students, volunteers, and participating companies was overwhelmingly positive. Experiences like these reinforce that it is never too early to introduce students to manufacturing and help them discover the rewarding opportunities available right here in our community. By connecting youth with local employers at an early age, we are helping spark interest, broaden career awareness, and inspire the next generation of skilled talent.

A heartfelt thank you to The Timken Company, Ohio Gratings, and all of the volunteers who invested their time and expertise to make Stark Makers Camp such a meaningful experience for our future workforce.

Thank you to SARTA for providing the transportation for our camp weeks.

JobsOhio Relocation Incentive – $15,000

Husted Announces High School Tech Internship Program

Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who serves as director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, today announced that the next round of the High School Tech Internship program is officially open for students and businesses to apply to participate. The program offers Ohio employers wage reimbursement for hosting high school interns in tech-related roles, helping businesses establish a recruitment pipeline while providing students with valuable work experience at an early age.

Interns will perform job duties similar to those of entry-level employees in technology roles, including artificial intelligence (AI), software development, data, and IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, broadband/5G, and other tech-focused fields. Employers can be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the wages paid to interns, with a cap of $5,000 per intern, to encourage businesses to hire high school students for these positions.

To participate, businesses, schools, and students interested in applying should contact the intermediary in their region. High School Tech Internship intermediaries ensure the program is administered seamlessly between the state and employers.

Selected High School Tech Internship Intermediaries include:

• Northwest and Western Ohio: Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE)
• Northeast Ohio: Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U)

For more information on the program, including contact information for intermediaries, click here.

2026 All Member Meeting Schedule

Meeting times are typically 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM for the member meeting, program updates, and featured presentation, followed by 12:00 to 1:00 PM lunch, networking, and facility tour. Our monthly meetings are designed to provide valuable industry insights, meaningful collaboration opportunities, and firsthand exposure to local manufacturing operations.

If you want calendar invites as placeholders for all meetings, click here and we will send invites for ease of adding to your calendars.