Regional firms to receive job training money

By Jim Obert

Business Today

JEFFERSON CITY - Five regional companies are among 64 Missouri companies sharing almost $2 million in employee training money from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Mississippi Lime will use $28,750 to train 60 new employees, Sabreliner will use $11,500 to train six, Rubbermaid Organizational Products will use $11,500 to train 20, Midway Containers will use $8,625 to train 25 and MoCap Plastic Products will use $13,800 to train 25.

The area firms -- in the counties of Cape Girardeau, Perry, Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois -- are among Missouri companies included in a second round of training funds. Previously, more than $2.7 million in special training funds were awarded to 101 Missouri companies.

The latest round of funding will be used to expedite training for more than 6,600 new or existing employees. The funds are for the current fiscal year that began July 1. Companies will use the funds to pay for training programs suited to their needs.

"Investing in our workforce is an important step toward ensuring economic security for all Missourians and our businesses," said Department of Economic Development Director Kevin Simmons. "The training grants will allow employees to increase their skills, which will likely lead to them becoming more employable and earning a higher wage."

Money for the training was appropriated by the General Assembly to the Missouri Job Development Fund and will be administered through the state's Customized Training Program. The Missouri Job Development Fund assists new or expanding businesses that wish to either train employees in newly created jobs, or retrain and upgrade the skills of existing employees.

The purpose of the program is to increase and improve the quality of the state's workforce through training enterprises, which are designed to raise Missouri worker productivity. That results in economic opportunities in Missouri.

The program is provided through DED's Division of Workforce Development in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Community colleges and regional vocational/technical schools administer the program at the local level. Training can be in a classroom setting or at the company location.

The following is a list of grant recipients, with the city, the number of employees whose training will be funded and the grant total:

Rubbermaid Organizational Products, Jackson, 20, $11,500

Midway Containers, Farmington, 25, $8,625

MoCap Plastic Products, Park Hills, 25, $13,800

Sabreliner, Perryville, 6, $11,500

Mississippi Lime, Ste. Genevieve, 60, $28,750

York Engineered Systems, Albany, 40, $11,500

Crane Merchandising Systems, Bridgeton, 100, $34,500

Hubbell Power Systems, Centralia, 150, $57,500

Wire Rope Corporation of America, Chillicothe, 20, $11,500

Collins & Aikman, Columbia, 272, $57,500

Lear Corporation, Hazelwood, 200, $57,500

Taber's Products, Henrietta, 20, $28,750

Masterchem, Imperial, 124, $11,500

KCI Inc., Kansas City, 50, $17,250

Permacel, Inc., Kansas City, 150, $46,000

Lowe Boats, Inc., Lebanon, 140, $12,650

Banta Publications Group, Liberty, 60, $34,500

Central Detroit Diesel Allison, Inc., Liberty, 120, $51,750

Lear Corporation, Liberty, 120, $57,500

Ardent Outdoors, Inc., Macon, 55, $46,000

Dana Corporation, Manchester, 300, $57,500

Energizer Battery Manufacturing, Maryville, 30, $28,750

Kawasaki Motors Mfg Corporation, Maryville, 100, $46,000

Laclede Chain Mfg. Company, Maryville, 60, $28,750

LMP Steel & Wire, Maryville, 100, $23,000

Spartan Light Metal Products, Mexico, 50, $28,750

Lifetime Lumber, Inc., Mountain Grove, 40, $28,750

Elite Tool and Machinery Systems, O'Fallon, 25, $23,000

Trinity Products, Inc., O'Fallon, 50, $23,000

VSM Abrasives, O'Fallon, 85, $23,000

Orbseal, Richmond, 20, $11,500

Faurecia Riverside, LLC, Riverside, 200, $40,250

Briggs & Stratton, Rolla, 350, $52,854

Heritage Oak Flooring, Inc., Sarcoxie, 50, $23,000

3M, Springfield, 80, $40,250

NorthStar Battery Company, Springfield, 50, $57,500

King Innovation St., Charles, 45, $17,250

Lean Consortium, St. Charles, 35, $34,500

Natoli Engineering Company, Inc., St. Charles, 150, $23,000

NIKE IHM, Inc., St. Charles, 148, $40,250

Patriot Machine, Inc., St. Charles, 55, $23,000

The Newberry Group, Inc., St. Charles, 40, $23,000

Vi-Jon Laboratories, Inc., St. Charles, 72, $17,250

Reardon Machine Company, St. Joseph, 5, $5,750

Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis, 500, $100,000

Computerized Medical Systems, Inc., St. Louis, 90, $28,750

GKN Aerospace Services, Inc., St. Louis, 500, $100,000

GSI Engine Management Group, St. Louis, 31, $11,500

Hubbell-Killark Electric Products, St. Louis, 67, $23,000

Marquette Tool & Die Company, St. Louis, 66, $11,500

O'Brien Corporation, St. Louis, 93, $17,250

Paulo Products Company, St. Louis, 93, $17,250

PepsiAmericas, Inc., St. Louis, 148, $34,500

Permacel St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis, 75, $17,250

Shillington Box Company LLC, St. Louis, 72, $16,100

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, St. Louis, 150, $34,500

Thayer Aerospace, St. Louis, 62, $28,750

Reckitt Benckiser, St. Peters, 150, $46,000

Wainwright Industries, Inc., St. Peters, 145, $34,500

Woodbridge Corporation, St. Peters, 50, $23,000

Bodine Aluminum, Inc., Troy, 200, $57,500

General Electric-St. Louis Lamp Plant, Wellston, 90, $11,500

Tri-Lakes Tool, Inc., West Plains, 4, $6,325

Ameriwood Industries, Inc., Wright City, 100, $46,000