Producing More Talent

MakeMore Manufacturing Summit – 2022 Summary Report

*Click the report cover to download the report.

FloridaMakes is the manufacturing extension partnership for the state of Florida. FloridaMakes is managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and delivers business growth, talent development, and technology adoption services to manufacturers through regional manufacturers’ associations.

Each year since 2018, FloridaMakes, along with its partners Associated Industries of Florida, CareerSource Florida, Enterprise Florida, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, has hosted the MakeMore Manufacturing Summit. The Summit represents an annual platform to share best practices and exchange ideas about how our state resources are addressing the impacts of market dynamics, economic trends and policies, and new technologies available for manufacturers. The Summit brings together thought leaders from all segments of Florida’s Manufacturing industry to facilitate a conversation around industry challenges and to offer solutions that will strengthen and advance Florida’s manufacturers by improving competitiveness, productivity, and technological performance.

The theme for this year’s Make More Manufacturing Summit, held October 12-13 at the Guidewell Innovation Theater in Orlando, was “Producing More Talent.” The focus of the Summit was on how the Manufacturing ecosystem (any type of organization or agency that provides a service or a resource for the Manufacturing industry to help build the talent pipeline and bridge the workforce skills gap.

The collective goal for the MakeMore initiative is to elevate the state’s Manufacturing industry and demonstrate its impact on Florida’s economy. The partners recognize the importance of diversifying the economy and prioritizing the growth of an industry that provides high-wage and high-value jobs to enhance the lives of Floridians.

In preparation for the Summit, FloridaMakes hosted four focus groups in August 2022 designed to facilitate a conversation around talent development challenges, where manufacturers see opportunities for improvement, and what the ecosystem and its stakeholders can do to help manufacturers. Special thanks go to Mr. Phil Centonze, Director of Performance Assessment at FloridaMakes, who served as the Moderator for the four focus groups.

FloridaMakes would also like to thank the sponsors of the four focus groups, who recognize the importance of diversifying our economy and prioritizing the growth of an industry that provides high-wage and high-value jobs that can improve the quality of life for all Floridians.

• North Region sponsor – Coastal Cloud, a salesforce expert partner providing consulting, implementation, and managed services for businesses, nonprofits, and the public sector.
• South Region sponsor – Veryable, an on-demand marketplace for logistics and warehousing labor. Veryable’s flexible labor solution connects businesses with performance rated workers faster and only when they need it.
• Central Region sponsor – Withum, a forward thinking, technology-driven, client-centric advisory tax and accounting firm.
• West Region sponsor – AME International, Inc. – a worldwide supplier of tire service tools, accessories, and shop equipment.

The winners of this year’s Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence (SMBE) Awards, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center (FLATE) Awards, GrowFL’s Florida Companies to Watch Honorees, FloridaMakes Apprentices of the Year Award, Florida Manufacturing Employer of Choice Recognition, and the Bob Provitola Manufacturing Leadership Award are identified in Appendix A. The key takeaways from the four focus groups held in August 2022 are identified in Appendix B.