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Contour Industries, Inc. in Surgoinsville, Tenn., made a $4 million capital investment in equipment and added 48 new employees to help it reach a new market in 2008. G. Keener Mallicote, president of the company, realized the urgency for leadership development to prepare Contour to achieve significant growth potential. Contour considers this leadership training as important as the capital investment, and the company was prepared to cover the cost for the instructor and materials, and to pay the employees during the training. However, the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services (CIS) suggested that Contour request funding from the Department of Commerce — Economic Development Administration and the State of Tennessee Incumbent Worker Training program to defer the total training cost.

Contour requested a total of $3,000 from the Department of Commerce — Economic Development Administration to help fund the training for its employees. The 12-module Leadership Essentials training curriculum was delivered twice to reach employees in different shifts. The project included
a total of 24 days of training completed over a period of six months.

The company has a $5 million sales increase potential that it would not have been able to fully accomplish without the training. Without the leadership development training, it is estimated that 25 percent of growth potential would not be realized. The impact of the total project is expected to be $1.25 million.

“Through this management training program, Contour people have truly joined together to become successful.

This extensive program progressively led our managers to the conviction that we were wholeheartedly committed to engaging our employees in a way that grew their value to themselves and their company.

We have experienced a virtual culture change in our company.”

G. Keener Mallicote, President