Plastics Technology

Go West with Mack for MD&M

January 18, 2017 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

It’s January, so as sure as the mountains of Vermont are capped with snow, the Mack team is hard at work with final preparations for Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West.

The world’s largest annual medtech event returns to Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., Feb. 7-9, 2017, with more than 20,000 industry professionals coming together for three days of sourcing, networking and education. Mack will have a significant presence with a prominent location – Booth No. 1801 – where the Company’s senior management and sales teams will introduce attendees to our capabilities as a full-service contract manufacturer with specialties in plastics design, prototyping, molding, sheet metal fabrication, machining and turnkey system assembly.

Whether you are interested in Mack Medical, Mack Molding, Mack Technologies, Mack Prototype or Synectic Engineering, our vertically integrated services have been organized to benefit your business throughout the product life cycle. The most important piece of the puzzle, however, is you! That is why we are extending an invitation to our friends, old and new, to take advantage of free expo admission – a $95 value! Use our promo code “INVITE” when registering to claim a complimentary Expo Pass. Additionally, you can use it to get 20% of a full conference pass if you are looking to take advantage of the education tracks.

For more than 30 years, MD&M West has been connecting industry-leading suppliers with the latest products and technology, helping bring products from concept to market. In addition to unparalleled networking opportunities and educational content, MD&M West is collocated with synergistic events like Plastec West, Design & Manufacturing Pacific, ATX West, Electronics West and WestPack, offering an unmatched interactive face-to-face environment to share ideas, challenges and solutions with like-minded peers.

If you would like to schedule a specific meeting time in our booth, please contact your business development manager, or Joan Magrath, Vice President of Sales & Engineering, at joan.magrath@mack.com or (802) 375-0312.

We look forward to seeing you at this year’s event – and remember you can find us at Booth No. 1801!

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’s Cavendish Plant Honored for Energy Saving Efforts

October 7, 2016 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

Congratulations are in order for Mack’s Cavendish facility, which was recently honored by Efficiency Vermont with the organization’s Employee Engagement Project of the Year Award at the fifth annual Best Practices Exchange. Cavendish Facilities Manager Ed Garrow was on hand to accept the award from Efficiency Vermont Director Liz Gamache.

This award was presented to acknowledge the impressive energy savings from the Kaizens and a “shut it off” campaign at Cavendish, which have resulted in an electric usage reduction of 1.2 million kWh annually from 2012 to 2016. That includes an estimated reduction of 500,000 kWh annually since 2014.

“The Best Practices Exchange is a great opportunity for large businesses in Vermont to learn from each other about effective strategies for reducing energy use and, ultimately, improving their bottom lines,” Gamache said in a press release about the event. “The energy that our commercial and industrial customers save is significant and helps reduce Vermont’s overall demand for energy, while returning those saved energy dollars back into the local economy.”

More than 150 people representing some of Vermont’s largest commercial, industrial and institutional businesses gathered at Killington Grand Resort Hotel on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, to participate in Efficiency Vermont’s Best Practices Exchange, where they networked, learned and shared the best approaches to energy efficiency investments and energy management.

Efficiency Vermont was created by the Vermont Legislature and the Vermont Public Service Board to help all Vermonters reduce energy costs, strengthen the economy, and protect Vermont’s environment. It partners with commercial customers throughout the state to help them move their businesses forward by working to identify savings opportunities, recommending efficient technologies, and providing incentives and financing tools to reduce energy costs. To learn more, visit www.efficiencyvermont.com/business-forward.

Mack is committed to the concept of sustainable manufacturing, in which environmental protection, as well as workplace wellness and safety, are integral to Mack’s success. The company’s Environmental Policy is based on compliance, risk reduction and prevention, resource management, and communication. We also subscribe to an Environmental Purchasing Policy that gives preference to suppliers whose products have environmentally friendly attributes.

To reinforce these policies, Mack has developed an environmental management system that systematically and comprehensively tracks and reduces environmental impacts in all business operations. Mack’s specific goals for FY16-17 in the areas of energy conservation, waste reduction, land preservation & management, and environmental education & awareness are available on the Company’s website. Vermont has rewarded these efforts by designating Mack an Environmental Leader.

Jonathan Whitney Promoted to Director of Business Development at Mack

June 14, 2016 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

ARLINGTON, Vt. (June. 14, 2016) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced today Jonathan Whitney, a seasoned Mack sales team member and experienced engineer specializing in plastics and medical devices, has been promoted to director of business development.

“Since he first arrived at Mack, Jon has played a significant role in shaping our diverse customer base,” said Mack Molding Sales & Engineering Vice President Joan Magrath. “He came to us with great depth of knowledge in plastics and medical devices, as well as contract manufacturing. That breadth, coupled with Jon’s business and technical strengths, helped drive growth in several key markets. Jon is a valuable contributor, and this promotion highlights his talents and the strategic insight he will provide as we look to target new industries and technologies.”

Whitney, who joined Mack in 2013 as a business development manager for the New England region, will report to Magrath and be responsible for developing new accounts and sales growth for Mack’s northern operations along with management of its business development team. Additionally, he will liaise with internal and external design resources on business development matters.

Prior to Mack, he was senior project manager for the design, development and commercialization of cardiovascular devices at Abiomed. Other engineering experience was earned during his service at Gyrus ACMI, Alkermes and Raytheon, where he earned a green belt six-sigma certification. Whitney holds an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.; a masters in engineering management from Tufts University in Boston; and a bachelors in plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

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 Reaps Rewards of Workforce Cultivation Efforts

June 14, 2016 by Larry Hovish Leave a Comment

COMPANY SEES CROP OF FORMER INTERNS RETURN AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

From left, clockwise, Mack Molding President Jeff Somple discusses one of the Company’s new programs with Finishing Technician Matt Comar and Program Coordinator Britney Coley. Comar and Coley are former interns who have recently returned to Mack as full-time employees.

ARLINGTON, Vt. (June. 14, 2016) – Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced today three former interns are returning to the Company as full-time employees, highlighting its outreach efforts to cultivate the next generation of talent needed to drive manufacturing in the Northeastern United States.

St. Lawrence University graduate Britney Coley has joined Mack as a program coordinator along with Hudson Valley Community College’s Matt Comar, who has returned to Mack as a finishing technician. Additionally, Peter Bush, a recent graduate of the University of Vermont, will be joining the team as a quality engineer.

“It is with great excitement and pride that we welcome these three talented young professionals back to Mack,” said Mack Molding President Jeff Somple. “During the last several years we have put significant effort into building a sustainable workforce by encouraging the next generation of engineers, technicians and professionals. It is important not only as a manufacturer, but as a Vermont business, to show students just how rewarding a career in manufacturing – and a life in Vermont – can be. We have started with children as young as kindergarten, through high school and of course our internship program and today, as sure as salmon returning to their home stream, we know our work to establish a sustainable workforce is paying off.”

For Coley, whose father works as a manufacturing engineer at Mack’s East Arlington facility, Mack is in her blood, even if she did not originally intend to enter the family business.

“It really started because my father worked here,” she explained, “but the more time I spent at Mack the more I grew to love it. With a bachelor of science degree in biology and psychology my original notion was to get into medicine, but through my experience at Mack I had an epiphany that medical devices represented a good mix for me – allowing me to merge my passions for manufacturing and medicine.”

As a program coordinator in the Company’s growing medical device sector, Coley works with cutting edge technology. She helps maintain 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, improving performance and ultimately achieving Mack’s mission of Total Customer Satisfaction. During her time as a Mack intern, Coley worked for both the compliance, and sales and engineering, departments, developing a keen understanding for Mack’s processes, as well as customer requirements and exposure to U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. A member of St. Lawrence University’s Class of 2016, Coley also was an accomplished student, studying abroad in Denmark to gain a better understanding of the global healthcare market. She also served as secretary for the National Panhellenic Conference and was career and personnel director for the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of the Chi Omega Fraternity.

Comar, who studied advanced manufacturing at Hudson Valley Community College has been interning at Mack since May 2015. A graduate of Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vt., he also gained experience at Loomis Auto in Bennington. He brings experience in Solidworks and Mastercam software, as well as knowledge of CNC mills, lathes and manual machine tools. As a finishing technician, Comar will perform set-ups of various processes, including pad printing, milling and sonic welding, as well as maintain and troubleshoot equipment to maximize efficiency and quality of production.

As a quality engineer, Bush will be ensuring Mack’s work meets the high demands of its customers, supporting operations from new business development through product launches and realization all the way through program end of life. 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.

To date, Mack has hosted close to 100 interns from schools like UVM, WPI, RPI and RIT. While a few have previously returned to take on full-time positions, the Class of 2016 represents the largest group to date to formally bring their careers to the Company.

“We are hosting another 18 interns this summer,” Somple said, “and as with Britney, Matt and Peter, we can only hope to be a positive influence on their pathway to becoming young professionals in their own right, and hopefully illustrating the exciting opportunities available to them in our region and industry.”

Additional New Hires

Mack also is pleased to announce the following additions to its team.

The Mack Headquarters in Arlington, Vt., has welcomed Chris Donza to the IT team as a systems administrator. Donza is responsible for installing and maintaining new and existing hardware, software, storage and other systems to ensure their integrity and continuous access. He brings an extensive background in network administration having previously served as IT technician for the Bennington School District in Bennington, Vt. He is CompTIA A+ certified and gained previous technical experience as a freelance RF technician, as well as with Wild Oats Food Market in Williamstown, Mass., and Rainbow Network Communications in Bethpage, N.Y.

Tom Jackson has joined the manufacturing engineering team at Mack’s headquarters in Arlington, Vt, as a manufacturing engineer. Jackson has a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in mathematics from the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt. Jackson is responsible for manufacturing engineering requirements related to an important new disposable medical device kit production. He most recently worked at Keurig Green Mountain in Waterbury, Vt., in design and project engineering.

Simon Leavitt has joined Mack’s Cavendish, Vt., facility, as a manufacturing engineer providing manufacturing engineering support for a number of customer programs, including the introduction of new/re-engineered products. Leavitt is returning to Mack after having previously served as quality engineer at Mack’s Headquarters in Arlington, Vt. Besides an intimate knowledge of Mack, he brings extensive product development and engineering experience from working with Bob White Systems Inc. and ReKnew Energy Systems, both of South Royalton, Vt. A graduate of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., Leavitt has a degree in mechanical engineering.

The Mack Headquarters in Arlington, Vt., welcomes Richard Turner to the team as a manufacturing engineer in the Company’s growing medical device business. Turner, who brings more than 25 years of engineering and manufacturing systems experience, will be responsible for combining an analytical approach with creative thinking to shepherd programs from concept through prototyping and clinical evaluations to phase in and ramp up – ensuring good initial design will be complimented by the ability to replicate it at scale. Prior to Mack, Turner served as a manufacturing engineer supervisor/industrial engineer, and more recently manufacturing engineering manager, for Plasan North America in Bennington, Vt. During his career, he also built his skill set at NSK Steering Systems America in Bennington, Vt.; as well as at J.S. McNamara and Utica Engineering Company in Shelby Township, Mich. Turner has a bachelor of science in engineering degree with a focus on mechanical engineering from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Ann Wedell has joined the Mack team as a quality engineer at the Company Headquarters in Arlington, Vt., providing support during new business development, as well as new and existing programs. A graduate of the University of Dayton, Wedell has a bachelor of chemical engineering degree. Prior to Mack, she gained quality and engineering experience as an intern at Alliant Tech Systems in Beavercreek, Ohio, and a process engineer with International Paper in Rome, Ga. Most recently, she served as a process engineer with Dedert Corporation in Homewood, Ill., where she worked closely with project management, performing various calculations and project specifications to ensure critical specs were met.