Latest news with #FloridaMakes
Business Wire
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
MITER Brands Celebrates Team Member Awarded Florida Apprentice of the Year
NORTH VENICE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MITER Brands, a residential window and door manufacturer, recently celebrated team member Andrew Clark, who was bestowed the 2024 Florida Manufacturer Apprentice of the Year award, with an event held at the company's PGT Windows and Doors location in North Venice, Fla. The celebration was in conjunction with National Apprenticeship Day on April 30. MITER Brands recently celebrated team member Andrew Clark, who was bestowed the 2024 Florida Manufacturer Apprentice of the Year award, with an event held at the company's PGT Windows and Doors location in North Venice, Florida. The honor was awarded by FloridaMakes, a statewide, industry-led public-private partnership with the sole mission of strengthening and advancing Florida's economy by improving the productivity and technological performance of its manufacturing sector. The award is designed to recognize those who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to their professional development and who have gone above and beyond their normal duties and taken on additional responsibilities, including encouraging others to consider manufacturing as a career. 'This recognition isn't just about technical skills, it's about work ethic, initiative, and impact,' said Marcelo Dossantos, Director of Workforce Development for FloridaMakes. 'At a time when manufacturers across the country are facing workforce shortages and a growing skills gap, upskilling workers through apprenticeship programs is not only a talent development strategy, but also a key retention strategy.' On Thursday, May 1, MITER Brands held a celebratory event and luncheon to recognize and congratulate Clark. More than 25 individuals were in attendance, including representatives from FloridaMakes, Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association (SAMA), and CareerSource Suncoast. Also present at the event were Luis Laracuente, Senator Rick Scott's District Director for the Tampa Bay Region, Steven Seville, Apprenticeship and Training Representative for the Department of Education, and Matt DeSoto, CEO of MITER Brands. 'At MITER Brands, we're building the next generation of master tradespeople,' said Matt Desoto, CEO of MITER Brands. 'We have young, talented individuals who take pride in their work, want to grow, and have a desire to use their skills to advance the business. Andrew and apprentices like him are exactly the kind of talent we're proud to have and continue to look for to help us carry American manufacturing forward.' With Clark's recent accolade, this marks the third consecutive year that a member of MITER's apprenticeship program was acknowledged by FloridaMakes. In 2023, MITER Brands team member William Merriman won the Apprentice of the Year award, and in 2022, MITER Brands team member Brentyn Szalbirak was awarded Apprentice of the Year. At the event, Merriman and Szalbirak were also recognized for their achievements and graduation from their respective apprenticeships. Both are now certified Journeymen for PGT's Tool and Die program. 'Innovation is more than just a word in our MITER Brands name or the new products we engineer,' said Chris Davis, Vice President of Operations at MITER Brands. 'It shows up in how we grow our teams, strengthen our culture, and invest in the future. Our apprenticeship program is a perfect example of this spirit of innovation at work — thinking differently, acting boldly, and building something that lasts.' MITER Brand's apprenticeship program, sponsored by CareerSource Suncoast, launched in 2018 for the Tool and Die Department. The program aims to build interest and awareness in manufacturing career opportunities, placing MITER Brands at the forefront of innovative ways to invest in its team members. Registered apprenticeship programs must be designed, developed, and then approved by the Florida Department of Education before they can operate. Following its strong success in the Tool and Die department, MITER Brands' apprenticeship program has now been expanded to include the Maintenance Department at its PGT location. About MITER Brands Founded in 1947, MITER Brands is a residential window and door manufacturer that produces a portfolio of window and door brands for the new construction and replacement segments with an owner-operated, family-first approach. With more than 20 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States, MITER Brands is a nationwide supplier of precision-built and energy-efficient products. Through optimized manufacturing, valued relationships, and dedicated team members coast to coast, MITER Brands instills confidence and drives quality customer experiences. For more information, visit
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmaker wants to boost manufacturing with a 'Fresh from Florida' flavor
A Florida lawmaker has a plan that could dramatically raise the average pay for Florida workers. Sen. Keith Truenow, R-Tavares, seeks to boost the manufacturing sector with a 'Fresh from Florida' approach, referring the 30-year-old state managed entity that partners with farmers and growers in advertising and to promote agriculture at retail trade shows and to export markets. The average wage of workers in manufacturing was $28.55 in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. finds the average hourly wage in Florida is about $15.55. Truenow's bills (SB 600, SB 602) would create an Office of Manufacturing within the Department of Commerce to support workforce development through grants, and a state managed promotional campaign for manufacturers. The number of Florida manufacturing jobs has boomed in the past decade, increasing by 23% since 2014 with the state emerging as a leader in making metals, aerospace components and furniture, along with computer and electronic products. According to Florida Makes, a federal mechanical extension program, there are 72,000 manufacturing companies in Florida, with two-thirds employing 20 people or less. Chris Dawson, who lobbies for the group, said Truenow's proposal seeks to boost the market exposure for those small companies. 'We want to maintain and home grow Florida's massive manufacturing businesses of tomorrow, and we're starting with the small folks,' Dawson said Tuesday during a Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. The bill creates the Florida Manufacturers' Workforce Development Grant Program to provide workforce training, subject to appropriation by the Legislature. And for a fee, manufacturers would be included in a Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign. Those funds would be used to develop a logo and other materials to promote products and Florida manufacturing in media campaigns, trade shows and in export markets. Florida currently has more than 400,000 workers in the manufacturing sector but that represents a small fraction of the state's job opportunities. Manufacturing makes up just 4% of Florida jobs, far behind the nation's leader, Indiana with 17%, less than half of Texas at 8.2%, and below the U.S. as a whole at 7.7%, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. 'With the number of people living here it just makes sense to be manufacturing here,' Truenow told the USA TODAY Network – Florida during a break in a committee meeting. Truenow later amended the bill to establish a $100 registration and renewal fee to participate in the promotional campaign. The committee approved the measure unanimously. Its next and final committee stop is the Appropriations Committee; the House companion has yet to be heard in committee. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@ and is on X as @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Plan to boost manufacturing could transform Florida's workforce
