Special to the Journal

RCC Helps Local Industry Defray Training Costs

Therafirm Compression Products is a medical hosiery firm in Ellerbe that is fortunate enough to be in a niche market and be in the position of hiring employees. Through working with Richmond County Economic Developer Rick Sago, Richmond Community College Director of Customized Industrial Training Lee Eller learned Therafirm was expanding its operations. Eller visited plant manager Jimmy Ray to explain the services the college could provide and found a new client.

“We’re getting new cylinders for our knitting machines and new software. For the college to help fund trainers from the knitting machine supplier, we were able to train people in a shorter amount of time and more thoroughly than if we trained them ourselves,” said Ray.

RCC’s Customized Industrial Training program is part of a statewide economic development initiative to provide services to businesses and industries locating, expanding, or remaining in North Carolina. The goal is to provide an educated workforce that helps the industry compete in a global economy and to provide the training at a minimal cost to the industry.

Eller said it is not difficult or very time consuming to go through the application process to receive assistance from the NC Community College System’s Customized Training Program.

“We’re planning to offer Therafirm additional courses in Hosiery 101, forklift operation, CPR, ISO, and Lean Manufacturing,” said Eller.

Ray said the firm makes gradient compression hosiery used in various medical and non-medical markets by people with vein problems and people who want to avoid vein problems.

“The design helps with circulation and reduces the pooling of blood at the ankles. People that wear our products include those with leg swelling caused by medical conditions or by sitting for long periods of time with their legs straight down with no activity or after standing for long periods of time. Our products help legs to be energized and to help avoid swollen ankles and leg fatigue. Maintaining our quality is very important to us. We have 54 employees and are looking to hire more as business conditions dictate in the future. We’ve sent people to the supervisory courses at the college in the past and are looking forward to working with the college more closely in the future,” he said.

Therafirm is a subsidiary of Knit-Rite, Inc., an 86 year old medical textile manufacturer and distributor in Kansas City, KS. To learn more about Therafirm products and where they can be purchased, please visit www.therafirm.com.

For more information about the Industrial Training Program contact Eller at 410-1688 or leee@richmondcc.edu.