SAGA had the opportunity to attend MFGCON in Winston-Salem this week, an annual event that brings together North Carolina manufacturers and manufacturing service providers to network, attend insightful presentations, and discuss current and future economic conditions in our state and beyond. The event centers around one goal: growing manufacturing in North Carolina.
Hosted by the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) and Business North Carolina, MFGCON celebrates the remarkable achievements of the state’s manufacturing sector. Each year, outstanding businesses are recognized through the “Manufacturing Leadership Awards.”
This year, Sanford’s own Bharat Forge received the “2025 Excellence in Manufacturing Award.” This prestigious honor goes to a manufacturer that demonstrates exemplary practices across key areas, including workforce development, sustainability, innovation, emerging markets/economic development, and continuous improvement. SAGA was proud to present this award to Bharat Forge and represent Sanford’s strong and growing manufacturing culture alongside their team.
The conference featured a rich lineup of seminars that support SAGA’s business expansion and retention efforts. The speakers did an incredible job of delivering the latest trends and best practices in manufacturing. Some of the standout sessions included:
- “Navigating the Talent Landscape: Strategies for Acquisition, Hiring, Retention, and Internships”
- “Securing Your Workforce: Employee Retention in the Intelligence Age”
- “Investing in Innovation: The ROI of Engineering Interns”
These topics were highly relevant to the current needs of industries in Lee County. During the “Investing in Innovation” session, SAGA was invited to share our experience from the summer of 2024, when we hosted NCSU Rural Works! interns as part of our first Work, Play, Live Lee event. Several communities followed up with questions about how they could replicate this initiative in their own counties.
SAGA continues to train, learn, and evolve—just as our industries do—to be the best partners possible to Lee County businesses.
Crystal Gaddy
Business Retention and Expansion Manager
cgaddy@growsanfordnc.com