Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 7242 S G M A G A Z I N E | FA L L 2 0 1 6 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 43 Well-Educated Workforce KeytoGrowthof CJBIndustries CJB Industries’ ability to attract and retain an educated and highly-skilled workforce is credited, in part, to having Valdosta State University and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (WGTC) located within a few miles of the company’s two industrial plants. “CJB Industries has grown because we have been able to hire some wonderful people,” said CJB Industries Vice President for Human Resources Jeana Beeland, who was appointed in 2015 by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the State Workforce Development Board. “We have employees who want to grow with the company, and we encourage them to get additional education either through Valdosta State [University] or Wiregrass [Georgia Technical College].” Beeland explains that having Valdosta State University, a comprehensive university, and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, which provides specialized training for new and existing business, within the region offers a tremendous benefit for workforce development. Keith Stephenson, the plant manager at CJB Industries’ Cypress Street and Cypress Annex facilities, benefited professionally from the training and education he received at Valdosta Technical College (now Wiregrass Georgia Technical College) and Valdosta State University. “I was working in the chemical industry and was moving up, but at some point, I decided that if this is going to be my career, I would need to go back to school,” said Stephenson, who began working at CJB Industries in 2015. “At the encouragement of my manager, I went to Valdosta State and completed my associate degree.” Stephenson said that having an associate degree helped him advance, but there were still barriers. Several years later he returned to Valdosta State University and received a Bachelor of Applied Science in technical studies. “I did it the hard way. As I talk to young people today, they are faced with the same things I had to deal with, a family and a full-time job,” said Stephenson, who has worked for more than 40 years in the chemical manufacturing industry. “In today’s environment there are a lot of ways to help you afford a college education. You just have to identify your priorities.” Jimmy LeFiles knew as a young boy that he wanted to do something with science. Following the example of his father, who taught science at Valdosta High School, LeFiles entered Valdosta State College after high school and earned a Bachelor of Science in biology. He was recently hired as the technical manager at CJB Industries Technology Center and Manufacturing Annex and uses his more than 35 years of experience to assist customers with their development and analytical needs. “I am a problem solver,” said LeFiles, who has developed five U.S. patents for chemical-related products. “I like the hands-on part; I do not mind managing projects, but I like the creative work.” LeFiles is putting his research skills to the test as he works with customers in formulation development, as well as the commercial development of new products as part of CJB Applied Technologies division. “Corporate America is cutting back, and many companies do not have the resources to do the development work, so this is where we fit in,” LeFiles said. “The company may have an idea for a product or a problem with an existing product, and often they do not have the resources, and this is where we can help. We have the analytical equipment and the formulation and process experience; we can take a product and test it and see what needs to be changed or develop new ones.” Tiffany Stewart graduated from Valdosta State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and minor in chemistry. Stewart credits Dr. Tom Manning, professor of chemistry, with helping her secure a job at CJB Industries. When she arrived at Valdosta State University, Tiffany Stewart never thought working in a science lab would lead to a career. A track standout in high school, she loved sports and wanted to be a physical therapist. “When I started working in the lab at Valdosta State I started to really like chemistry,” said Stewart, who earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and minor in chemistry at Valdosta State University in 2009. “The biology and chemistry professors were great and very supportive. I learned about laboratory etiquette and safety, which has helped me with my job here at CJB Industries.” Stewart credits Dr. Tom Manning, professor of chemistry at Valdosta State University, with helping her secure a job at CJB Industries as a lab technician. “I took a lot of his classes [Manning] and CJB Industries sent him a job announcement,” said Stewart, who is from Riceboro, Georgia. “He came into the lab one day and told me about a job at CJB, and I applied. Working with Dr. Manning gave me the chance to do research and even have some of our work published.” The research experience Stewart received is typical of the practical application and knowledge undergraduate students gain at VSU. Manning says having CJB Industries available to provide research opportunities to college students is an important part of their educational experience at VSU. CJB Industries, as well as others businesses, can hire local graduates and retain them as part of the region’s growing technology-driven workforce. “CJB is a technology-driven industry that makes products of high worth,” Manning said. “These products not only provide jobs locally, generate taxes, and are sold across the United States, but they are also the type of industry that can trade with foreign countries.” CJB Industries encourages its employees to further their education and provides financial assistance to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. “Having VSU and Wiregrass here makes it easier to access qualified employees—not just in hiring but continuing education as well,” Beeland said. “If they want to get their bachelor’s degree, they do not have to leave to do so.” Employees hired by CJB Industries also participate in the Georgia Workforce Ready or WorkKey programs, which are administered by the Technical College System of Georgia. The program helps employers select, hire, train, develop, and retain a high-performance workforce. COVER