Oakland County Michigan Works! recognized a local manufacturer, state legislator and local non-profit agency for their exemplary efforts in supporting the growth of the county’s workforce in 2019.
The honorees were Barron Industries of Oxford, State Sen. Rosemary Bayer of Beverly Hills and Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. The presentation took place Dec. 5 at a special meeting of the Oakland County Workforce Development Board at the Iroquois Club in Bloomfield Township.
Barron Industries, a manufacturer of engineered metal components for applications across the globe, was selected as Business of the Year. The company engaged Oakland County Michigan Works! in 2018 to help it fill critical skilled trades openings. Barron launched an on-the-job training program with OCMW help and financial support from the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program. To date, Barron has hired and trained 14 people for a variety of positions, including casting technicians, mold technicians, finishing specialists and other roles.
“Working closely with us, Barron was able to meet and exceed its contract demands and has now acquired a new 10,000 square-foot manufacturing plant,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, director of Oakland County Michigan Works!