Imperial Sugar Elevates Workforce with Strategic Skill Development

When asked how Imperial Sugar Company plans to grow its workforce, Bruce Waguespack, the company’s manager of learning and performance improvement, begins with a baseball analogy.

“We have to gain bench strength,” Waguespack explains. “Like a player who can serve as a catcher or play the outfield, we need people who can perform several different jobs. That’s the breadth of qualifications across the workforce. Then we look at depth: how well each person knows each of those jobs.”

Historically, an employee might be hired to drive a front‑end loader in the warehouse and later promoted to an Operator II role. But as Port Wentworth refinery manager Jim Flynn points out, that transition doesn’t guarantee the right skill set or level for success in the new position. “We want to set up employees for success,” he says.

With Port Wentworth preparing to add another shift, Flynn and Waguespack see a timely opportunity to rethink hiring, training, and promotion. In the face of an ongoing leadership push for process improvement, they recognize that a strong, capable workforce is essential for production efficiencies.

“We need to know that employees can master the skills associated with each job,” Waguespack emphasizes.

Imperial Sugar is stepping up to participate in Georgia’s Work Ready initiative – the first company in Savannah or Chatham County to do so. Launched in 2006 by Governor Sonny Perdue, the program aims to stimulate economic growth by preparing the state’s workforce through technical‑college training and skills certification. Employers gain access to a job‑profiling system that establishes skill standards for specific roles and tests applicants against those standards.

At Port Wentworth, a cross‑functional team of eight operators is collaborating with Ruthann Walsh from Savannah Technical College to define the critical skills for the Operator II position. Once the job profile is finalized, managers can create tailored training materials, an internal certification program, and benchmarks for evaluating external candidates.

“Once we have a baseline for the skills needed for success, we remove guesswork from the equation,” Waguespack says. “We can’t develop our workforce by luck; we must do it purposefully.”

For example, a potential Operator II will be screened to confirm proficiency in applied mathematics, business writing, applied technology, and other disciplines. In certain areas, they may need to achieve a “platinum” score or receive complimentary gap training to reach the required level.

“It’s exciting from a company’s perspective,” says Walsh. “A workforce with the right skills boosts production and employee satisfaction. By launching this initiative in Chatham County, Imperial Sugar demonstrates leadership and a commitment to both its employees and to placing the best person in the job.”

Returning to Waguespack’s baseball analogy, Imperial Sugar is methodically planning for a grand slam.

Port Wentworth employees are assisting with the job‑profiling program as part of Georgia’s Work Ready initiative.