Selected Article:
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation in Greenwood sets great example

Yazoo City company bounces back with new financing option

by Doug Adams
Special to DBJ

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, an ISO 9000 certified manufacturer, opened an assembly plant in Greenwood, Mississippi in December of 2001. The plant was staffed by employees who completed 24 hours of pre-employment training through the Charles W. Capps, Jr. Technology Center of Mississippi Delta Community College. Instruction in the Workforce Education pre-employment training program, offered under the auspices of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges, included a company orientation as well as classes in basic mathematics, standard and precision measurement, and cellular manufacturing.

In addition to pre-employment training, Milwaukee Electric Tool has conducted extensive in-plant instruction including blueprint-reading classes taught by Mississippi Delta Community College. On going pre-employment and in-plant training for company employees has come as a result of the rapid expansion of Milwaukee’s Greenwood facility.
In less than two years Milwaukee Tool has grown to over 270 employees, announced two major plant expansions, added additional product lines, and built a blade manufacturing facility onto the existing building which they occupied in Greenwood in the Fall of 2001. Augmentation of the Milwaukee Tool workforce has been accomplished through a series of 14 pre-employment training sessions. In these training courses, placement of trainees with the company has exceeded 96%. In pre-test/post test analysis of mathematics gain scores trainees have averaged a 46.2% improvement.

Milwaukee Tool and Mississippi Delta Community College designed training with the goals of securing a stable workforce capable of high productivity, quality production, minimal employee turnover, and high morale. Plant expansion in the two years since the inception of these training programs affirm the success of the Milwaukee Tool—Mississippi Delta Community College joint training endeavor. DBJ