MONTGOMERY— Workers at a Shelby County business will soon receive a boost in their job skills with the help of a $50,000 grant awarded by Gov. Bob Riley. 

The grant will help Progressive Finishes Inc. pay training costs for 40 employees at its Alabaster facility. Workers will learn methods to streamline production and eliminate waste in the manufacturing process. The company will contribute $68,950 toward the training.

“To succeed in today’s economy, businesses must maintain a highly skilled workforce,” Riley said. “I am pleased to help these Alabama workers gain new job skills and increase their value to their employers.”

Progressive Finishes applies paint and other coatings to metal parts used in the automotive industry. Company officials say the new skills will improve quality, reduce costly rework on parts and increase customer satisfaction.

The company estimates that the new methods will increase sales and efficiency by 5 percent and boost the long-term earnings of trained employees by 2 percent.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Labor Department as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Riley notified Kevin Pope, the plant’s manager, that he had approved the grant.

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Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers