Secret to success lies in workforce

Published in the Culpeper Star Exponent 9/5/2011

I have the rare privilege of working closely with our local companies and as the Chamber President I am driven in support of our businesses. My personal experience working inside multi-national, domestic, mid-sized, and small businesses has allowed me to understand business from a unique perspective.

Regardless of the size of the company, every successful manager will tell you that their success is dependent on those doing the work. As we observe Labor Day, we can take a moment and consider how much we benefit from our great local work force. A favorite song from Alabama - Forty Hour Week lyrics say it well “There are people in this country who work hard every day. Not for fame or fortune do they strive. But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay. And it's time a few of them were recognized.”

 From the Chamber of Commerce I would like to say THANK YOU to our work force for your outstanding performance. The results have been evident in our local economy.  Because you are smart, flexible, and have a resilient “can do” attitude, many of our companies have been able to preserve jobs in our area. It is because of your talent and teamwork that our local economy has successfully weathered economic downturns.

We are also fortunate to have an educational base to provide training and retraining in preparation for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Because of the vision of our community leaders, we are fortunate to have Germanna Community College as a strong partner in workforce development. The Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center has fostered workforce training and development for dozens of companies with broad and tailored programs. Our workforce needs change quickly sometimes. Having a strong workforce training facility with a close relationship with the business community has made Culpeper and the region much stronger economically.

In addition, in support of our workforce, the Career & Technical Department of the Culpeper County School System is well focused on job preparation before graduation. The department is very aware of our local workforce needs and works closely with our businesses and community college to prepare our high school students for real jobs. When a business sees the future changing and thus the job needs changing – the schools are prepared to adapt. 

Much of the teamwork in Culpeper among the business community is like an underground river, ever present, nourishing the roots of economic prosperity. Though there may be challenges with ups and downs in the economy, our excellent workforce is a significant part of our durability. From frontline retail and hospitality to highly trained manufacturing, our workforce is known for being especially professional, creative, and adaptable. Great job!