FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC, ESSEL PROPACK AMERICA 

PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES STATE AWARD

The partnership between Danville Community College and Essel Propack America LLC was recognized with the 2003 Business/Industry Partnership Award of Excellence by the Virginia Council for Career and Technical Education. Accepting the award are left to right, Jeff Arnold, Director of DCC's Center for Business, Industry & Government; Bruno Killias, Operations Manager, Essel Propack - Danville; Lisa Edwards, Essel Propack Human Resources; Dr. Max Glass, DCC Dean of Workforce Services; and Dr. Carlyle Ramsey, DCC President.

DANVILLE, VA, August 25, 2003 -- The partnership between Danville Community College and EsselPropack America LLC recently received the 2003 Business/Industry Partnership Award of Excellence by the Virginia Council for Career and Technical Education.  The award, in the category of community college partnerships, recognizes that a strategic piece of the benefits package for the company was the ability of DCC to deliver a trained technical workforce within a five-month period - from location agreement to full production.

DCC and EsselPropack America LLC have developed a strong partnership over the past year.  From the beginning of the economic development process, when Danville was competing with Greensboro for the plant location, the community college was an active partner in the process.  DCC was present with local economic development and company officials throughout the “prospecting” phase and was present when the deal was “sealed” by both parties.

EsselPropack is the world’s largest manufacturer for laminated tubes with 28% of the world market consisting of more than 2.7 billion tubes annually.   The company has facilities in Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Columbia, Germany, Egypt, Nepal, India, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Guangzhou & Shanghai (China), Philippines and now its first U.S. operation in Danville, VA.  In searching for a site location, the company looked for a good economic development benefits package, an available workforce (either trained or trainable), and the support of the community.

From the start, the process involved key partners including the City of Danville, the City of Danville Office of Economic Development, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the State of Virginia Department of Economic Development – Workforce Services, and Danville Community College.  Each partner played a pivotal role in ensuring the workforce met the demanding needs of this international company.

The job requirements of the 75+ manufacturing jobs were unusual by typical domestic standards.  Every operator and production worker was to be qualified as an electrical and/or mechanic maintenance person.   Operator and production employees would be expected to perform the required maintenance on all production equipment in the facility.  In addition to this requirement, the company wanted to administer the Bennett Mechanical Aptitude Comprehension Test (BMCT) to every employee to be used as a screening tool.  Once the deal was completed, the implementation plan included:  recruiting, selection, and training.

In the recruiting phase, DCC worked with the local Virginia Employment Commission office and the Workforce Services group to process over 1,200 potential employees in a three-day period.  The City of Danville made a large facility available where a company overview was given, VEC paperwork was completed if necessary, additional background information was taken, and the BMCT was administered.  DCC’s Center for Business, Industry, and Government (C-BIG) coordinated this effort, scored the test and provided a database of all of the appropriate information for 1,200+ candidates. 

The first group hired underwent four weeks (forty hours per week) of intense foundational training in electrical and mechanical maintenance training by DCC. They then traveled to Bombay, India for four weeks of equipment-specific training.  This group returned to Danville and helped set up the plant equipment as it arrived at the new site.  They, in turn, became the equipment-specific trainers for subsequent groups of new hires. 

             “I believe the fact that DCC was able to deliver the non-equipment specific training provided a valuable resource to EsselPropack, “ said Dr. Carlyle Ramsey, DCC President.  Previously, all employees hired for similar jobs had to travel to India for the foundational training. 

          “I would like to especially thank Jeff Arnold, (C-BIG Director), who worked closely with Frank Strickler (Project Manager for Workforce Services, Virginia Department of Business Assistance) on this project; and for Jeff’s outstanding work with EsselPropack management and Ron Bunch, (Director of the City of Danville Office of Economic Development),” Ramsey added.

         The ability of the college to deliver the training for EsselPropack was a big savings in start-up expense and time for a project that had begun with an empty building and then producing at full capacity within five months.  The foundational training includes basic electrical, motor controls, pneumatic, hydraulic, basic mechanical, equipment setup, and numerous other learning objectives related to this field.  It also includes classroom and simulations in a state-of-the-art industrial maintenance-training lab.

DCC partnerships with area organizations have been recognized for seven of the eight years of  the Virginia Council for Career and Technical Education community college awards.  

           For more information on C-BIG services, contact Jeff Arnold, C-BIG Director, at 434.797.8412, or click here.