2nd Quarter 2018 newsletter - K E Plastics

K&E Plastics, Inc.                                                           Phone: 802-375-0011

141 Morse Road

Bennington, VT   05201

 

2^nd Quarter 2018 Newsletter

 

 

CNC Training Program

 

 

K&E Plastics is pleased to announce a CNC Training Program in conjunction with other manufacturers in Bennington County,Vermont . The training will take place at the Career Development Center, the local tech center affiliated with Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. The training will be initially dedicated to incumbent workers in order to enhance their existing skill set and earnings potential. Once the incumbent training is completed, the CNC Training Program will enroll students from the general public.

 

“Access to skilled labor is the single biggest challenge K&E Plastics faces as we identify new growth opportunities”, said Eric Broderson ,President of K&E Plastics ” It is self- defeating from a community perspective if local companies are poaching employees from each other. A more sustainable approach is to grow the pool of skilled labor interested in a career in advanced manufacturing and we are optimistic that the CNC Training Program can do that over time. These are jobs that pay a living wage, offer benefits such as health care, retirement accounts and paid vacation. In addition, a skilled CNC machinist can get a job in just about any city in the country, just like a plumber”

 

 

 

HUBZONE 

 

Due to a recent military base closure in Rutland, Vermont, companies in Southwest Vermont are now eligible to qualify for HUBZONE certification through the US Small Business Administration (SBA). As a result, K&E Plastics is in the process of finalizing their HUBZONE application.  “If everything goes according to plan, K&E Plastics will have their HUBZONE certification by the end of the year”, said Eric Broderson, President of K&E Plastics. “While we do not contract directly with the federal government, many of our customers do, such as Raytheon and United Technologies. These companies are generally interested in expanding existing relationships with companies that qualify for HUBZONE certification, such as what K&E Plastics is doing”.

 

HUBZONE is a SBA program for small businesses that operate and employ people in Historically Underutilized Business Zones. The agencies of the US Federal Government are required by the HUBZONE Empowerment Act to contract with HUBZONE certified small businesses  for more than 3% of their budget in the form of prime contracts to HUBZONE firms.

 

 

 

New Dust Collector System

 

Due to the growth of K&E Plastics over the last several years, the company has added a number of new state of the art CNC machines to the shop floor . As a result, K&E Plastics will be adding a new dust collector system this summer. “Maintaining the integrity of the shop floor is paramount for K&E Plastics”, said Eric Broderson, President of K&E Plastics. “The new dust collector system will increase yields and reduce maintenance on our equipment. In addition, with a variable frequency drive, the new dust collector will allow us to maintain a state of the art factory floor in a very cost efficient manner. We would like to thank Efficiency Vermont for working with us on the new system”.

K&E Plastics welcomes a returning intern.

K&E Plastics is pleased to welcome back Kevin McKenna. Kevin was a student at the Career Development Center’s manufacturing technology program and he began working for K&E Plastics in January of this year while still attending school and he is with K&E Plastics full time this summer. In the fall, Kevin will be attending Hudson Valley Community College enrolling in the schools  Advanced Manufacturing program. “Kevin is a fine young man and has the potential to be an outstanding CNC machinist. We wish Kevin all the best at Hudson Valley Community College”, said Eric Broderson, President of K&E Plastics.

About K&E Plastics

K&E Plastics is a leader in the manufacturing of plastics and non-metallic parts for the aerospace, electrical, medical, utility, automotive and defense industries. The company was formed in 1966 in New Jersey by Peter Broderson and relocated to Vermont in 1985. The company is now led by Eric Broderson and is located in the Morse Industrial Park in Bennington, Vermont.