PORTSMOUTH, VA, USA, Nov 5, 2026 — Phillips Corporation celebrated the grand opening of Phillips Workforce in Portsmouth on Wednesday, October 28, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, facility tours, live training demonstrations and remarks from local, industry and military leaders. The new industrial maintenance and mechatronics training center is designed to help employers develop the skilled technicians needed to support manufacturing, shipbuilding and other industrial operations across Hampton Roads.
The ceremony also marked the realization of a vision championed by the late Alan Phillips, former CEO of Phillips Corporation. The company dedicated the facility as the “Alan Phillips Workforce Training Center,” recognizing his commitment to addressing the shortage of skilled industrial technicians.
“Alan Phillips believed that Phillips should always be a learning organization. He saw that there was a skilled workforce gap, and he didn’t want to talk about it. He wanted to do something about it. He invested in solving it.”— Brad Adams, President, Phillips Education
Adams said Alan pushed for a facility where accelerated, real-world training could help keep ships, shipyards and manufacturing operations running. As Adams explained, Alan understood that defying downtime depends on skilled technicians who know how to keep machines running.
Addressing Hampton Roads’ Workforce Needs
Portsmouth Mayor Shannon E. Glover said the center represents an investment in local opportunity and the industries that support the regional economy.
“Today is more than just opening a new training facility. It’s about preparing people for opportunity, helping local businesses succeed, and strengthening a workforce that keeps our regional economy moving.”— Shannon E. Glover, Mayor of Portsmouth.
Hampton Roads depends on skilled workers across shipyards, defense contractors, manufacturers, ports and other critical industries. As technology advances and equipment becomes more sophisticated, employers need technicians with practical skills they can apply on the job.
Phillips Workforce is designed to help meet that need through accelerated, hands-on instruction in industrial maintenance and mechatronics. Approximately 80% of instruction takes place on production-grade equipment, giving participants practical experience with the electrical, mechanical and other systems used in modern industrial operations.
“The goal is straightforward,” Glover said. “Help people build valuable technical skills in weeks rather than years.”
Brian Donahue, Director of Portsmouth Economic Development, highlighted the connection between workforce development and the region’s ability to attract and grow businesses.
“Workforce development and economic development go hand-in-hand as companies grow,” Donahue said. He noted that employers need access to talent and that workers benefit when career opportunities are available close to home.
“When local employers can find the talent they need right here in Hampton Roads, that benefits our entire community,” Glover said. He emphasized the importance of helping young people build their futures in the region while strengthening partnerships among industry, government and workforce development organizations.
Workforce Capacity is a National Security Issue
The importance of skilled technicians extends beyond local industry. For the defense industrial base, workforce capacity directly affects the ability to deliver ships, maintain equipment and meet national security requirements.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned across my time working in the defense industrial base, it’s that workforce is not one of the challenges we face, it is the pacing constraint in our ability to deliver national security.”— Whitney Jones, President and Owner, Whisky Tango, LLC; former Deputy of the Maritime Industrial Base
Jones noted that investments in facilities, equipment and shipyard capacity only become real capability when qualified people are available to put them to work. Shipbuilding also competes with other industries for welders, machinists, electricians and engineers, making it essential to expand the pool of people entering the skilled trades.
“We can’t simply compete for the workforce we already have. We have got to build the workforce that we actually need, and it takes industry willing to invest and create opportunities,” Jones said.
Liz Kristan, Director of Maintenance Information Systems for U.S. Fleet Forces Command N434, connected technician training directly to fleet readiness and the work underway at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Phillips Corporation has supported the shipyard’s industrial equipment maintenance and sustainment needs since 2023 under a five-year contract covering up to 600 pieces of mission-critical equipment. During the first 18 months, Phillips repaired and returned more than 180 pieces of equipment to full operation, helping raise readiness levels for critical equipment from approximately 45.5% to 99% and 98% for Tier 1 and Tier 2 assets, respectively.
The partnership has also created opportunities for hands-on knowledge transfer between Phillips technicians and Navy maintenance personnel. Building on that experience, Phillips Corporation and Norfolk Naval Shipyard have worked together on mechatronics training designed to help apprentices and experienced personnel develop the skills needed to maintain increasingly complex industrial equipment.
“The Navy is investing heavily in next generation manufacturing—robotics, CNC machinery, additive manufacturing and advanced electronics. But as we all know, high-tech equipment without trained hands can be an expensive paperweight collecting dust. Modern production demands modern sustainment.”— Liz Kristan, Director of Maintenance Information Systems, U.S. Fleet Forces Command N434.
Facilities like Phillips Workforce bring accelerated training closer to the region’s shipbuilding and maintenance workforce, reducing the need for workers to travel long distances or wait months or years to develop high-demand skills. Kristan said the training can benefit both experienced tradespeople adapting to new technologies and apprentices building their foundational skills.
“As we cut this ribbon today, we aren’t just opening a building. We are launching an engine of operational readiness that will keep Norfolk Naval Shipyard delivering on time every time for generations to come,” Kristan said.
Training for Today’s Industrial Workforce
Phillips Workforce offers individual courses and structured training pathways in industrial maintenance and mechatronics, including electrical and mechanical systems, hydraulics, pneumatics, programmable logic controllers and automation. Employers can select training to address specific workforce needs or develop employees through more structured programs.
The center also supports competency-based hybrid apprenticeship opportunities, with Phillips serving as the RTI sponsor and handling DOL compliance, curriculum, documentation, and grant support, allowing industry to focus on the mentor, job role, and competencies their organizations need.
Phillips Workforce draws on the complementary capabilities of Phillips Corporation’s businesses, including Phillips, Phillips Federal, Phillips Advanced Manufacturing and Phillips Education, which work together to support manufacturing, technology and workforce development.
For Adams, the opening represents the fulfillment of a commitment Alan Phillips made to help close the skilled workforce gap.
“Sadly, Alan passed away before being able to see this vision realized. I truly wish he could be here with us today, and I know that he’s looking down and very, very proud. So today we’re proud to open the Alan Phillips Workforce Training Center.”— Brad Adams, President, Phillips Education
About Phillips Workforce
Located in Portsmouth, Virginia, Phillips Workforce delivers practical training with production-grade equipment in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), hydraulics, pneumatics, electrical and mechanical systems, machining, and automation. Employers can choose focused, week-long courses or customized, multi-week training pathways designed around their operational needs. Phillips Workforce also provides a hybrid apprenticeship program, combining structured on-the-job learning with related technical instruction, creating a pathway toward a journeyworker certificate.
Phillips Workforce works with organizations advancing manufacturing, defense readiness, and industrial innovation, including SME, Hampton Roads Workforce Council, Association for Manufacturing Technology, Virginia Maritime Association, Hampton Roads Alliance, Portsmouth Economic Development, and America Makes.
About Phillips Corporation
Phillips Corporation is a global provider of manufacturing technology, engineering services, and workforce development solutions. For more than 65 years, Phillips has helped organizations improve productivity, strengthen technical capability, and advance manufacturing excellence through industry-leading equipment, training, automation, additive manufacturing, and service solutions. Learn more about Phillips at www.phillipscorp.com.
