GEARS program takes flight

Despite the winter storm that blew through the Ozarks over the previous weekend, the new leadership program created for the local manufacturing industry held its first session on Jan. 28.

The debut of GEARS, a program organized by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Springfield, took place at SMC Packaging Group. The initiative, which is an acronym for growth, education, action, relationship and success, allows participants to sharpen leadership skills, expand their network and gain insights from industry peers through activities such as workshops, panel discussions and guest speakers, officials say.

Leadership Springfield officials say the inaugural cohort is capped out this session at 25, representing 15 businesses. Ben Vickers, business development manager with the Springfield chamber, said the enrollment total exceeded expectations. The program consists of 90-minute sessions over a six-month period hosted at multiple local manufacturing facilities.

Carrie Richardson, Leadership Springfield president, previously told Springfield Business Journal that GEARS is a cohort-based model that includes small group work and facilitated discussions, similar to the organization’s other programs.

All sessions tie into the program’s acronym, she said, with the first one focused on foundations of leadership. That included identifying leadership styles and assessing what they mean for cohort participants.

SMC President Mark McNay was among those speaking on a panel that covered the origins of GEARS and its perceived importance for the local manufacturing community. He was joined by Vickers; Jeff Cumley, associate director of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers; and Christina Angle, president and chief financial officer at Erlen Group.

McNay said when he was in one of Leadership Springfield’s community development programs many years ago, he noticed there weren’t many representatives in the manufacturing field. He made a similar observation of those participating in The Network, the chamber’s program for young professionals.

“The reason that we saw value in GEARS is it’s a way to get people that are involved in manufacturing connected with other manufacturers, develop those leadership skills, develop those networks where they can continue to find value,” he said.

Manufacturing value
McNay, who leads the Springfield-based corrugated packaging manufacturer, told the cohort that “misery loves company,” noting that GEARS is uniquely positioned to address issues or challenges that participants might feel at their workplace.

“Sometimes, some of the pain that you’re experiencing is probably not unique, and if you can share that with others within the manufacturing world, it may ease the pain,” he said.

Angle agreed, adding with a laugh that she’s been “bugging the chamber” about a manufacturing-focused program for about five years.

“There’s a lot of value in meeting others like you, knowing that they’re up against the same challenges and you’re really not in it alone, even though you might be at different companies,” she said, adding there’s significant value in fellow manufacturers interacting with one another. “The impact you can have by being a great leader is going to truly raise the bar for this community in a way that’s real.”

Finding new leadership in manufacturing is essential, McNay said, noting opportunities to build career paths in the industry are immense.

“We’re losing people to retirements all the time. And if we want to continue to grow, we have to develop that workforce,” he said.

The median age for employees in 2024 was 44.3, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Vickers advised the program participants to be open to asking questions and pursuing the growth process. Cumley said having patience and trusting people to do their jobs also is important.

“The reason you are here is to grow into yourselves as leaders and into your roles in your organizations,” Vickers said, adding he finds discomfort, collaboration and openness all help in his personal growth. “Whether or not you stay at the company that you currently represent – maybe it’s five, 10 years – or somewhere else, your growth today is what will define that path.”

McNay said he wished earlier in his career he had placed more trust in others – a trait he noted he still could stand to develop better today.

“I think we all consider ourselves trustworthy, but we don’t put trust in others,” he said. “I think we need to do a little bit more of that and recognize that we have a tremendous talent pool around us, not only in this group, but in our own organizations.

“It’s going to help you grow, ultimately, as a leader,” he added. “Folks around SMC have heard me say it many times, ‘To be a good leader, you need to be visible and vulnerable.’”

Program cost
According to past SBJ reporting, the cost for GEARS is $1,250 for chamber members and $1,650 for nonmembers. While declining to disclose the investment to launch GEARS, Vickers said enrollment provides participants with tickets to select chamber events and networking opportunities, lunches during each monthly session and membership in The Network.

Several companies provided undisclosed financial commitments for the program, according to past reporting. Those included Amprod LLC, Erlen Group, Gold Mechanical Inc., Holloway America, L&W Industries LLC, Positronic Industries Inc., SMC, SRC Holdings Corp. and MAM.

Session two is scheduled for Feb. 18 at Central States Industrial Equipment & Service Inc. It will cover workforce development, specifically talent attraction and retention, along with mentoring, coaching and building career pathways, Richardson said.