Evolution of Technology in Manufacturing
SOUTHEAST Session: Sponsored by: UiPath Moderated by: Paul Boris
SOUTHEAST Session: Sponsored by: UiPath Moderated by: Paul Boris
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Ronald Graves, President, Poiema Corporation
SOUTHEAST Session: Every manufacturing leader wants better results—higher productivity, stronger margins, improved retention. But results don’t just happen. They are outcomes, driven by a chain of causes. If you want to change what your organization is producing, you must first understand—and influence—what’s producing it. In manufacturing, we obsess over KPIs, processes, and performance data. But what if the real leverage point lies deeper? Behind every action is a decision. Behind every decision is a belief. And behind every belief is a mindset. This session takes you beneath the surface of your organization’s performance to uncover the unseen drivers of success: the thinking patterns and belief systems shaping behavior on your shop floor, in your offices, and across your leadership team. Because here's the truth: your organization will never rise above the mindset of its people. If you’re ready to stop reacting to problems and start redesigning outcomes, this session is your roadmap. Learn how to shift beliefs, align behaviors, and build a culture that fuels measurable, sustainable transformation—starting with the end in mind.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Sarah DePeri, South Carolina APEX Manager, South Carolina APEX Accelerator
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Jasmine Kennedy, Procurement Counselor, South Carolina APEX Accelerator
SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers performing visual inspections on their products have historically had two options: perform the inspection manually, or program a rule-based vision system. Both of these options are slow, inflexible, and costly to maintain. However, as Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) have become more powerful, a third approach has become available: deep learning. Deep learning-based vision systems learn directly from annotated images to perform inference on images. They offer numerous advantages including rapid deployment, greater detection flexibility, and lower development and acquisition costs. They are also easily retrained and reconfigured with minimal to no programming. As such, they represent a massive opportunity to automate quality inspection for small to medium sized manufacturers. In this presentation, we will discuss the technology that enables AI-based computer vision, the advantages they provide, use cases, and how to best implement them. Attendees will walk away with a clear understanding of where deep learning fits into their operation and how to get started with the right tools and strategy.
SOUTHEAST Session: Moderated by: Jamie Goettler, BTX Precision Rather than start with a discussion of all the technologies available in the industrial marketplace, this panel session will start by outlining the primary concerns of manufacturing businesses. By first appealing to what the audience (machining businesses) cares about most at the start, the panel will logically ease into a discussion of how available technologies can help achieve greater outcomes for these businesses…in other words, solutions to the preeminent problems. Among the concerns highlighted at the outset will be improving competitiveness (domestically and globally), throughput (business growth), and yes productivity in the face of the manufacturing skills gap. The panel will be represented by industry leaders who either are dealing with these concerns directly, or those that have a “front row seat” to a variety of companies that seek to survive and thrive. Technologies that will be addressed will likely include automation, robotics, workforce training, machining technology, machine monitoring, software and AI to name a few.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: David Babcock, Director of Technical PreSales, Ashling Partners
SOUTHEAST Session: The widening skills gap in manufacturing continues to challenge educators, employers, and policymakers striving to cultivate a future-ready workforce. This session examines how strategic partnerships between education and industry can elevate experiential learning to better align student preparation with real-world workforce demands. Through the integration of hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials, and work-based learning opportunities, these collaborations create meaningful pathways from the classroom to the production floor. Ultimately, the session highlights how experiential learning—anchored in authentic industry collaboration—serves as a powerful catalyst for bridging the manufacturing skills gap and building a sustainable talent pipeline.
SOUTHEAST Session: Understand the essential steps for achieving CMMC compliance in this essential session. Colin Gilchrist will provide a comprehensive guide for organizations looking to bridge the gap between cybersecurity requirements and business growth, ensuring a strong compliance foundation.