New industry using state’s employee training program
Midway – Liberty County’s newest manufacturing business, Firth Rixson Forgings, LLC, and Georgia’s premier workforce training organization today announced plans for preparing the Company’s projected 200 new employees.
Firth Rixson Forgings, LLC, a maker of highly engineered forged and specialty metal products based in the U.K, has built a 200,000-square-foot closed-die forging facility in Midway, GA. The Company is creating approximately 200 new jobs at the plant, which is Firth Rixson’s fourth closed-die forging facility worldwide and the most significant expansion in the history of the Company. Quick Start, Georgia’s highly acclaimed workforce training organization, will be developing and implementing job-specific training for Firth Rixson Forgings’ new employees.
Employees at Firth Rixson Forgings will provide highly engineered forged metal products to the aerospace industry. The facility houses one of the largest closed-die forges in the world, a computer controlled heat treat process, CNC machining and advanced testing processes.
In Midway, Firth Rixson’s closed-die forging process will primarily be producing parts for the aircraft industry. Closed-die forging is a process in which two die halves are pressed together over a super-heated metal alloy billet, forming the metal into a three-dimensional shape. The forgings are then processed through CNC machining operations to customer specifications. Finished parts are subjected to a number of tests to ensure correct dimensions and specified properties of the metal have been achieved.
“Firth Rixson’s technical development approach consistently results in products that provide satisfaction to our customers, and operational results that satisfy our owners,” stated Chris Bohlmann, Vice President and General Manager of Firth Rixson Forgings. “Quick Start’s job training initiatives will play a major role in our ongoing operations. The company is extremely pleased to expand our business in the United States and to have the Georgia Quick Start organization as our partner in this expansion.”
Quick Start is developing training for the new employees on Firth Rixson’s highly automated processes that will include safety, metallurgy, geometric tolerancing and precision instrumentation. In addition, Quick Start is developing job-specific training on the processes and equipment in each production area, as well as instruction on electronic process data, documentation requirements and equipment operational tasks. Leadership skills development, team skills and lean technologies are also covered in the plan.
“Quick Start is very pleased to be working with Firth Rixson at this highly automated, advanced manufacturing facility here in Liberty County,” said Jackie Rohosky, Technical College System of Georgia Assistant Commissioner of Economic Development Programs and head of Quick Start. “We’re honored to work with this global leader to help create good jobs in Georgia.”
The Quick Start training agreement was developed based on a Project Study that was conducted at Firth Rixson’s Darley Dale facility located in the UK. The training agreement is based on Firth Rixson Forgings’ commitment to provide approximately 200 new jobs for Georgians in the Liberty County area. Quick Start will be designing and developing training material, as well as providing instructors, for the classes.
The training program involves three distinct partners: Firth Rixson Forgings LLC, Savannah Technical College and Quick Start. Each partner will be responsible for the successful completion of this program. The partnership will not end when the Quick Start training is completed. Savannah Technical College will be available to assist Firth Rixson with ongoing training programs.
“I am thrilled that Firth Rixson made the decision to locate in Liberty County, a part of Savannah Technical College’s service delivery area,” said Dr. Kathy Love, President of Savannah Technical College. “Savannah Tech is committed to partnering with Quick Start to provide a skilled workforce for Firth Rixson, and we are pleased that our students will have the opportunity to build their careers at such a cutting-edge company.”