Starting up in the Black in Newberry, SC

 

If you could open a manufacturing facility anywhere in the United States, where would you choose? Peter Smith, CEO and president of Nasmyth Precision Products, Inc. (NPP), had the opportunity to do just that in 2008. Tasked with building the North American headquarters for the Nasmyth Group out of Buckinghamshire, England, he could have built anywhere in the US.

 

He chose Newberry, SC.

 

Was it the Opera House that drew him? Was it the opportunity to watch the Indians – er, I mean, the Newberry College football team compete in the South Atlantic Conference? Or was it the allure of the mysterious demarcation line that allows Newberry to get snow every winter, while less than 30 miles away Columbia stays flake-free?

 

No, it all came down to one thing: people.

 

“Anybody can buy a building and machines, but the differentiating factor is the people,” said Dale McClelland, operations manager of NPP. “If we don’t have a good foundation of skilled people we won’t survive as a company. And readySC™ and the SC Technical College System make sure we have the skilled people we need to be successful.”

 

NPP specializes in the manufacture of aerospace electrical connectors, components used in the arduous and demanding environment of advanced technology gas turbine aero-engines and the equipment and systems that are used in the modern aircraft. Applications range from commuter jets to the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft. Because of this, NPP has very exacting standards for their CNC process. The parts made in this process have extremely close tolerances and precise measurements that require an extensive training program.

When Smith was considering the location of the NPP facility, he did have a few parameters. He knew that the parent company wanted the US operation to be on the East Coast, close to Rolls Royce’s Virginia facility, for whom they supply precision parts. He also knew that he would need skilled workers. Fortunately Smith had experience with another company in Newberry, which is why he considered this area. He was confident in the labor pool and the training offered by Piedmont Technical College, so he felt comfortable recommending this location.

 

“Finding the right people takes a lot of work, and readySC™ offered to help with that,” said McClelland. “Once we made the decision to come here, readySC™ was instrumental in recruitment. They helped with advertising and getting our name out there. We had 350 applicants in the beginning, a really good initial run, and whittled those down to 100, then to between 50 and 60 for the interviews to hire our core team. readySC™ even provided the building for us to do the interviews, which was important because we didn’t have one yet.”

 

Working in conjunction with Piedmont Technical College, readySC™ also offered training assistance. Piedmont Tech has an excellent machine tool technology class, and readySC™ helped personalize it for NPP. The curriculum provided a good core structure that became the foundation of NPP’s training.

 

“What people need when they come to me is a good foundation,” McClelland explained. “As long as they have that, I can work with them. Their skillset needs to be firm and fundamentally sound. They need to be able to use the tools of the trade – calipers, micrometers, etc. All those skills are provided by Piedmont Tech and readySC™.”

 

NPP is now sponsoring one of the machine tool classes at Piedmont Tech, along with other area sponsors. “This benefits us because it gives us first look at the graduates, and it helps the students as well because they know there is the possibility of a job waiting for them. It’s a give and take relationship.”

In addition to the initial start-up training, NPP has also worked with Apprenticeship Carolina™ to sponsor the first formal apprenticeship program in Newberry County for their employees. “This is another great resource for helping new people – offering them the opportunity to earn a certified apprenticeship certificate. It provides a stairway for them to become masters of their trade. It’s the way we need to go in this country.”

 

When asked if he could give advice to other companies considering expanding or starting new business in South Carolina, McClelland answered, “I would tell them that I think there’s tremendous opportunity to leverage your business by utilizing these resources. By tapping into these resources, it helps get you up and running quicker, and there are less bumps in the road. Let’s face it, starting a company is very difficult,” McClelland summarized, “and it takes a lot of resources and cash up front. Any assistance with that is greatly appreciated. readySC™ really helped us with pre-planning and resources – and not just in the beginning. It’s been a continuing effort. readySC™ has been a key part of making this a successful start-up.”

 

McClelland added, “If I didn’t have the assistance of readySC™ and the SC Technical College System, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

 

NPP currently has seven machining centers in place now, and 17 employees.