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Montgomery County launches ‘business breakthrough’ roundtables to help manufacturers retain workers amid policy uncertainty
Summary
Montgomery County announced a new business convening effort — the Business Breakthrough Initiative — to share retention strategies and workforce pathways with local employers, highlighting firms including PDC Machines and Clemens Food Group.
Montgomery County told residents on Thursday that it will launch a Business Breakthrough Initiative to convene local companies, share workforce-retention practices and connect employees to training pathways.
County officials described the initiative as a local response to broader uncertainties facing manufacturers — including federal tax-credit and tariff shifts — and said the Commerce Department will host roundtables where firms can exchange practical strategies. Commerce Director Steve Forrester and county commissioners highlighted PDC Machines, a local firm that makes hydrogen compression equipment, and Clemens Food Group, a Montgomery County-based food manufacturer, as early partners.
At the meeting, county officials described PDC Machines as a clean-energy technology developer whose hydrogen compressors are in use at venues such as Lincoln Financial Field and are part of pilot projects for hydrogen-powered buses and other commercial vehicles. “One of the ways they thought we could help as a county is in the workforce space, making sure that we give pathways to people in Montco to have the training to work at facilities like PDC,” a county speaker said.
Clemens Food Group was cited for internal workforce-retention work that county leaders said produced more than 100 ideas and about 50 implemented strategies the company uses to retain employees. The county said Clemens’ Craig Edsall (spelled in the meeting as Craig, Edsall) will lead a local roundtable series; officials invited business owners and entrepreneurs to contact the commerce department to join.
The initiative will include multiple roundtable meetings across the county and emphasize peer-to-peer learning on targeted retention tactics and training partnerships. County officials framed the effort as part of a broader strategy to keep Montgomery County companies "world class" and competitive amid changing federal incentives.
No county funding amount for the roundtables was disclosed at the meeting; officials described the program as a county-organized convening and outreach effort and encouraged businesses to sign up with commerce staff.
