3 Companies Honored at 2013 Industry Appreciation Breakfast

With the first days in April celebrated as Manufacturing Appreciation Week in Georgia, Paulding County honored three of its leading companies at the 2013 Industry Appreciation Breakfast April 2. RotorWorks LLC is 2013 Industry of the Year, Dallas Millwork Inc. is Manufacturer of the Year, and SEC Inc. (Simmons Engineering Co.) received the 2013 Global Award.

The manufacturing and industry awards are presented to companies that have manufactured, processed or distributed tangible products for at least three years in Paulding.

RotorWorks

RotorWorks LLC, based at 165 Commodore Path in Hiram, began its operations in 2000 in Paulding with one helicopter and two employees serving the utility industry. Growing to 10 employees and three helicopters, RotorWorks invests in the latest technologies to monitor the power grid. Visual surveillance checks forestry lines, rights of way and structural integrity, while infrared and Corona equipment look for breaks or weak spots needing attention, and LiDAR technology enables 3D virtual-world mapping.

Founded by Leigh Caffrey, RotorWorks is certified as a Women Business Enterprise by National Women Business Owners Corp. The company started in Paulding “because it’s who we are and where most of us live,” says General Manager Lewis Harrell. “The county government and Chamber of Commerce are committed to growth, and the county is willing to improve infrastructure and has the foresight to improve the quality of life at a progressive pace.

“We can employ people who have a wealth of technological training located so close to a major city but not willing to spend a couple hours a day commuting to work,” said Harrell. “Every bit of our growth and success is related to the quality of our employees. They’re the best at their skills, and they’re also really good people who believe in each other.

“Paulding County moves at the speed of business, and RotorWorks changes at the speed of technology.”

Dallas Millwork Inc.

Owner Carlos Deupree started Dallas Millwork in a 16-by-24-foot building in the back yard of his Dallas home in 1996, and the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year has expanded three times since moving to its 40,000-square-foot facility on Sunnyland Drive in Hiram.

Dallas Millwork produces high-end, custom-made wooden doors and windows for customers in 26 states from Texas to New England. The company also works with architects and historic preservationists in reproducing doors and windows needed for restoration of historic homes.

General Manager Dan McCauley said the company has appreciated support in Paulding and the talented labor force available here. Currently, Dallas Millwork employs about 50 skilled craftsmen – down from the peak of 75 but rising from a low of 30 during the economic downturn – “and the market is growing. During the downturn, we were able to keep the business open and continue growth,” said McCauley. “The economy is starting to come back, and we’re seeing a lot better days ahead.”

“Dallas Millwork has positioned itself to continue to be a leader in the marketplace,” said Deupree.

Simmons Engineering

Simmons Engineering Co., now SEC Inc., serves domestic and foreign customers and is the winner of the 2013 Global Award. The largest international markets for its products are in Australia, Canada, China, England, Japan, Mexico and Brazil, but Simmons built its business creating and selling the first successful automatic killer for processing poultry to chicken producers in Georgia and the Southeast.

Lacy W. Simmons founded the business in 1964 in Roswell and moved operations to an ideally-suited building in Dallas in 1977. Simmons expanded its building near Chattahoochee Technical College from 40,000 to 50,000 square feet as it diversified with a full-service machine shop to supply other industries, including plastics, steel, automotive and other food service companies. Using stainless steel, aluminum, brass and plastics, Simmons specializes in mid-level to high-level production and can download customer electronic data into its system.

Simmons chose Paulding in part because of its location in one of the most prolific poultry production states and access to multiple transportation options and because of the quality of the workforce, now totaling 28. The county's institutions of higher education are also proving valuable in preparing and retraining employees, said Erin Garner, Simmons marketing director, and many employees have worked there for 35-plus years.

Global positioning strategy produced strong poultry equipment sales in 2012, and product growth throughout the company led to hiring of additional employees in 2012 and new equipment purchases in 2013. Inclusion in the county's Opportunity Zone has also helped grow Simmons' workforce the past several years.  

The breakfast April 2 at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport was hosted by the Paulding Chamber of Commerce and Paulding County Economic Development Inc. and presented by Chattahoochee Technical College’s Community and Economic Development team.

Georgia Manufacturing Appreciation Week April 1 through 5 emanated from the state’s Technical College System and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.