QCMI Hosted a Facility Tour for Manufacturing Day

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM); The Manufacturing Institute; the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA); and the U.S. Commerce Department’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) launched National Manufacturing Day on October 4, 2013.  A recent study shows that 600,000 manufacturing jobs are unfilled in the United States due to a gap in the job requirements and the skills of those seeking work within the manufacturing sector.  QCMI hosted a facility tour for the local community in order to highlight the importance of manufacturing to the U.S. economy and showcase the rewarding, highly skilled jobs available in manufacturing fields. Hopefully, by opening up shop floors around the country, we will be able to show modern manufacturing for what it is—a sleek, technology-driven industry that offers secure, good-paying jobs.

Team Quality for a Cure

Photo: L-R: Eric Spencer, Rick Urban, Howie Lawrence, Becky Quinn, Bob Grande, Sheri Grande and KC Lawrence.  Not pictured:  Erica Lopez, Daniel Kellogg, Tom Grande and Jeff Grande.

On June 1-June 2, 2013, QCMI participated in the 13th Annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life the Santee 24-hour event was held at the Town Center Community Park.
Relay for Life is an overnight community gathering that gives everyone an opportunity to fight cancer.  Teams camp out at the park and take turns walking or running around a track.  Because cancer never sleeps, teams are asked to have a member on the track at all times during the overnight event.  We are very proud that QCMI was a “Gold Team” and helped raise over $5,000 to fight cancer through individual fundraising events and QCMI employees’ participating in the company fundraisers. Quality for a Cure is already planning to participate in 2014’s Relay for Life.  Look for more information in the next few months for fundraising events and your participation.

QCMI Hosts Community Tour for ECEDC Manufacturing Series

Photo: QCMI Founder Bob Grande explains to tour attendees how manufacturing has changed dramatically over the years.

QCMI participated in three Manufacturing Series Career Tour and Panel days in 2013, thanks to sponsorship from SDG&E, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo, along with funding from the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The series was created in response to manufacturers reporting difficulties in finding skilled, qualified personnel. With many veterans and adults out of work, ECEDC and partners are arranging tours of manufacturing facilities in East County San Diego for job seekers to learn what manufacturing looks like today and what career opportunities are available within this sector.

Photo: COO / CFO Rick Urban answers questions of tour participants.

“Our company has been growing in operations. We need employees and cannot seem to find qualified individuals fast enough,” said Rick Urban, QCMI COO / CFO. Urban chairs a subcommittee of the ECEDC’s Supporting Education and Economic Development Committee (SEED) that has been planning the series of tours and has been pushing efforts to engage people in the manufacturing industry.

Wounded Warrior Foundation — Segs4Vets USS Midway Presentation

QCMI is a proud supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and Segs4Vets and has participated in 2011, 2012 and 2013 presentations of Segway mobility devices to Wounded Warriors on the deck of the USS Midway. Each veteran receives a Segway® PT (Personal Transporter) from Segs4Vets. The two-wheeled, self-balancing battery electric vehicle along with a Segvator®, an elevator for transport, will help them improve their mobility and regain their independence.

The Wounded Warrior Project purpose is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for our injured service members.  Segs4Vets provides candidates with a way to take the attention away from their disability and allows them to be active and mobile in their daily lives.

QCMI Supports National Veterans Transition Services Inc. (NVTSI) /REBOOT Workshop Program

Photo: Rick Urban, QCMI COO / CFO (center) presents check for REBOOT to Retired Rear Admiral Ronne Froman and Retired Master Chief Maurice Wilson

QCMI was recognized for our support of the REBOOT Workshop a newly designed military-to-civilian transition program developed by the National Veterans Transition Services Inc. (NVTSI) at the January 28, 2011 graduation celebration. The reintegration workshops assist returning service members and veterans in making the social and career transition from years of service by REBOOTing their culture and skills. The service members’ graduation was open to the public and held at the San Diego Foundation building located in Liberty Station. Rick Urban, QCMI COO presented NVTSI co-founders Retired Rear Admiral Ronne Froman and Retired Master Chief Maurice Wilson, NVTSI with an initial $10,000 contribution check.

Additional organizations QCMI helps:

• Guide Dogs of America
• Huntington’s Disease Society of America
• Rescue Task Force
• Rotary
• San Diego East County Economic Development Council / Foundation (ECEDC)
• Supporting Education and Economic Development Committee (SEED)
• Special Olympics Southern California