Industrial & Systems Engineer Andrae Kirkland Tapped to Lead Innovative Initiative
GENEDGE is proud to support the growth and prosperity of emerging manufacturing businesses across the Commonwealth and Andrae is the ideal person to lead the new GENEDGE Emerging Business Program”
— Dean Young. Vice President of Business Transformation
MARTINSVILLE, VA, USA, June 5, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — GENEDGE Alliance, a state organization that delivers solutions to accelerate the growth of manufacturing companies throughout Virginia, is launching the GENEDGE Emerging Business Program to help companies with less than 20 employees scale their operations and expand their economic footprint. GENEDGE also announced that Andrae Kirkland, an award-winning engineer and thought leader, has joined the organization as Manager of the GENEDGE Emerging Business Program. He will be based in Richmond, Va.
GENEDGE will strategically select companies into the Emerging Business Program via pre-determined evaluation criteria. Once a manufacturer has been selected, they will complete an assessment designed to help determine the opportunities that exist to help them grow. GENEDGE will pair each business with a dedicated consultant to drive the identified challenges to resolution.
In his new position as Manager of the GENEDGE Emerging Business Program, Andrae Kirkland will consult with small manufacturing companies with high growth potential to help them identify strategies for growth, guiding them through the program to achieve success.
Kirkland is a former board member of the Reusable Packaging Association, where he advocated for and led the development of sustainable global supply chain solutions. He is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt through the American Society for Quality and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Florida.
“GENEDGE is proud to support the growth and prosperity of emerging manufacturing businesses across the Commonwealth and Andrae is the ideal person to lead the new GENEDGE Emerging Business Program,” said Dean Young, Vice President of Business Transformation for GENEDGE. “He is excited about sharing his passion for operational excellence with small manufacturers in Virginia to help them innovate, compete and grow.”
**The initial focus of the pilot will be on Hampton Roads & Richmond, expanding to the rest of the state throughout the year.**
UPDATE: The Emerging Business Program is actively seeking applicants, interested Virginia companies should apply here: https://genedge.org/programs/emerging-business-program/
To learn more about the GENEDGE Emerging Business Program, please reach out to the GENEDGE team via email at ebp@genedge.org.