The event, held at American Manufacturing, was hosted by the Toledo SBDC and the SBA. In addition to the 15 manufacturers in attendance, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Gil Goldberg, Cleveland District Director of the SBA, Teresa Smith, Toledo Lucas County Port Authority, Jessica Ice, Research Analyst Federal Reserve, and staff of the Toledo SBDC and Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce were in attendance.
A lively discussion followed lunch, and each attendee had the opportunity to share their challenges and successes, as well as seek advice from the group. Many shared that they are incredibly busy, and while busy is great for business, they all share the challenge of filling their workforce. The manufacturing industry as a whole has found that skilled trade workers are hard to find and that the time and cost that goes into screening new employees is staggering. This industry too, is feeling the impact of drug abuse in relation to filling the workforce.