Thoughts about the Future of Work

Stephanie Szkolnicki, owner, Southern Garden Solutions, and Peggy Smedley talk about building pollinator gardens. She says a pollinator garden is a garden designed with plants that provide food and shelter to our pollinators like bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and more, which helps our edible gardens as well.

They also discuss:

• Why a pollinator garden matters.
• How to start a pollinator garden.
• How can we maintain a pollinator garden—keeping HOAs and neighbors in mind.

southerngardensol.com 

(3/13/24 - 88)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Stephanie Szkolnicki, Southern Garden Solutions

Stephanie Szkolnicki, owner, Southern Garden Solutions, and Peggy talk about the power of resilience and growing your own food. She explains the biggest trends surrounding growing fresh vegetables and what is driving these trends.

They also discuss:

• The biggest benefits of having your own garden.
• The mindset change that comes along with it.
• How to encourage people who do not have a green thumb.

www.southerngardensol.com 

(3/6/24 - 87)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Stephanie Szkolnicki, Southern Garden Solutions

Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense, and Peggy Smedley talk about resiliency and technology in manufacturing. He explains how Oshkosh Defense uses technology on the assembly line and in the facility.

They also discuss:

• How it uses benchmark data to become more efficient in its layout.
• How robots can automate the line and work alongside people.
• The difference between robots and cobots.

oshkoshdefense.com 

(2/28/24 - 86)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Don Bent, Oshkosh Defense

Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense, and Peggy Smedley talk about the power of resilience and sustainability. He talks about how a lot of factories consume a tremendous amount of packaging and packaging materials. 

They also discuss:

• How Oshkosh Defense is approaching packaging in facilities.
• How sustainability is much broader than reduce, reuse, recycle.
• The company’s people-first approach and its social responsibility.

oshkoshdefense.com 

(2/21/24 - 85)

IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Don Bent, Oshkosh Defense

Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense, and Peggy Smedley talk about resiliency and the power of serving the client. He explains how they designed the truck for the U.S. postal service.

They also discuss:

•          How the truck is more sustainable than previous trucks.
•          How the truck is safer for the driver and the community around them.
•          The importance of always looking to improve vehicles.

Don Bent, chief operating officer, Oshkosh Defense, and Peggy Smedley talk about resiliency and the power of employees. He talks about the manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, S.C., and how it is designed to take into consideration the quality of opportunity for employees.

They also discuss:

•          How the plant is ergonomically safe and comfortable for employees.
•          The importance of training workers in order to have a safe workplace.
•          The importance of leadership in creating an engaged team in manufacturing.

https://oshkoshdefense.com

Scott Byrne, director of global sustainability services, Sonoco, and Peggy Smedley talk about how the company is involved in South Carolina communities. He talks about a couple of projects and initiatives in the state that the integrated packaging company is doing.

They also discuss:

•          The importance of consumer education with recycling.
  
  
•          MRF: what it is and what value it provides to communities.
  
  
•          How a South Carolina resident can participate and be involved.

https://www.sonoco.com/na/sustainability

Sheryl Guarniero, executive director, Make Greenville Greener, and Peggy Smedley talk about how to recycle right. She says it is important to focus on recycling and reducing our waste footprint.

They also discuss:

•          Who should be recycling—and what items we should be recycling.
  
  
•         How we can make sure recycling is actually being recycled.
  
  
•       What benefit this will ultimately have.
  
  
  

Make Greenville Greener

Sheryl Guarniero, executive director, Make Greenville Greener, and Peggy Smedley talk about how to make our communities greener. She says recycling specifically is an important focus in the community.

They also discuss:

•         Who is responsible for this.
•          The importance of everyone stepping up.
•          How we can all make a difference and get involved.

Peggy Smedley and Tina Green, VP business development and marketing, Mumford Industries, talk about if there is a right way and a wrong way to recycle. She explains what types of products can be recycled because there is a lot of confusion with recycling.

They also discuss:

•        What we should and shouldn’t be doing in order to be better recyclers.
  
  
•       How we should begin our recycling efforts.
  
  
•        Why recycling is a group effort both at work and at home.