Manufacturing companies that compete based on innovative products, services or processes generate higher returns on their sales and grow faster than companies that don’t. Learning why companies should adopt a process for developing and integrating innovation into their operations will be the focus of an October 25 workshop to be held at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in Valdosta.

“Over the next 20 years, innovation management will be a key business growth strategy,” said Don Pital, growth services manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), a unit of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at Georgia Tech. “Research shows that companies that develop new processes, services or products benefit from increased profitability. This workshop will help manufacturers put into place a process to develop and sustain a system for innovation.”

The workshop begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 25th and concludes at 3 p.m. at the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in Valdosta. Key decision makers – including CEOs, senior leadership, business development leaders, plant managers and EDO leadership – are invited to attend. The event is hosted by the GaMEP and co-sponsored by the One Georgia Authority, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, the Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and the Valdosta-Lowndes Industrial Authority.

In addition to Pital, speakers at the workshop will include Bob Wray, a Dublin-based GaMEP project manager who helps manufacturers develop top-line growth strategies, and Connie Casteel, an Atlanta-based GaMEP project manager who helps companies with technology scouting and strategic business development.

At the workshop, attendees will:

• Discover why innovation management is a “must-have” for business growth
• Understand the types of innovation and why they are important
• Be able to identify the warning signs that innovation is not driving a company’s strategy
• Learn to implement tools to create innovative ideas
• Participate in exercises to begin the innovation journey
• Gain tips on implementing a sustainable innovation management system

For more information and to register, please visit www.valdostachamber.com.