This past spring DTAE Commissioner Ken Breeden and Jackie Rohosky and Marla Lowe of Quick Start joined economic developers and Terry Elam, president of Augusta Tech, for a biennial review of economic development in the Augusta area.

The team visited major employers in the area, such as John Deere, Monsanto, Globe, Kwikset, Sweetheart Cup, FireKing, and Procter and Gamble, in an ongoing effort to stay abreast of changing training and development needs in the community. While the tour gave everyone a chance to discuss and evaluate needs at the executive level, it also gave them real time in the plants and an opportunity to get direct feedback on Quick Start's services and what should be developed for the growing demands on job training.

"We were especially interested in the visit to Monsanto," says Augusta Tech President Terry Elam. "This is a company that requires an unusually high level of skill for its workers and has a unique cross-training program where technicians are being trained in multiple disciplines." Monsanto employs approximately 165 workers at its Augusta site.

Kevin Shea of the Augusta Chamber of Commerce and Jerry Long of the Burke County Development Office also were an important part of the strategic effort.

Large employers like the Sweetheart Cup company, which employs 450 workers, and Kwikset lock manufacturers, which has 600 employees, are vital to the area's economy. Quick Start works closely with the local economic development team to analyze the status of training for business and industry and corporate customized training in the community.