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MACK Molding and Southwestern Vermont Health Care Dive Deep in Search of Personal Protective Equipment

April 23, 2020 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

BENNINGTON, VT—April 21, 2020—Mack Molding and Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) have partnered to develop an innovative alternative for Personal Protective Equipment for the health system. Similar to the rest of the country, southern Vermont has not been immune to the challenges of acquiring PPE during the COVID-19 crisis, and most specifically disposable masks. Through their collaboration, Mack and SVHC began investigating alternative mask options that could be modified since N95s masks and 7700 respirators are in high demand.

Nurse in PPE

Christopher Darby, RN, CEN, Emergency Department Clinical Coordinator, using the mask in the SVMC Emergency Department.

The collaboration arose out of personal connections. Kevin Dailey, the vice president of Administration/CHRO at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) had led human resources at Mack until 5 years ago. He knew the type of specialty plastics manufacturing and rapid product development Mack was capable of. When it was clear that PPE would likely run short, he gave his friends there a call. Realizing the extraordinary tight time-frame and regionally important challenge, Mack—a leading supplier of contract injection molded plastic parts to companies in a range of industries—called on Adam Lehman, president of their subsidiary, Woodbridge, Conn.,-based Synectic, to identify immediately available options that could be redesigned to function as a respirator. Lehman located a snorkeling mask that the Synectic design team could quickly re-engineer into Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

“When I informed Synectic’s team about this project, they were ready and excited for the challenge,” said Jeff Somple, president at Mack headquarters in nearby Arlington, VT. “It was an opportunity for some groundbreaking innovation and to make a meaningful difference for our region’s front line healthcare workers.”

After only two weeks of design, testing, and manufacturing, Mack’s team at Synectic fabricated an attachment to a snorkeling scuba mask. The mask covers the entire face and denecessitates the use of disposable masks and shields. Their engineers removed the part that usually protrudes out of the water when snorkeling and replaced it with a new, custom-designed branched component equipped with cartridges containing P100 HEPA filters.

PA-Mask

Karena Webber, PA-C, using the mask in SVMC ExpressCare

“Mack has always been a tremendous regional partner and an integral supporter of the health system for many years,” Dailey said. “As an essential manufacturer of health care products, I knew that they would want to help and came through with a brilliant solution for us.”

Each SVHC staff member is “fit tested” to ensure an adequate seal and assigned a mask. Each employee receives cleaning and storage guidelines, instructing how to disinfect and store their mask after each shift. The custom snorkeling branch modification and P100 HEPA filter casings can be easily removed for cleaning and screwed securely back in place. Before each use, staff conduct a positive and negative pressure test to ensure the masks are holding up for their protection. The fact that the air intake is above the wearer’s head improves the line of site and allows patients to see their physicians’ and nurses’ faces more clearly.

“Our priority is to ensure the safety of our staff while caring for patients during the pandemic,” said Shiela Boni, RN, MSN, a nursing director and PPE officer for SVHC. “The retrofitted scuba mask accomplishes this while decreasing our dependence on disposable masks.”

Unlike medically approved respirators, the scuba mask has been adapted to meet the filtration requirements of personal protective equipment (PPE). The risk assessment conducted by Mack’s design and SVHC showed that the mask fully seals around the face with silicone, reducing skin breakdown, and the N100 HEPA filters have a higher rate of filtration than the material in the traditional N95 masks. Less than three weeks after the initial request to Mack, their subsidiary Synectic delivered 500 scuba masks and 2,000 N100 HEPA filter casings to the hospital.

Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, SVHC’s president and CEO, expressed relief at having secured the adapted scuba masks to outfit those in the highest risk areas of the hospital. “This is a great example of how collaboration and innovation sustain us during challenging times,” Dee said. “Our gratitude for the hardworking teams at Mack and Synectic, who put many long hours into this project, cannot be overstated. This is another wonderful example of Mack’s continued support of SVHC.”

Additional photos of staff using the adapted scuba masks are available upon request.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

A COVID-19 information hotline is available for community members. The number, 802-440-8844, is answered 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays. A recorded message provides the most frequently requested information. Telephone numbers and other COVID-19 information, including frequently asked questions and helpful resources, are available at svhealthcare.org/covid-19.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.

About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 11 facilities throughout the world. Don Kendall is CEO and chairman. For more information, go to www.mack.com.

Media Contacts:

Ray Smith Larry Hovish
Director of Marketing & Communications Director of Communications
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Mack Molding Company
(802) 447-50003 (802) 375-0772
ray.smith@svhealthcare.org larry.hovish@mack.com

Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: Connecticut, COVID-19, Mack Molding, PPE, SVHC, Synectic, Vermont

Happy Mack-O-Ween

November 1, 2019 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

From Statesville, N.C., to Woodbridge, Conn., to Cavendish, Vt., and of course the Mack Headquarters in Arlington, Vt., Halloween brings out the best in Mack’s frighteningly creative Mack employees as they dress up and carve ghoulish gourds. They are rewarded with cider and donuts, as well as cash prizes for scariest, funniest and most creative. If working with this fun team sounds good to you visit our job board and maybe next year you can skulk around with us!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Arlington, Cavendish, Connecticut, employee engagement, Halloween, Mack Molding, North Carolina, Statesville, Vermont, Woodbridge

Mack Continues to Grow

June 11, 2019 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

Molder & Contract Manufacturer Adds Staff Across Organization

ARLINGTON, Vt. (June 11, 2019) – Mack Molding has announced a significant wave of hiring, including new talent in manufacturing, engineering, human resources and customer management.

“The boon of U.S. manufacturing continues to benefit Mack,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple, “and our efforts have never been stronger to attract top talent to help us deliver on Mack’s mission of Total Customer Satisfaction. Our latest recruits include fresh faces bringing new ideas to the forefront of our business and seasoned manufacturing and engineering experts with the expertise to ensure Mack, and its customers, are successful.”

Aaron Cubells has joined the Mack North Sales and Engineering team as program manager, providing leadership in regards to the customer relationship, planning, product realization and production, budget and cost management, and sales growth. Prior to Mack, Aaron worked as a senior product engineer for Grammer Industries, where he served as lead engineer for new business development among North American OEMs. Aaron – who is a certified Reactive Green Belt – has a master’s of science degree in engineering management, as well as a bachelor’s of science degree in structural engineering and management, from Clarkson University.

The Mack North Sales & Engineering team has welcomed Matt Denham as a sales representative responsible for helping maintain orders and provide general clerical support, along with reconciling customer orders with the current product revision. Prior to Mack, Matt worked as a sales representative for iPayment, Inc., before advancing to the position of operations manager with responsibility for overseeing quality control, risk management and customer service. He graduated from Lasell College with a bachelor of science degree in Marketing and Business Management.

Bretton Haase has been appointed to the position of material manager for Mack’s Headquarters. He will be responsible for directing the activities of personnel engaged in distributing materials, equipment and supplies, as well as for controlling inventories and designing, implementing and maintaining material handling processes and equipment throughout the facility. Previous to Mack, Bretton – who is a Six Sigma Green Belt – served as a planning and customer account specialist, and since 2014, a supply planning manager executing a successful greenfield fab start-up for Global Foundries in Malta, N.Y., while managing a material portfolio that crossed three multi-state sites.

Christie Harris has joined the Mack North human resources team as an HR manager based at the Company’s Headquarters with responsibilities for employee relations and recruiting. Christie mostly recently served as HR manager for Carris Reels Inc. in Proctor, Vt., where she helped facilitate employee functions across six locations. Prior to that, she also worked as an external affairs manager and community relations coordinator for Omya Industries Inc. Christie graduated with a bachelor of science degree in integrated studies with a concentration in organizational development/communications from Champlain College.

Mack South’s Inman, S.C., facility is pleased to welcome Jacque Perrier as a new molding manager with responsibilities for planning, coordinating and developing personnel in the molding department. Jacque most recently worked as a senior process engineer for Rochling Automotive in Duncan, S.C., where he was personally responsible for 15 machines and approximately 150 active tools relating to cycle, scrap and start up. Prior to this, he was a quality and process engineer for Carthuplas Inc., in Gaffney, S.C., as well as a tooling manager. He holds RJG Master Molder I Certification and served on an advisory committee helping to write the certificate plastics program at Greenville Community College.

James Petry has accepted the positon of EHS Manager at Mack South’s Statesville, N.C., plant. Prior to Mack, James most recently worked in an operations role as an aircraft rescue fire fighter for Onslow County Albert J Ellis Airport in North Carolina. During his tenure James ensured the safety of more 15 commercial aircraft daily along with local military training flights, including organizing and supervising daily tasks for airport operations and implementing safety and occupational health processes. He also has gained valuable EHS experience as a base safety representative for the United States Air Force National Guard. James holds an associate degree in fire science from the Community College of the Air Force.

Ann Wedell has been promoted to engineering team leader for Mack Molding’s Headquarters plant in Arlington, Vt., and will be responsible for directing manufacturing engineering support during new business or program developments and for existing customer programs. Ann has been with Mack since March 2016 when she joined the Company as a quality engineer, and most recently served as a manufacturing engineer. Prior to Mack, she worked as a process engineer with Dedert Corporation in Homewood, Ill. She graduated from University of Dayton with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering.

Ben Chopra has joined wholly-owned Mack subsidiary Synectic Product Development’s team of design and development engineers as a senior design engineer. Ben brings significant engineering experience role, specifically with medical devices. Most recently he worked as a mechanical engineer for Butterfly Network Inc., a Connecticut startup focused on developing full-body ultrasound probe. Previous to that, Ben was a part of a senior R&D engineer at Facet Technology, a contract manufacturer of single-use disposable medical devices for the diabetes in an ISO 13485 and FDA regulated environment. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

Mack Headquarters welcomes Robert Bischoff to its manufacturing engineering team as a manufacturing engineer, a role that he will be bringing more than 30 years of experience to. Prior to Mack, Robert most recently worked at Starfire Lighting, where he served as a materials manager, CNC programmer and turret punch operator during his tenure. He previously built his engineering expertise with the U.S. Army ARDEC at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, and worked as a plant engineer supervisor and district environmental coordinator for the United States Parcel Service. He has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the New Jersey Institute Technology in Newark, N.J.

Christopher Mastropietro has been appointed as a manufacturing engineer on Mack Headquarters’ manufacturing engineering team. Prior to Mack, Christopher most recently worked as a logistics analyst at Valeo, located in Sparks, Nev., where he was responsible for production planning and managing inventory. He gained previous engineering experience working as a project manager for Path Construction in Congers, N.Y., and as a co-op for Corning Inc. in Fairport, N.Y. Christopher received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Doug McClintock has joined the IT Team at Mack South Statesville facility as a systems engineer ensuring network security and availability, as well as assisting in the management of business applications, servers, all IT infrastructure and content management systems. Prior to Mack, Doug most recently worked as a Senior Systems Technician at Engage2Excel, also in Statesville, where he implemented Hyper-V servers and VMware servers to provide multiple virtual hardware platforms while keeping hardware costs and energy consumption down.  He also maintained Barracuda and Checkpoint firewalls, Symantec Anti-virus servers, WSUS servers, Extreme routers/switches, Barracuda backups, Cisco wireless network, Shoretel Voip phone system, and disaster recovery plans.

Tim Burdo has been promoted to molding supervisor at Mack Headquarters overseeing all molding technical staff. A Mack veteran, he started with the Company 24 years ago this July as a part-time molder in East Arlington. During Tim’s tenure he also served as a material handler and senior technician. Since 2013 he has been a process engineer. Tim holds several certifications, including RJG Master Molder I, Decoupled Molding and Systematic Molding, as well as has attended the molding course at UMASS Lowell.

Brayton Holt has joined Mack Headquarters’ manufacturing team as an electro-mechanical supervisor. Prior to Mack Brayton most recently served as a production supervisor at an ISO 9001 and AS 9100 magnetics manufacturing facility for Espey Manufacturing and Electronics in Saratoga, N.Y., where he directed skilled technicians in the building of large magnetics for military applications. He brings significant engineering and quality experience to the role, having worked in aerospace, audio and power supply industries. He also served four years in the U.S. Army as a system technician and squad leader working on infra-red, anti-aircraft and guided missile systems.

About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 11 facilities throughout the world. Don Kendall is CEO and chairman. For more information, go to www.mack.com.

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Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: Connecticut, Customer Management, Engineering, Human Resources, Mack Molding, New Hires, North Carolina, Press Release, South Carolina, Synectic, Vermont

Synectic Product Development Poised for Growth in New Woodbridge, Conn., Facility

April 2, 2019 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

WOODBRIDGE, Conn. (April 2, 2019) – Buoyed by an increase in its design and development clientele and a strong business climate in Connecticut, Synectic Product Development has invested more than $1 million to relocate from Milford, Conn., to a newly-renovated, state-of-the-art facility in Woodbridge, Conn.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack Molding, Synectic serves as Mack’s product development and engineering services arm, focusing on design, research, development, and manufacturing of medical devices and consumer products. With more than 38 years of experience, Synectic has built specialties in design engineering, prototype fabrication, creating intellectual property, pre-clinical testing and manufacturing.

Synectic’s New Assembly Lab Space

The 11 Lunar Drive facility has been renovated to meet the Company’s specific needs, and features a new controlled manufacturing environment that could easily be turned into a clean room for small volume manufacturing. The building itself can be expanded by another 3,000-4,000 square feet to meet future growth needs.

“We more than quadrupled our assembly space to accommodate an increase in growth in our design and rapid prototyping projects.” Synectic President Adam Lehman said. “We doubled the size of our machine shop to increase our in house capabilities, particularly when it comes to part production for prototyping and manufacturing.”

A true Connecticut innovator, Synectic was founded in Orange, Conn., in 1981. The Company moved to Milford in 1996 where it operated until February 2019 when it opened the more than 10,000-square-foot engineering and manufacturing center in Woodbridge. Today Synectic employs 15 people – primarily engineers – and Lehman indicated the Lunar Drive location can be expanded for additional personnel growth.

Above, top, 11 Lunar Drive prior to Synectic’s renovation. Above, bottom, the building as it appears today.

As a diversified product development company, Synectic has designed and delivered numerous products that encompass a broad sector of the medical device industry. Areas of concentration include cardiac, endoscopic, diagnostics, bariatric, interventional cardiovascular, diabetes care, minimally invasive, orthopedics, endovascular, gynecological/urological, neurological, general surgery, dental, ophthalmologic, drug delivery and consumer healthcare products.

According to Lehman, the time was right to make the move considering the recent investments in promoting the lifescience, manufacturing and tech industries through accelerators, incubators and training programs across the state.

“From Stamford to Branford to Hartford, we are seeing the state and private industry making Connecticut a hub of innovation and growth,” he said. “Our new Lunar Drive operations has provided us a footprint to seize this opportunity in a space that is optimized to serve our customers. Whether you’re a start-up, seasoned-entrepreneur or a large organization, Synectic’s engineers are prepared to get your product to market, from brainstorming and concept development to engineering, product optimization, prototyping, testing and manufacturing.”

About Synectic Product Development
Founded in 1981, Synectic Product Development is a full-service product design and development company focusing on design, research, development and manufacturing of medical devices and consumer products. Synectic’s specialties include design engineering, creating intellectual property, pre-clinical testing, and manufacturing. It designs for clinical relevance, manufacturability, ergonomics and cost efficiency. Synectic is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mack Molding. For more information, go to www.synectic.net.

About Mack Molding
Mack Molding is a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services. Mack specializes in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, full-service machining and medical device manufacturing. Founded in 1920, Mack is a privately owned business that operates 11 facilities throughout the world. Don Kendall is CEO and chairman. For more information, go to www.mack.com.

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Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: Connecticut, design & development, Mack, Mack Molding, New England, Press Release, product design & development

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