Salute to Manufacturing to Feature Prominent Author

SOUTH CAROLINA – July 6, 2010 –  The annual Salute toManufacturing, South Carolina’s premier manufacturing recognition eventhonoring the state’s top small, medium and large manufacturing companiesfor their manufacturing excellence, economic impact, commitment toworkforce development and community stewardship, will feature renownedauthor, Gus Whalen, September 22 at the Radisson Hotel and ConferenceCenter in Columbia. His recent book, Hooked at the Roots, is in itssecond printing.

In addition to a distinguished awards luncheon, this year’s Salute toManufacturing will include an educational forum highlightingmanufacturing’s support of education and workforce development in SouthCarolina. For registration details, visit www.scchamber.net,or contactAndi Gougarty at 803-799-4601.

Gus Whalen’s passion is education, manufacturing and philanthropy, whichhe believes have worked together to help strengthen communities acrossAmerica. He is the author of four books, including The FeatherbonePrinciple, The Featherbone Spirit, The Gift of Renewal and his fourthbook, Hooked at the Roots, The Evolution of Featherbone Communiversity.

Whalen is chairman of The Warren Featherbone Company of Gainesville,Georgia and directs the efforts of The Warren Featherbone Foundation. Inits remarkable 127-year history, Warren companies have been active inmanufacturing, banking, agriculture, publishing and philanthropy. Thecompany has been profiled twice by The Wall Street Journal and mostrecently was described as “representative of that huge mass of oftenoverlooked businesses that give breadth and stability to the U.S.economy.” Whalen is past chairman of the American Apparel ManufacturersAssociation (AAMA) and a current member of the Board of Directors ofTextile/Clothing Technology Corporation (TC2). He also serves onGeorgia’s Workforce Investment Board.

This is the second year the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and theSilver Crescent Foundation have teamed up to co-host this annualcelebration of manufacturing excellence in South Carolina. The selectionprocess is based upon: Quality Improvement Efforts; Quality of LifePrograms; Improvements in the Environment; Involvement in LocalCommunity & Economic Development; Education and WorkforceDevelopment; and, Overall Effectiveness.

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce

TheSouth Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s first statechamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is the state’slargest statewide broad-based business and industry trade associationrepresenting more than 18,000  businesses  and more than one  millionemployees, with 90 percent of membership comprised of small businesses.As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is acatalyst for increasing wealth and enhancing the state’s globalcompetitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all SouthCarolinians.