From Growing Leaders to Harvesting Tomatoes

00:00:00: Hello, I'm your host Adam Brunner and welcome to the Evonic Minute.

00:00:04: Your quick bi-weekly podcast for all of important stories news announcements free Vonix North America region.

00:00:11: The date is September twenty fourth twenty twenty six.

00:00:14: And on today's episode building a bio manufacturing talent pipeline in Nebraska.

00:00:20: our site in Illinois focuses on leadership growth and Evonic volunteers harvest tomatoes to fight food insecurity.

00:00:27: those stories are more coming up in just a minute.

00:00:39: First up, addressing workforce challenges and bio-manufacturing.

00:00:43: Yvonnex Paul Caldwell, site manager for our Blair Nebraska site recently participated in key panel discussion at BioInnovations North America in Omaha, Nebraska.

00:00:53: The panel focused on building the talent pipeline needed to scale up industrial biomanufacturing.

00:00:59: Paul and fellow panelists explored strategies to tackle labor shortages, cross-rolls from entry level operators to formulation specialists.

00:01:07: And emphasized the importance of collaborations between academia government an industry to train next generation a bio manufacturing professionals.

00:01:15: A key example this collaboration is Evonix involvement with Metro Community College where new two year biotechnology program and microcredential initiative were recently launched.

00:01:25: help prepare students for careers in manufacturing.

00:01:29: By addressing workforce challenges, the industry can secure its ability to scale production volumes move from lab-to-market and maintain a competitive edge on the global scale.

00:01:37: However hiring and retention in the Midwest has been a challenge over the past few years.

00:01:42: as Paul explains The

00:01:43: main topic I mean it's too good problem But it still is the unemployment rates really quite low In our area.

00:01:49: And then manufacturing Is something where folks didn't grow up around that It's not Something That immediately kind of strikes their interest They want To go into And it's really amazing.

00:01:59: I mean, we're like say a mile from the local high school.

00:02:02: you know when We go and visit with them.

00:02:04: every time You get a new group of students in?

00:02:06: You'll see him Really wide-eyed Like wow i didn't Know that was In our town.

00:02:10: yeah It's good but The other thing is getting Them to Students To take That energy home.

00:02:14: so Mom & Dad Understand There are Great Careers That Are Available One Mile Away From High School.

00:02:21: Next Developing Leadership Evonix site in Mapleton, Illinois recently held a book review and training sessions inspired by what got you here won't get you there.

00:02:31: How successful people become even more successful?

00:02:34: By executive coach Marshall Goldsmith.

00:02:36: the training focused on twenty practical behavioral changes outlined in The Best Seller which can help leaders grow improve their effectiveness.

00:02:43: Participants included members of the mapleton leadership team And emerging leaders from departments such as safety reliability Quality, security process engineering operations and our DNI.

00:02:54: through open book discussions attendees explored the concepts presented in The Book shared examples of how they've seen these behaviors in action And brainstormed ways to apply them in their daily roles.

00:03:04: Jeff Fletcher.

00:03:05: The Mapleton site manager organized the training session To help colleagues reflect on the importance of continuous improvement and collaboration In leadership.

00:03:13: I read this book.

00:03:14: i was given This book by my boss.

00:03:15: several others are giving it hey It's very good young person in their career about to maybe become a supervisor or manager, and it was called what got you here will get you there.

00:03:26: And so the discussions reinforced how important it is for leaders to actively work on their own growth.

00:03:31: but these discussions really highlighted for me the value of creating opportunities from meaningful conversations and leadership development within Evonix.

00:03:41: Last up, Evonic volunteers harvest tomatoes to fight food insecurity.

00:03:46: Volunteers from the SmartFX teams in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Piscataway New Jersey teamed up for a day of service at America's Grower Row at Pittstown Farm in New Jersey where they harvested fresh produce to support families in need.

00:03:58: The event focused on picking tomatoes to combat food insecurity across twenty-three states.

00:04:04: Volunteers worked together to harvest over sixteen thousand pounds of tomatoes which were packed into twenty five pound boxes and delivered to food pantries in Philadelphia.

00:04:12: .The Day highlighted as colleagues swapped office attire for gloves and sun hats to work side-by-side in the field.

00:04:20: DJ Francis, one of the Ivana colleagues who helped organize this event explains...

00:04:25: It was inspiring seeing everyone come together make such a big impact on just one day!

00:04:30: The camaraderie is incredible.

00:04:32: besides the harvest itself experience really strengthened our connections at the team.

00:04:37: it gave us an amazing opportunity support organization that makes real difference people's lives.

00:04:45: And thats news.

00:04:46: I'm Adam Brenner.

00:04:47: Thank you for spending some time with us today on The Evonic Minute.