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Several of the region’s successful mid-sized manufacturing companies joined around one table at Calhoun’s by The River to celebrate the launch of the second cohort for the Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership’s Executive Peer Group.

The group was founded last year by Ashleigh Walters, the former President of Onex, which is an industrial furnace manufacturer in Pennsylvania. She and her husband obtained the company more than 20 years ago and spent two decades turning it into a powerhouse. Today, Onex is 100 percent employee-owned.

Walters has authored a book “Leading with Grit and Grace” that details her experience creating a workplace where employees felt valued, had a shared mission, and multiplied their efficiency and profit tenfold.

She originally started the Executive Peer Group in Pennsylvania; however, upon moving to Tennessee, she brought the concept with her. It was both accepted and encouraged by the team at Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership (TMEP).

Todd Reeves, the Business Development Manager for TMEP said it’s been a huge benefit to the manufacturing community in East Tennessee.

The executives involved with the Executive Peer Group have a wide range of manufacturing experience – producing everything from wire harnesses to wake surfboards at their facilities. However, they all share common goals: create lean operations, maximize profit, and cultivate positive work cultures.

For example, Knox Wire Harnesses’ leaders, Rob Brown and Will Nichols were members of cohort one, but have rejoined cohort two for the benefits of continuous improvement, and to serve as mentors for new members.

During an interview with Brown in July, he said “I would go as far as to say [the peer group] has been the most beneficial thing I have ever done for my business.”

On the Court vs. In the Facility

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Assistant Basketball Coach Bryan Lentz also attended the Peer Group kick-off to speak with the new participants about recruitment and retention.

As it turns out, retention is something nearly every industry struggles with. Employees may leave a company for better money, just like a player may leave the team for a better scholarship or NIL deal.

Lentz offered this retention advice to the Executive Peer Group: It’s all about relationships.

He explained an interesting concept that is practiced by the UTK Basketball team, a sort of touchpoint they call “daily vitamins.”

The concept is that each day someone on the coaching staff will do private 30-40-minute workouts with the players. These are one-on-one, separate from the team practices where they get to hone their specific skills with a coach. While the skill development is helpful, Lentz said the secret sauce is in the final 10 minutes of that “daily vitamin.” The coach will just sit and talk to the player for 10 minutes. That conversation can be about anything – games, relationships, classes, family, or anything that may be going on in the player’s life.

“We are showing these young men that they can trust us. We are building rapport because we are taking the time to invest in those relationships,” Lentz said. “In turn, it also makes it less likely for that player to leave, since our connection is so deep.”

Transferring that over to the manufacturing world – leaders should be intentional about setting aside regular time with each employee. Do they have a strong relationship with the management team? Do they really feel heard? How hard is it for them to get a meeting with their manager? Lentz said these are all things to consider.

“We have a touchpoint with every kid every single day. They never come into the gym or onto the court without us checking in on them – not just with how their basketball game is going, but how life is going,” Lentz said.

Another factor that weighs heavily on retention is the sense of “value.” Coach Lentz said across the board in UTK athletics, players are shown every single day that they matter.

The coaches take the players on regular outings – to dinner, activities, and community engagement events. They travel well, eat well, and are frequently exposed to fans. It all goes back to proving to the players that their value is known and felt by the University – and across Knoxville.

So, how does this transfer over to the manufacturing industry? Most companies don’t have a budget for extravagant employee events; however, that value can be shown in other ways. It could be pizza, employee appreciation days, community volunteer opportunities, or a kind verbal compliment for a job well done.

However, perhaps the most valuable advice Coach Lentz offered regarding recruitment was don’t just take talented players, take team players.

“Head Coach Rick Barnes has a goal to lead the country in assists. That goal cannot be reached without great teamwork,” Lentz said.

In manufacturing it can be easy just to hire someone because the spot needs to be filled quickly; however, confirming a cultural fit is vital to retention of employees.

The Executive Peer Group spent the rest of the afternoon walking through leadership exercises and discussing the issue of retention and team building.

The group will meet monthly for the upcoming year. For more information about the Executive Peer Group, visit the website.

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