New Collar Training helps blue-collar companies develop strong frontline leaders and build cultures where people want to stay. Through practical leadership training and hands-on development programs, we equip supervisors, foremen, and crew leaders with the skills to lead teams well and strengthen the organizations they serve.
Lawrence Sheffield is the founder of New Collar Training, a leadership development company that equips frontline leaders in blue-collar industries to lead people well, build strong cultures, and drive results. His perspective was shaped early in his career serving in the fire service, where he saw firsthand how leadership, trust, and teamwork determine success in high-stakes environments.
In 2013, he founded Manufacture Good, a Birmingham-based apprenticeship ministry that combined craftsmanship, mentorship, and character formation to help young men build meaningful careers. Through that work, Lawrence recognized a major gap in the workforce: while most organizations train people technically, few intentionally develop the frontline leaders responsible for leading teams every day. That insight led to New Collar Training, where he now helps companies with large deskless teams strengthen leadership, reduce turnover, and build cultures where both people and performance thrive. Lawrence lives on Lookout Mountain with his wife Frances and their children.
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