South Carolina Manufacturers and Commerce (SCMC) has announced the 2026–2027 class of the South Carolina Manufacturing Leadership Program (SCMLP), welcoming 22 rising leaders from across the state’s manufacturing community.
Led by SCMC and SC Future Makers in partnership with the Executive Education Center at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, SCMLP is an immersive, cohort-based program that prepares high-potential manufacturing professionals for greater leadership roles within the industry. Participants learn from Moore School faculty, business executives, and manufacturing experts while studying global growth, organizational strategy, emerging technologies, supply chain management, corporate culture, leadership, and personal development.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate the achievements of this SCMLP cohort," said SCMC President and CEO Sara Hazzard. "Through this immersive experience and partnership with our friends at USC’s Moore School, participants gained executive-level insights from around the industry, tackled real-world business challenges in a classroom setting, and built a statewide network of manufacturing leaders for the future. As this cohort graduates, they will be equipped with tools that strengthen their teams and lift up their co-workers and, ultimately, boost the economic development landscape of our state.”
Launched in 2023, SCMLP has graduated 59 manufacturing professionals who are applying their skills to strengthen companies and communities across South Carolina.
SCMLP is made possible through the support of industry partners, including The Boeing Company, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, and Sage Automotive Interiors.
The fourth cohort includes professionals representing a range of manufacturing sectors and companies across South Carolina. The 2026–2027 SCMLP participants are:
Joseph Barbarito, William Barnet & Son
Jonathan Flores Cortes, Volvo Car USA
Mikkel Gimena, Milliken & Company
Daniel Grant, Nucor Steel Berkeley
Timothy Groch, Duke Energy
Aly Hall, Nucor Corporation
Aaron Hefner, AFL
Vanessa Lindenberger, Mercedes-Benz Vans
Megan McQueen, Sylvamo
Ryan Motes, William Barnet & Son
Justin Mullis, Sage Automotive Interiors
Anthony Nowik, CHG/Pioneer Frozen Foods
James Pennisi, JTEKT
Wayne Perkins, A. O. Smith
William Rapp, Milliken & Company
Nicholas Samios, Mercedes-Benz Vans
Joerg Schannath, BMW Manufacturing
Charlene Stanley, Michelin
Jerry Stepp, AFL
Dwayne Stukes, Boeing
Ericka Suber, BMW Manufacturing
Robert Wingard, American Honda South Carolina Manufacturing
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