LAURINBURG — Laurinburg manufacturer Service Thread and Richmond Community College have been recognized for their partnership to improve the lives of workers.
The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges has awarded the company and the college as Distinguished Partners in Excellence for 2017.
The recognition was announced during last week’s annual awards dinner of the Laurinburg-Scotland County Chamber of Commerce.
The Distinguished Partners in Excellence Award recognizes an exemplary employer, business or industry group that has demonstrated decisive involvement and firm commitment to the professional development of its employees and/or to the development of North Carolina’s workforce through its partnership efforts with one or more of the 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. It was established by the State Board of Community Colleges in 2006.
Service Thread partnered with RichmondCC to provide a comprehensive training program for employees to meet the required levels of competence as determined by the WorkKeys Job Profiles. Through this training, 95 percent have obtained their Silver Career Readiness Certificate.
As part of that process, Service Thread continues to set up testing on a regular basis, allowing employees an opportunity to increase their scores in addition to increasing their hourly pay rate. Service Thread covers the initial cost of testing for employees who would like to improve their scores.
In the past three years, RichmondCC has helped Service Thread secure $34,000 in customized training funds, creating 15 new jobs and retaining 108 jobs.
The company said the funding has been critical to Service Thread remaining competitive, allowing it to invest in modern equipment and ensure its employees are as efficient and effective as possible.
“We appreciate Richmond Community College and all the hard work the college puts into helping Service Thread,” Service Thread Chief Operating Officer Jay Todd said. “We are grateful to have the best community college in North Carolina in our backyard.”
The partnership between RCC and Service Thread is being used as a model by many local businesses to increase the skill level of employees and more accurately assess their employees’ educational and training needs.
“Service Thread has continuously supported RichmondCC’s efforts to strengthen Scotland County,” said Dale McInnis, RCC president. “We are proud of our partnership with a company that is committed to meeting the educational needs of its employees and investing in an educated workforce.”
Service Thread has an Employee Education Assistance Program that pays 100 percent of tuition and related education expenses for qualified courses of study from Adult High School Diploma through graduate education.
The business has also partnered with RichmondCC in developing pre-employment training that prepared individuals for the application process and the culture of employment at Service Thread. In addition, the company sponsors and participates in college job fairs, and has provided significant and generous financial support for college events and activities.
Last year, Service Thread received the 2016 Manufacturing Leadership Award for manufacturing innovation.
The 40-year-old company has a manufacturing plant on King Street and a warehouse and distribution center on Dana Road. Service Thread also has a sales office in Charlotte.
Service Thread designs and develops industrial thread and engineered yarn. The business employs 110 people.