Leaders from Volvo Cars, GE Vernova and Scout Motors have joined the lineup for the 2026 SC Manufacturing Conference & Expo (SCMCE), Nov. 3–5 at the Greenville Convention Center.

The additions include a new panel featuring women in senior manufacturing leadership roles in South Carolina. Katherine Bergmann, head of communications and community relations at Volvo Cars, and GE Vernova’s Rebecca Gburek, plant leader, Greenville, will discuss what it takes to build careers and cultures in an industry still working to close its gender gap.

The candid conversation will tackle three questions: What have they learned about leading in manufacturing? What does it take to build teams that retain women? And what does South Carolina need to do to develop the next generation of female manufacturing leaders?

The panel opens the SCBIZ Women Powering Manufacturing Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the Awards Stage. The awards program honors the female leaders, innovators and rising stars making a lasting impact across South Carolina's manufacturing landscape. Honorees span executive leadership, operational excellence, engineering breakthroughs and workforce innovation.

"Women are leading some of the most important manufacturing operations in South Carolina, and Katherine and Rebecca bring that experience straight to our stage," said Ben Jacobs, content lead at SCBIZ. "This conversation is about practical answers: how to build teams where women want to stay and grow, and how our state develops the next generation of manufacturing leaders."

Also joining the program is Joern Petri, vice president of plant launch at Scout Motors. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 3:10 p.m., Petri will present "AI Vision for the Future of Automotive Manufacturing" with Catherine Hayes, director of industry solutions at SCRA, and Braden Guliano, a USC Darla Moore School of Business MBA candidate. Through real-world examples and a live demonstration, they will show how AI can transform production processes, empower frontline workers and drive smarter decisions on the factory floor.

Petri's session is part of SCMCE's Nov. 3 AI + Automation sessions. The main conference and expo follow on Nov. 4–5 with sessions, workshops and award ceremonies. The expo floor is sold out, filled with South Carolina solution providers serving the manufacturing industry. Jake Hall, known as "The Manufacturing Millennial," delivers the keynote, "The Future of Manufacturing: Technology and the Workforce," on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9 a.m.

SCMCE opens next Tuesday, and this is the last chance to buy tickets before prices increase to door rates. Register now at scmanufacturingconference.com.

Event Details:
SC Manufacturing Conference & Expo
Tuesday, Nov. 3: AI + Automation Sessions
Wednesday–Thursday, Nov. 4–5: Main Conference, Sessions, Workshops, Award Ceremonies & Expo
Greenville Convention Center, Greenville, S.C.
Registration: scmanufacturingconference.com

About SCBIZ:
SCBIZ is the market leader in business media in South Carolina. We connect and inform industries across the state with news, events, intelligence and more. To learn more, visit www.scbiz.com.

Media Contact:
Bhavna Bhatia
[email protected]