04/15/2026 — We are pleased to share that Aegis Power Systems won the 2026 “Business of the Year for Workforce Development” Award from the North Carolina Community College System, State Board, and Foundation in the category for businesses with <500 employees!
Aegis Power Systems has always placed tremendous value on employees. Our founder Bill Dockery regularly stated, “Half the value of the company walks out the door at the end of the day.” Now in our second generation of ownership, current CEO Arlissa Vaughn maintains a like-kind enthusiasm. Under Ms. Vaughn’s leadership and in collaboration with regional and national partners, Aegis has developed a layered approach to continual workforce development, workforce readiness, and talent retention.
Nominated by Tri-County Community College, this award recognizes Aegis’s past decade of workforce development programming wherein we have created a unified selection of internships (high school, college, and post-graduate), apprenticeships, and customized training for current personnel. These opportunities contribute to the talent retention that Aegis is known, prepare youth with hands-on skills and job preparedness, and accelerate career promotion possibilities.
With regards to the customized training, the company has been given several grants to accommodate special on-site and off-site continuing education in both highly technical and typical professional skills. Examples of the unique seminars and workshops include solid modeling and PCB layout, advanced electromagnetics, electromagnetic interference mitigations, applied power conversion topologies, and circuit troubleshooting. Trainings are also offered in accounting and finance, communication skills, sales and business development, trade compliance, and quality control.
Ms. Vaughn accepted the award at the ceremony in Raleigh NC while in attendance with Tri-County’s President Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers. Post-event, several attendees approached exclaiming their excitement for technology development and workforce programming in North Carolina focusing on the high-tech defense industry. Fellow awardees included Pratt & Whitney in Asheville, Okuma America in Charlotte, and Caterpillar Inc in Sanford NC.
Read the official press release at:
https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/news/2026-award-winners/