Meeting employer demand in Chattanooga’s manufacturing industry is no easy task.
We’re now in “Industry 4.0,” says Denise Rice, president and CEO of Peak Performance workforce training and manufacturing consulting firm, and advisor to the Tennessee Manufacturer’s Association.
Robotics have become a normal part of industrial work culture; and the new focus is more about smart machines, connectivity, self-learning and cyber networks — using our current devices and finding new ways for them to communicate.
All the changes have created a whole new set of challenges for manufacturers.
Rice estimates there are more than 5,000 manufacturing firms throughout Tennessee. Ninety-eight percent of those companies employ fewer than 500 people and the majority of those employ fewer than 20.