Awards program: The 2026 Best Plants Awards winners will be presented at the conference.
- Event details: The 2026 IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit runs Oct. 20-22 in Spartanburg SC, with 22 sessions and 2 keynotes on AI, lean manufacturing, plant safety, and operational excellence.
- Plant tours: Attendees can tour BMW and Spartanburg Steel, the latter featuring 575,000 square feet of stamping, cobots, and automation — but seats are limited and close when full.
- Keynote speakers: Mark Whitten, President and CEO of Spartanburg Steel, headlines day one; Darrell Edwards of University of Tennessee speaks on resilient culture on day two.
- Preview podcast: Thomas Wilk, Jill Jusko, and Scott Achelpohl previewed the summit in a 16 min episode published Oct. 1, 2026.
Manufacturing leaders heading to Spartanburg SC this fall will get more than conference sessions. The 2026 IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit, scheduled for Oct. 20-22, pairs its session program with on-site plant tours at BMW and Spartanburg Steel — and editors from IndustryWeek and Smart Industry previewed the event on a recent episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, published Oct. 1, 2026.
Tours Anchor the Program
Two plant tours headline the non-session content. Spartanburg Steel, a Tier 1 and 2 supplier, offers visitors a look inside 575,000 square feet of stamping operations, with cobots, automation, and lean manufacturing on display. The BMW tour takes a different angle, exploring the company's evolution, innovation, and technology in automotive production, along with an introduction to its final assembly operations in Spartanburg.
There's a catch for attendees interested in either tour: seats are limited, and each tour will be closed once full. Early registration is the only way to guarantee a spot.
Keynotes and Sessions
The summit's program includes 22 sessions and 2 keynotes addressing AI, lean manufacturing, plant safety, and operational excellence. Day one features Mark Whitten, President and CEO of Spartanburg Steel, giving tour attendees a chance to follow up directly with the leader of the plant they just walked.
Day two's keynote comes from Darrell Edwards, an assistant professor at University of Tennessee who previously led La-Z-Boy's 9,000 person global operations and supply chain team. He will discuss building a resilient culture that adapts to change and adversity.
Beyond the keynotes, the summit aims to deliver practical insights on building stronger teams, sustaining continuous improvement, adopting AI, strengthening safety cultures, and achieving operational excellence. The Best Plants program award winners from 2026 will also be presented at the conference, with winners on hand to share their knowledge.
The Preview Podcast
The episode is hosted by Thomas Wilk, Editor-in-Chief of IndustryWeek; Jill Jusko, Executive Editor of IndustryWeek; and Scott Achelpohl, Head of Content for Smart Industry.
"The reason we are all here together is to bring you a triple threat preview of an upcoming event that's going to take place in a couple of weeks, October 20-22 in Spartanburg, SC," Wilk said.
Jusko, who will join the Spartanburg Steel tour, made her priorities clear:
"Yes, I am happy to talk about the plant tours."
The 16 min episode is the first summit preview from EndeavorB2B's Manufacturing Group since the event last ran in 2024.
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