education

Mack Implementing ISO 9001 and 13485 Revisions

February 6, 2018 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

Company Mobilizes Resources & Personnel to Maintain Competitive Advantage

Mack Regulatory Compliance Manager Lee Fox discusses the new revisions to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 and the Company’s implementation plans during an offsite mobilization event Jan. 24, 2018, at the Mack Performance center at Arlington High School.

ARLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 6, 2018) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, is in the midst of systematizing ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 – the fifth and third revisions, respectively, of the international standards for general quality management and assurance, as well as for medical devices.

Mack’s ISO certifications are critical to not only assuring its customers their products will meet expectations, but also in the Company’s business continuity. More than 140 members of its manufacturing, quality, sales, engineering and leadership teams recently gathered for an in-depth discussion on what the new standards mean for Mack and how they will be implemented. Next Mack will train internal auditors to help ensure it is ready to become certified following audits scheduled to take place in July.

“When we first implemented ISO 9001 in 1990 we were one of a handful of injection molders to do so,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple. “It was a great selling point at the time, but today it is a necessity – a license to do business in the highly technical markets we serve. In the early 2000s we implemented ISO 13485 to gain access to the medical device industry, and as a result today we are a stronger, more diverse organization. It has proven to be a competitive advantage for Mack, and the good news is we are already doing most of what the new standards require.”

Mack personnel were briefed on the new revisions to ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 and the Company’s implementation plans during an offsite mobilization event Jan. 24, 2018, at the Mack Performance center at Arlington High School.

A significant piece of the new standards is based on risk management and ensuring employees are aligned with organizational goals. This ties in neatly with Mack’s existing strategy for growth. Known internally as the Seven Key Success factors, the Company uses intelligent business growth, total customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, profitability, competitive readiness, risk management and environmental sustainability as its guiding principles.

“We are well on our way to achieving what ISO, and many of our customers, are looking for,” Somple added. “It goes far beyond what most organizations would consider for a quality management system, emphasizing the management piece in ways that have already proven to be our strength. Risk-based thinking is a critical part of engineering, however, we cannot rest on our laurels. That is why Mack is committing the resources and the time to get it right.”

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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Mack’s Focus on Workforce Development Pays Off

February 7, 2017 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

Six Former Interns Begin Careers with Company

ARLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 7, 2017) – It is February, which means Vermont’s skiers are hitting the slopes and college students are hitting Mack Molding with resumes in hopes of landing a summer placement – and possibly a career. In fact, during the last year Mack has welcomed a record number of interns back as full-time employees at its Headquarters after graduation.

In all, six former interns have returned through Mack’s doors, bringing with them an intimate knowledge of Mack’s operations coupled with fresh ideas and the promise of a strong future in manufacturing. The recent hires include Manufacturing Engineer Kelsey O’Dell; Quality Engineers Aaron LeBeau, Peter Bush and Brendan Gleason; Program Coordinator Britney Coley; and Finishing Technician Matthew Comar.

From left, Brendan Gleason, Kelsey O’Dell, Peter Bush, Aaron LeBeau, Matthew Comar and Britney Coley are all former Mack interns who have returned to the Company in full-time positions.

“Welcoming these young professionals back to Mack has been a great pleasure, not only due to what they bring to the organization but the fact they represent the measurable impact of our workforce cultivation efforts,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple. “As a manufacturer, and a New England one at that, we are keenly aware of the challenges associated with recruiting for skilled and professional positions. This is why we have invested in opportunities to influence the next generation of engineers and technicians.”

While Mack has hosted interns for many years, the program was redefined in 2011 as the Company sought to build a more sustainable workforce by showing students how rewarding a career in manufacturing – and a life in Vermont – can be. Since then it has become the pinnacle of its workforce cultivation efforts.

Each intern is assigned specific projects that allow them to return to school with a tangible experience they completed from start to finish and can show to prospective employers. During the summer they also participate in a series of “Lunch ’n Learns” where senior staff members and seasoned employees present on various aspects of the business, conduct tours of Company facilities and help develop presentation and interviewing skills. By the end of the summer the students turn the tables, conducting their own “Lunch ’n Learns” as they present the results of their project to their peers and Mack’s senior management.

Meet the Recruits
Peter Bush returns to Mack as a quality engineer after graduating from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. Previously a sales and engineering intern at Mack, he has experience in planning, preparing and organizing resources for class 3 medical device product development studies and facilitating related communication between manufacturing, quality and management.

Britney Coley has been named a program coordinator in the Company’s medical device sector. The St. Lawrence University graduate has a bachelor of science degree in biology and psychology. In her role, Coley maintains program schedules and records, facilitates document control tasks and interface with customers as part of a multi-disciplinary team from across the organization focused on launching new products and improving performance.

Matthew Comar, who studied advanced manufacturing at Hudson Valley Community College, joins Mack as a finishing technician. Comar brings experience in SolidWorks and Mastercam software, as well as knowledge of CNC mills, lathes and manual machine tools. As a finishing technician, he will perform set-ups of various processes, including pad printing, milling and sonic welding, as well as maximize efficiency and quality of production.

Having received his bachelor of science degree in science and technology studies from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., Brendan Gleason joins Mack as a quality engineer. Gleason developed a deep understanding of Mack’s medical device manufacturing business as a quality technician intern, collaborating with manufacturing, quality and management to satisfy customer needs for over 300 unique medical parts.

University of Vermont graduate Aaron LeBeau, who has been appointed as a quality engineer, earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. In addition to previously serving as an intern on Mack’s quality engineering team, LeBeau spent a summer working in production. He previously gained experience as an electrical technician intern at Abacus Automation in Bennington, Vt., and brings experience in computer-aided design, quality management and data analysis software to Mack.

Kelsey O’Dell joins Mack as a manufacturing engineer in the Company’s medical business. She received her bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y. In addition to previous Mack experience, O’Dell honed her engineering skills as an undergraduate research assistant at RPI’s Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications Engineering Research Center.

Multiple Approaches
The internship program is only one piece of Mack’s strategy, which includes engaging students of all ages. In addition to sending engineers and other team members into the classroom, Mack has welcomed students as young as kindergarten for visits, as well as local high school juniors and seniors for an inside look at life at Mack during its Made in Vermont Days.

Machining Center Manager David Hoffman, back, left, gives students a tour during the Mack’s Made in Vermont Days.

From Oct. 24-28, 2016, Mack hosted this biennial event – designed to reach students looking to go to a four year school, as well as certification and technical programs, and those who may wish to enter the workforce directly. In all, nearly 50 students, educators and parents participated, including home school students and their peers from Arlington Memorial High School, Southwest Vermont Career Development Center, Long Trail and Burr & Burton Academy.

Students toured the Headquarters, building their understanding of Mack’s vertical integration of services. Following the tour students participated in a workshop introducing manufacturing flow theory before learning about careers, hearing business insights and having a Q&A with key staff members. They also were given the opportunity to sign-up for more in-depth workshops on injection molding, machining, sheet metal fabrication, manufacturing and engineering to be held at a later date.

Mack is able to leverage the power and name recognition of Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Month by having the event in October, creating additional pull through while increasing access to supportive resources. Additionally, Mack benefited from its relationship with the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC). The non-profit trained some of the Company’s employees to conduct the manufacturing flow workshop featured during the event, giving students context to what they had seen on the manufacturing floor.

“We are proud to have hosted around 100 interns to date and influenced countless more students,” Somple said, “We always hope to send them back to school with some executional knowledge and a better understanding of the opportunities available to them, and our hopes are now realized as we welcome our newest recruits home.”

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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Contact: Larry Hovish
(802) 375-0772
larry.hovish@mack.com

Mack Training Program Builds Skills Needed for Future Growth

February 7, 2017 by Larry Hovish 1 Comment

ARLINGTON, Vt. (Feb. 7, 2017) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, utilizes several tools, including workforce cultivation, prudent fiscal planning and vertically-integrated services, to position itself for future success. Today the Company announces the addition of a core competency program to its toolbox, ensuring employees are prepared to meet customers’ increasingly sophisticated needs.

Mack’s first graduates from the Company’s core competency training program, dubbed Mack U: Jim Cook, Tyler Willette, Lucas Cross, Nelson Nieves, Amanda Adams, Sarah Warren and John Morin.

Dubbed Mack U, the program recently graduated its first seven students from the initial curriculum, Electro-Mechanical Operator I. In all, the graduates completed 14 courses and 21 hours of classroom time and hands-on training. To receive certification, successful trainees must demonstrate their proficiency through tests, on which they must score a 90 or better.

“We believe employees are the Company’s most valuable assets,” said Headquarters Plant Manager Rich Hornby. “We developed Mack U because our work is getting more complex, making the quality of our output more important than ever. We carefully looked at what we are doing and where we are going, and this program gives our team the tools needed to meet the demands of our customers, as well as a pathway for advancement.”

According to Hornby, the initial program was foundational, helping to improve safety awareness and explain the reasoning behind Mack systems. They tapped into the talents of 12 veteran Mack employees who channeled their expertise to become subject experts and develop courses on topics like customer communication, electrostatic discharge and wiring assemblies.

While there are seven employees in the first graduating class, a significant number continue working toward certification. Moving forward, the trainees will take on Electro-Mechanical Operator Levels II and III in which they will be introduced to advanced topics such as drawing and wire schematics, pneumatic connections and plumbing, soldering and the integration of firmware, software and hardware. Additionally, Mack will be rolling out a molding program.

Mack Finishing Operator Sarah Warren has used what she learned in the 5S class both at work and in her personal life.

If an improved customer experience and being better prepared to deal with marketplace changes was not enough, the trainees also are benefitting personally. Finishing Operator Sarah Warren used what she learned in the 5S class to alter the way she sets up her tool box, taking her organization skills to the next level.

“It’s made everything easier to find, and I am working more efficiently,” Sarah said. “This is my first job, so this is totally new to me. I am even using what I learned at home, just yesterday I was talking to my dad about the state of his toolbox!”

Since taking the classes, Sarah’s classmates have used their newly gained knowledge to make recommendations on calibration and raise important questions about materials, enhancing their value to Mack and its customers.

“As a ninety-six year old company we have a lot of knowledge and an intimate relationship with manufacturing, but organizing like this is truly a first for us,” Hornby said. “By establishing foundational skills, and then building on them, we are creating a team that will be unsurpassed in skill and quality of work – ensuring Mack continues to serve as the manufacturing arm for current, and new, customers, well into our next century as an organization.”

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Contact: Larry Hovish
(802) 375-0772
larry.hovish@mack.com

Mack’s Made in Vermont Days Introduces Students to Manufacturing Careers

December 22, 2016 by Larry Hovish 2 Comments

From Oct. 24-28, 2016, Mack hosted its biennial Made in Vermont Days at its Arlington, Vt., Headquarters – bringing local high school juniors and seniors into the Company’s manufacturing space to learn about manufacturing and engineering careers through tours, workshops and presentations.

The program is designed to reach students looking to go to a four year school, as well as certification and technical programs, and those who may wish to enter the workforce directly. This year Mack welcomed four schools – Arlington Memorial High School, Southwest Vermont Career Development Center, Long Trail and Burr & Burton Academy, as well as local home school students. In all, nearly 50 students, educators and parents participated.

Students toured the Company’s HQ through the lens of one particular product manufactured there that incorporates virtually Mack’s entire vertical integration of services. Following the tour students participated in a competitive workshop introducing the theory behind manufacturing flow before learning about careers available to them with the Company’s Director of Human Resources, hearing business insights from the HQ Plant Manager and an open Q&A with these key staff members. Students also were given the opportunity to sign-up for more in-depth workshops to be held at a later date in the following disciplines: Injection Molding, Machining, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Manufacturing and Engineering.

By hosting the event in October, Mack is able to leverage the power and name recognition of Manufacturing Day and Manufacturing Month, creating additional pull through while increasing access to supportive resources. Additionally, Mack benefited from its relationship with the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC), whose team trained some of the Company’s up and coming employees to conduct the manufacturing flow workshop featured during the event, which proved fun and informative for students, putting some context behind what they had seen on the manufacturing floor.

Mack’s Made in Vermont Days represent just one facet of the Company’s outreach efforts to cultivate the next generation of talent needed to drive manufacturing in the Northeastern United States. With a goal of building a sustainable workforce by encouraging the next generation of engineers, technicians and professionals, Mack regularly brings in middle and high school students, sends engineers into the classroom and has even had programs for children as young as kindergarten. In addition to Made in Vermont Days, Mack’s high point in this effort is an internship program that has hosted close to 100 interns from schools like UVM, WPI, RPI and RIT. The Company is now starting to recognize the fruits of its labor with a record number of interns – six – joining Mack as full-time employees in 2016.

Mack Molding Offers Local Students an Inside Look at Operations

January 20, 2016 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

Made in Vermont Program Brings Long Trail Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Graders to Company’s Headquarters

From left, Long Trail seventh graders Savannah Petrossi and Ella Masker, along with Long Trail eighth grader Shaye Squillante, visit an assembly line during a visit to the Company’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016.

ARLINGTON, Vt. (Jan. 20, 2016) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, recently opened its doors to give students from the Dorset, Vt.-based Long Trail School an inside look at running a business in the Green Mountain State.

“As a manufacturer, people are among the most important contributors to our success,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple, “and as a Vermont business, we recognize the importance of inspiring the state’s next generation of engineers, technicians and professionals. These students are the future of Vermont and its businesses, and through programs like our Made in Vermont Days, internships and school visits, Mack hopes to inform them of the exciting career paths right here at home.”

The students were participating in the Long Trail School’s own Made in Vermont program, in which sixth, seventh and eighth graders visited several regional businesses to gain an appreciation for how the businesses operate.

“We wanted students to see how local businesses take an idea from inception – that is identifying a problem or need – through design to the creation of a product to sales and marketing, and ultimately how it gets to the consumer,” said Long Trail’s Dean of Faculty Jim Gedney. “This was a great opportunity for experiential learning in which the students received outside of the classroom context through adults in the business world.”

According to Gedney, at the conclusion of the visits students executed on their new knowledge by coming up with prototype products and pitches in the spirit of ABC’s popular Shark Tank TV show. In all, students visited eight businesses for inspiration. In addition to Mack, other participants included Hubbardton Forge in Castleton, Vt.; Authentic Design in Rupert, Vt.; J.K. Adams in Dorset, Vt.; Orvis in Manchester, Vt.; Bennington Potters in Bennington, Vt.; Manchester Wood in Granville, N.Y.; and Battenkill Creamery in Salem, N.Y.

Long Trail School sixth grader Bryce Coe takes a bird’s-eye view of Mack Molding’s Finishing Department as students begin a tour of the Company’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016.

“Middle school students are at a very open place for learning as they become more sophisticated in their understanding of things, moving from being concrete to analytical thinkers and learners,” Gedney added. “It means a lot to have the response we had from local companies at this critical time in their development, and we were impressed by their willingness to take time out of their busy schedules to host us. It shows a real interest in what the kids are learning in school and a real connection to the area – and the students come away with a better understanding of opportunities in the region.”

The Long Trail visit is just part of Mack’s longstanding commitment to encouraging Vermont’s best and brightest to use their talents to benefit the communities they call home, as well as the businesses that share them. The hallmark of Mack’s efforts is an internship program designed to have students work on meaningful projects that help move the business forward while giving them a significant achievement for their portfolios and resumes.

“We are quickly approaching 100 students who have been through the Mack internship program from schools like UVM, WPI, RPI and RIT,” Somple said. “We are now seeing some students return, which is truly rewarding not only because it validates our efforts, but because we see someone turn into a promising professional and hope we played our small part.”

About Long Trail School
Long Trail School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school located in Dorset, Vt. Founded in 1975, it serves 182 students in grades six through 12 from nearby towns in southwestern Vermont and New York state, as well as several countries. The school is approved by the Vermont State Board of Education, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and is authorized as an IB World School (#6248) by the International Baccalaureate Organization. For more information, visit www.longtrailschool.org.

Pictured, from left, are Long Trail School Director of College Consulting & Athletics Scott Magrath with students Bryce Coe, sixth grade; Savannah Petrossi, seventh grade; Ella Masker, seventh grade; Sophia Berumen, sixth grade; Shaye Squillante, eighth grade and Shayla Sisters, eighth grade; along with Mack Molding HQ Plant Manager Rich Hornby and Director of Human Resources Nancy Cefalo. Students toured the Company’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt., Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, to learn how business operate in the region as part of the school’s Made in Vermont program.

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Mack Implementing ISO 9001 and 13485 Revisions

Mack’s Focus on Workforce Development Pays Off

Mack Training Program Builds Skills Needed for Future Growth

Mack’s Made in Vermont Days Introduces Students to Manufacturing Careers

Mack Molding Offers Local Students an Inside Look at Operations

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