Ingevity Workers in Georgia Help the World Breathe Easy
Essential products that purify, protect and enhance our world are being produced today by Georgia men and women who have acquired the necessary skills thanks to workforce training programs like Georgia Quick Start. These talented folks are employed by companies around the state, including global automotive supplier Ingevity, which has operated a plant in Waynesboro, Georgia since 2002.
“When we first opened, a Quick Start trainer spent a full year onsite with us, developing templates for production, procedures and a myriad more details,” says John Nichols, Ingevity’s plant manager. “He became a member of the team. That’s the kind of support we can count on from Georgia. It’s a business-friendly state that works with companies to determine the best fit for the state and the enterprise. Besides offering business incentives, Georgia has numerous residents eager to work for a growing company.”
Ingevity manufactures activated carbon honeycomb scrubbers used by the automotive industry to purify the air, recovering gasoline emissions and preventing them from escaping into the atmosphere.
In addition to Quick Start’s customized training program, which is provided free to qualifying companies, Georgia-based business resources such as the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the new Georgia Made™ program have been instrumental in supporting Ingevity’s growth, as well as positioning it for future success.
The Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at the Georgia Institute of Technology has assisted Ingevity on projects ranging from process improvement to project management. To help Ingevity adapt to changing standards for automobile emissions and maintain updated certification requirements, a representative from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) connected Ingevity Quality Systems Manager Chuck Sabo with GaMEP’s regional manager, Elliott Price.
“Working with GaMEP was critical to our success in meeting the certification deadline while enabling us to continue our plant expansion,” said Sabo. “We have a longstanding relationship with Elliot and GaMEP. They are experts at what they do and their mission is to see Georgia manufacturers thrive. Elliot and his team helped us get the project done quickly and cost effectively.”
Ingevity remains an active member of Georgia Tech’s Lean Consortium, which shares industry best practices.
GDEcD continues to provide critical connections for Ingevity, most recently helping it navigate federal workforce incentives like the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Nichols says local GDEcD Project Manager Adela Kelley checks in with the company “on a regular basis.” And the company participates in Georgia Made™, a program through GDEcD that provides additional support in logistics, manufacturing and marketing of products produced in Georgia.
“Hopefully, the Georgia Made program will enhance our organization by building new partnerships with companies like Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and others,” says Nichols.
Nichols cites the plant’s location as another business advantage.
“We are proud to call Burke County home,” he says. “We have access to Augusta, proximity to our Charleston, S.C., headquarters, and access to Interstate 20 and Atlanta’s distribution hub. Our workforce is very diverse and commutes from both the surrounding Savannah River area and South Georgia.”
Since opening in Georgia, Ingevity has expanded its manufacturing plant and increased its employees from around 30 to over 200. It became a stand-alone, publicly traded company in 2016 and conducts business in more than 60 countries. Ingevity’s aggressive growth strategy has required substantial capital investment, including almost $40 million in the Waynesboro facility, where production capacity has been increased eightfold.
“Despite our expanding global footprint, we are also a local company. We consider ourselves part of the fabric of the Waynesboro community,” states Nichols. “Burke County and Georgia are business-friendly and support our operations. Georgia’s business resources provide tax credits and incentives as well as opportunities for employee development and training as we’ve increased our workforce.”
Consistently ranked the “#1 State for Business” for eight years running, Georgia’s skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, low taxes, high state credit ratings and development resources are here to help you start and grow your business. Visit Georgia Made to take the next step in expanding your success.
Ingevity provides specialty chemicals, high-performance carbon materials and engineered polymers that purify, protect and enhance the world around us. Through a team of talented and experienced people, Ingevity develops, manufactures, and brings to market products and processes that help customers solve complex problems. These products are used in a variety of demanding applications, including asphalt paving, oil exploration and production, agrochemicals, adhesives, lubricants, publication inks, coatings, elastomers, bioplastics and automotive components that reduce gasoline vapor emissions. The company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: NGVT). For more information visit www.ingevity.com.