David Babcock
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: David Babcock, Director of Technical PreSales, Ashling Partners
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: This presentation showcases the successful migration of Prym Consumer USA from a local SAP ERP to the Prym Group’s global SAP platform, a transformation that redefined core manufacturing and supply chain operations. Completed in just eight months, the project modernized order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, finance, warehouse management, and returns processes while aligning with Prym’s fiscal year change. To address manufacturing challenges, advanced automation solutions, including Pick by Light and a Loose Item picking sorter were implemented to boost accuracy and efficiency in logistics. Seamless EDI integration via Seeburger connected Prym with leading U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Amazon, while Shopify integration expanded direct-to-consumer sales. Delivered on time, under budget, and with minimal disruption, this case study offers a clear roadmap for manufacturers seeking to harmonize global processes, adopt automation, and strengthen supply chain resilience in today’s competitive landscape.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Rob Sims, Founder & CTO, Alchemi Data Management, Inc.
SOUTHEAST Session: "The Manufacturing Leader's Playbook for Surviving Tariffs, Taxes, and Tech Turm," explores strategies for mitigating the effects of taxes and tariffs on manufacturing businesses through the use of modern business software. It covers key financial and operational factors such as OBBA, tariffs, and technology, highlighting how these elements impact R&D credits, clean energy credits, bonus depreciation, and potential savings. The presentation also delves into the benefits of ERP software, emphasizing the need for high-quality data ingestion, cost accounting, supplier diversification, customer prioritization, and predictive analytics to enhance profitability and market share. Additionally, it provides an example of a modern ERP platform and discusses the integration of Acumatica Manufacturing ERP, which combines financials, planning, and scheduling to support diverse manufacturing strategies and deliver real-time insights.
SOUTHEAST Session: In today's highly competitive manufacturing landscape, operational efficiency is more critical than ever. Yet, excessive energy consumption and unplanned downtime remain major challenges, significantly impacting productivity and costs. Traditional maintenance strategies often fail to address the root causes of inefficiencies, leading to unnecessary energy waste and unexpected failures. This session explores Energy-Centered Maintenance (ECM)—a data-driven, AI-powered approach that goes beyond conventional reliability-centered maintenance by integrating energy efficiency as a key decision-making factor. By leveraging advanced IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, and real-time machine health monitoring, manufacturers can proactively detect faults, minimize energy loss, and extend asset life. Through real-world case studies and industry insights, attendees will learn how ECM enables manufacturers to reduce operational expenses, prevent unplanned downtime, and achieve sustainability goals—all without compromising productivity. The session will also highlight how machine learning and AI-driven predictive analytics help manufacturers make smarter maintenance decisions, optimizing energy use while ensuring equipment reliability. Whether you're looking to cut energy costs, enhance machine uptime, or align with Industry 4.0 and sustainability initiatives, this session will provide practical takeaways to help you transform your maintenance strategy. Learning Objectives Understand the limitations of traditional maintenance strategies and how excessive energy waste and unexpected downtime impact manufacturing costs and efficiency. Explore the principles of Energy-Centered Maintenance (ECM) and how AI-driven predictive analytics can optimize machine performance, reduce energy waste, and prevent costly breakdowns.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Steve George, Senior Manager Product Engineering – Solid Rounds, Kennametal
SOUTHEAST Session: Many small and medium-sized manufacturers feel overwhelmed by the hype around artificial intelligence yet struggle to see where to begin without significant disruption or cost. This talk will present a practical, proven framework that helps owners, operators, and engineering managers adopt AI in a step-by-step approach. Real case studies will be shared, including a sales order entry automation initiative that reduced manual effort by 60% through the use of a third-party AI solution, allowing employees to focus on higher-value customer service and informed decision-making. Attendees will gain a clear roadmap to identify high-impact opportunities, pilot small projects, and scale AI solutions that deliver measurable ROI and strengthen long-term competitiveness. This session provides actionable strategies and dispels common myths, demonstrating that digital transformation does not have to be complex or out of reach for smaller manufacturers ready to take the first step.
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Brandon White, Vice President of Sales, Acieta
Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Robert Jacobs, Digital Growth Director, CliftonLarsonAllen