Events

OpExchange members may enroll immediately for available events. Note that guests may attend virtual event provided that they work with a South Carolina manufacturing company.

Upcoming

2025 OpExChange Year-End Review and Awards

Teams | Virtual

December 10, 2025
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Don’t miss this event to see which companies win the coveted 2025 engagement and collaboration awards. We will also highlight the upcoming schedule for Q1 2026.

Upcoming

Sustainability: Smart Utility Management and Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

Life Cycle Engineering | North charleston

January 6, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Are utility costs cutting into your margins? Has your company been receiving more inquiries about sustainability performance? This half-day workshop will explore actionable steps to meet these increasing requirements in ways that are practical and relevant to your business. We’ll share strategies for smarter energy, water, and waste management, and guide you through calculating your Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

Upcoming

The Timken Operating System at Tyger River

Timken - Tyger River | Union

January 13, 2026
1:00 pm - 3:45 pm

Discover Timken’s Evolving Manufacturing Operating System! The Timken Tyger River facility invites the OpExChange for an inside look at their Timken Manufacturing Operating System (TMOS). Attendees will also see TMOS (2) in action – the next-level enhancement focused on material flow, connections, and visibility throughout the value stream. The visit will feature a system overview, shop floor demonstrations, and a peer discussion in the plus/delta session.

Upcoming

Multi-Day Kaizen at Leidos

Leidos | Ladson

January 26, 2026 @ 7:00 am — January 29 @ 4:00 pm

Join us for an exclusive, four-day Kaizen event hosted at Leidos in North Charleston. This is not a classroom exercise – this is hands-on learning in a real factory, assembling sophisticated people-screening systems. This is a rare opportunity to sharpen your Lean skills while making a meaningful impact at a high-performance operation. Take what you learn back to your own facility and drive measurable change.

Upcoming

Demystifying GenAI

Teams | Virtual

February 3, 2026
10:30 am - 11:30 am

Artificial Intelligence isn’t just for tech companies anymore — it’s reshaping every industry, including manufacturing. But what does that really mean for your business? Join the OpExChange for an exclusive one-hour webinar with Cameron Duncan, Co-Founder of Hallian Technologies, as he demystifies Generative AI and explores how organizations may use it to gain a competitive edge.

Upcoming

Plant Manager ExChange

Heidelberg Materials Training Center | Lexington

February 10, 2026
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

OpExChange is launching a new event designed by plant managers, for plant managers. This Plant Manager Exchange will offer a confidential setting where leaders can share challenges, exchange ideas, and collaborate on solutions that drive operational excellence. The session will be moderated by Dale McClelland, Plant Manager at Timken – Union. This isn’t a presentation – it’s an exchange of insight and experience among those leading the manufacturing teams.

Upcoming

Harsco Rail – Lean Transformation

Harsco Rail | West columbia

February 17, 2026
12:30 pm - 3:45 pm

Join us at Harsco Rail, a global leader in railway maintenance-of-way equipment, for an inside look at their ongoing Lean journey. After lunch and networking, guests will tour key production areas—Materials, Machining, Sub-Assembly, Core, and Specialty—and see how Harsco uses tools like MDI, Kanban, and structured problem-solving to improve communication, material flow, and performance.

Upcoming

Speed to Success With SMED

SCMEP Columbia | Columbia

February 25, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 PM

Reduce downtime. Boost productivity. Gain a competitive edge. Discover how SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies) can revolutionize your operations in this hands-on, half-day workshop. This session will show you how to dramatically cut equipment changeover times using a proven Lean manufacturing approach.

Upcoming

80/20 in Action: ITW Hartness

ITW Hartness | Greenville

March 3, 2026
11:45 am - 2:30 PM

Join us for an inside look at ITW Hartness, a Greenville-born innovator whose legacy began in 1940 when Tom Hartness engineered the first Hartness case packer to improve bottling efficiency. Today, ITW Hartness is a global leader in packaging automation, operating from a state-of-the-art 256,000 sq. ft. facility and backed by more than 100 patents.

Upcoming

GenAI for Manufacturing

SCMEP Greenville | Greenville

March 11, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll get no-nonsense, actionable insights on how to leverage generative AI tools securely and effectively. Learn what matters most to your business and prepare your company for the future... without the buzzwords. Walk away with practical workflows you can implement in months, not years.