Middle School Maker’s Camp Reaches Full Capacity, Sponsorship Opportunities Remain
The Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership (SCMWDP) is proud to once again offer two full weeks of FREE Stark Maker’s Camp for middle school students and their families.
These hands-on camps connect students to real career opportunities in manufacturing and skilled trades while helping build awareness of local career pathways.
Due to strong demand, Maker’s Camp registration is full and each week now has a waiting list — but we need employer sponsors and partners to help sustain and grow this impactful initiative.
Employer Partnership Opportunity – $250
For a $250 participation sponsorship, your organization can choose one or more of the following to support our 50 middle school campers:
- Host a site visit
- Participate in Speedy Interview Plunge (multiple disciplines from each company are welcome and encouraged)
- Lead a hands-on activity
- Showcase your company and career pathways
Partnership Benefits
- Company recognition on official camp materials (t-shirt, projects, etc.)
- Direct student engagement
- Brand visibility with families, educators, and community partners
- Support of future workforce development
- Investment in keeping Maker’s Camp free for students
Your sponsorship helps keep Maker’s Camp free for students while expanding career exploration opportunities across our region.
Thank you for supporting workforce development and investing in the future of manufacturing.
If you’re interested in participating or learning more, please reply to this email or fill out the SCMWDP 2026 Sponsorship and Volunteer Form.
NEW Member Feature: Member Spotlight – M.K. Morse
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 first featured company is The M. K. Morse Company, represented by Jennifer Waters, Director of Human Resources.
What products, services, or capabilities does your company provide, and what makes your organization unique within the manufacturing industry?
We manufacture cutting solutions for a variety of global markets, including aerospace, construction, auto salvage, forging, fabrication, demolition, and plumbing, to name a few. Our organization is a third-generation family business that is women-owned. We make products in our global manufacturing facility in Canton, Ohio, and pride ourselves on creating quality tools that are delivered on time. We truly work to partner with our customers and are always driven by our core values of being reliable and accountable; helpful with a positive attitude; putting team over self; and remaining focused on continuous improvement.
What current workforce, training, or hiring needs is your company focused on, and how can community or industry partners support those efforts?
We are currently hiring machine operators for our 8-hour afternoon and midnight shifts along with a variety of other manufacturing roles for either 8- or 12-hour shifts. We are also looking to bring on a maintenance technician. We take pride in giving back to the community that has been our home since 1963. We work with many local charities and schools, and actively recruit from area colleges for our collaborative student cooperative program. We are always focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence, and this can be seen in our focus on creating standard operating procedures and ongoing reinforcement to ensure the safety of all employees and consistent product quality.
What advice, innovations, or key lessons would you share with other manufacturers in our region as they navigate today’s workforce and industry challenges?
We’ve learned that workforce challenges today aren’t just about filling roles – they’re about creating an environment where people want to stay and grow. That starts with making sure your benefits and policies align with the evolving needs of your employees. Taking time to regularly listen to employees – and then acting on that feedback – goes a long way in building a positive culture.
What community partnerships, educational initiatives, or employee development programs are you most proud of?
We’re especially proud of the strong partnerships we’ve built with organizations like SCMWDP and the Tuscarawas Workforce Development Board. These collaborations have allowed us to stay closely connected to regional workforce initiatives, better understand the evolving labor landscape, and play an active role in developing talent within our community. By working together, we’re not only addressing our own hiring needs but also contributing to a stronger, more sustainable workforce pipeline for the entire region.
In addition, programs like TechCred have been incredibly valuable in supporting our commitment to employee development. Through this initiative, we’ve been able to invest directly in our team by providing access to targeted, skills-based training that enhances both individual career growth and overall organizational capability. It’s been a win-win — employees gain new skills and confidence, while we continue to build a more skilled and adaptable workforce.
These efforts reflect our broader belief that investing in people — both within our organization and across our community — is essential to long-term success. Whether it’s through partnerships, training programs, or ongoing development opportunities, we’re committed to creating pathways for growth and helping individuals build meaningful, lasting careers in manufacturing.
Additional Good News
We remain focused on delivering real solutions to the cutting challenges our customers face every day in the field. Recently, we launched two new band saw blades — M-Factor HSN and Challenger Edge Lock — which are already helping customers improve performance, efficiency, and overall cutting results.
Innovation continues to be a key priority for us, with several new products currently in development and expected to launch later this year. At the same time, we’re making ongoing investments in our state-of-the-art Canton manufacturing facility to ensure we’re equipped to meet evolving customer needs and maintain the highest level of quality and consistency.
We’re proud to be part of the Canton community and look forward to continuing to grow our presence, support local initiatives, and provide long-term career opportunities in the region.
SCMWDP Delivers Top-Tier Workforce Results Through Good Jobs Challenge Grant
As a sub-awardee of the federal Good Jobs Challenge grant through the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), the Stark County Manufacturing Workforce Development Partnership (SCMWDP) has emerged as one of the top-performing workforce partnerships in Ohio.
Working alongside NCUS as a subcontracted employer partner was instrumental in achieving and exceeding critical workforce goals throughout the grant period. This collaboration strengthened employer engagement, expanded participant opportunities, and played a meaningful role in helping SCMWDP consistently reach key performance benchmarks.
By meeting and surpassing metrics across WorkAdvance placements, upskilling, and target demographic engagement, SCMWDP’s grant funding was expanded and extended twice — an achievement that distinguished our partnership among 16 peer industry sector groups statewide.
Transformational Results (2022–2026)
- 433 individuals completed WorkAdvance programs
- 307 individuals secured employment with Stark County employers
- 142 incumbent workers completed upskilling programs
Economic Impact
With 307 individuals placed into manufacturing careers earning an average starting wage of $18 per hour, SCMWDP has helped generate an estimated:
- $11.5+ million in annual wages
- Increased household stability for hundreds of families
- Expanded consumer spending in Stark County
- Greater tax revenue for local communities
- Reduced reliance on public assistance programs
- Strengthened workforce capacity for local manufacturers
These results represent far more than workforce numbers — they reflect stronger families, healthier communities, and a more competitive regional economy.
Through employer-led partnerships, hands-on career training, and comprehensive support services, SCMWDP is not only addressing critical workforce shortages but actively building the future of manufacturing in Stark County.
Our success demonstrates that strategic investment in workforce development creates measurable economic return while transforming lives.
Leadership Development at SunAmerica/Central Coated
Why leadership development matters in manufacturing: Nicole Simmons, Director of HR from SunAmerica/Central Coated, shared her perspective on leadership development.
We’ve now partnered on three rounds of leadership training with SW Consulting, LLC, and the impact has been significant across our organization. We intentionally started with our manufacturing salary employees and supervision, then expanded to senior leadership, and now to our newest supervisors and leads. That progression has allowed us to build a consistent leadership foundation at every level of the business.
We pursued this training because we recognized a need to strengthen how our leaders communicate, handle conflict, and show up for their teams, especially in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where pressures are high and leadership behaviors directly impact culture, safety, and performance.
The outcomes we are seeing are meaningful. Our leaders are becoming more self-aware, more confident in navigating difficult conversations, and more intentional about shaping team culture. Concepts like the peer-to-leader transition, emotional control under pressure, and accountability have really resonated. We are also seeing a shift in how supervisors approach coaching versus directing, which is helping build stronger engagement and ownership across the floor.
We also recognized a critical gap with our newer supervisors and leads, many of whom were highly skilled operators promoted into leadership roles without the support needed to navigate that transition. While they excel technically, the shift from peer to leader brings new challenges that aren’t always intuitive. This training has been instrumental in helping them understand how to lead former peers, manage situations where they may not be liked, address gossip and team dynamics, and establish credibility in their new roles. It is giving them the tools, language, and confidence to move from being a strong individual contributor to an effective, respected leader.
What has made the biggest difference is the practical application; this hasn’t just been training. It’s been real tools, real language, and real-time practice that our leaders can immediately apply in their day-to-day roles.
To learn more and understand what funds might be available for development, please reach out to stephanie@stephaniewerren.com or info@starkmanufacturing.org.
Board Meeting & Strategic Plan Update
At the April board meeting, SCMWDP’s new strategic plan was officially approved, marking an important step forward in strengthening the organization’s ability to remain responsive to evolving workforce and manufacturing needs.
Developed through member feedback and benchmarking with peer partnerships across Ohio, the plan establishes clear priorities, goals, and measurable outcomes while positioning SCMWDP for continued growth and impact.
This approved framework will help guide future decision-making, strengthen organizational alignment, and support continued advancement of workforce initiatives across our region.
Celebrating In-Demand Jobs Week (May 4–8, 2026)
In-Demand Jobs Week is a statewide celebration of the industries that are driving Ohio’s economy — and the opportunities they create for individuals, businesses, and communities. Recognized each year across the state, this week brings attention to high-demand career fields and the pathways that connect individuals to meaningful, sustainable employment.
Across the East Ohio Region, including Stark, Tuscarawas, Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull counties, this week is an opportunity to highlight the career pathways that are not only in demand today, but also essential to our region’s continued growth.
From healthcare and skilled trades to technology and logistics, these industries offer a wide range of options for individuals at every stage.
As part of In-Demand Jobs Week, OhioMeansJobs Stark and Tuscarawas Counties will be hosting mini Resource Fairs throughout the week, offering hands-on support and direct access to local workforce resources.
Visit omjwork.com for more information.
2026 All Member Meeting Schedule
Meeting times are typically 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM for the member meeting, program updates, and featured presentation, followed by 12:00 – 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.
| February 26 | MAC Trailer |
| March 26 | RG Drage |
| April | No member meeting (Board Meeting) |
| May 28 | Diebold |
| June 25 | Timken |
| July | No member meeting (Board Meeting) |
| August 27 | Marathon |
| September 24 | Stark State |
| October 22 | TBD with Local Manufacturer |
| Nov & Dec | No member meeting (Board Meeting) |
If you want calendar invites as placeholders for all meetings, click here and we will send invites for ease of adding to your calendars.
The SCMWDP newsletter is distributed to member Stark County manufacturers, associate members, education partners, select state officials, local officials and other stakeholders like community-based organizations.
To subscribe and receive other important information from SCMWDP, fill out a FREE member application at SCMWDP Member Application
