The big news at Mastercraft is, of course, the new work we're getting in from our primary customers. Everyone here, especially in production, is seeing the results of these mold moves. The mold division is busy checking out these molds and making certain they are in production-ready order. The molding division is already pumping out parts from the tooling that has already arrived. Quality is working with our customer's source inspector to get approvals on the parts and to confirm our process.
Administrative functions have seen the added work as well. Entering the new data, all the new part numbers, new parts for customer service to track, more materials to purchase. It's adding up to a busy time for all of us.
Which means it's a stressful time for all of us as well. New business, resulting in rapid growth such as we're experiencing, can sometimes have us on the edge. It tends to take us out of our comfort zone; out of that routine we establish for ourselves; out of the familiarity of what we've come to expect on a daily basis. It's the ecstasy of winning; the agony of growth.
That's why it's important for us to remember all the little things that helped Mastercraft become the company that it is today. It has been our attention to quality in every phase of the production process that gives our customers the confidence to make us their molder of choice. It's our attention to detail in whatever area our job responsibilities lie: from purchasing raw materials, to production, quality, secondary operations, packaging, to shipping.
In spite of the disruptions in the status quo with new molds coming in the door, new presses being put on the floor, new employees being hired, we all need to stay focused on the things that make Mastercraft a great company. If it takes a team effort to be successful when things are going "business as usual," it takes even more of a team effort to be successful during times of rapid growth.
We have a great team here at Mastercraft. Success can define our efforts, even as we grow our business.
Mastercraft Companies is pleased to announce the expansion of our custom injection molding production division, Polycraft Industries. The expanded production will help the company accommodate a significant amount of new business from our primary customers.
Polycraft Industries recently added two Kawaguchi molding machines with 140 tons clamping force to its molding production floor. Each machine is equipped with full-servo robotic systems for parts separation. "This is our first dive into full robotics systems," commented Steve Weidenbacher, Operations Manager for Polycraft Industries. "Currently, most of our other presses run with sprue pickers." The new presses run multi-cavity, family molds from a major OEM of telecommunications connectors.
The two new presses form a work cell, complete with a Matsui drying system dedicated to the cell. This new, efficient, high-production work cell requires only one operator for packaging the parts. This brings to three the total number of presses added since the NPE show, and equates to a 14% increase in capacity.
The company will add two additional molding presses by the end of November, and another two presses during the first quarter of 2001. Plans also call for hiring additional personnel to meet the demands of expanded production, including press operators and mold setters. We currently run three shifts, five days a week.
Polycraft currently operates a total of 24 presses ranging from 40 to 440 tons clamping force in a state-of the-art production facility equipped with an IQMS real-time production and quality monitoring system.
Mastercraft Companies is a 32-year-old, ISO-9001 and UL certified full-service injection molder and moldmaker supplying mold design, engineering and build; production molding and a variety of secondary operations to the medical equipment, electronics and telecommunications industries. The companies employ 90 people.
WE WELCOME THESE NEW ASSOCIATES TO THE MASTERCRAFT
TEAM!!
When Bob Kempf moved from Erie, PA, to Arizona in August of 1999, he thought he would semi-retire. "It didn't quite work out that way," says a busy Kempf, Mastercraft Mold's new Tool Shop Manager.
Bob admits that he's too young to retire anyway. He was just lucky that through a series of corporate buyouts that resulted in consolidations, he was offered a chance to take early retirement. Bob, a toolmaker by trade since his graduation from an apprenticeship program in 1972, has been managing tool shops for the past 20 years.
Outside of managing Mastercraft Mold, Bob enjoys bowling, and since coming to Arizona, has taken up golf, which he also enjoys. He and his wife, Kathy, have two daughters, one of who stayed in Pennsylvania and the other who came to Arizona with them.
We guarantee that Bob won't be retiring again any time soon, as we plan to keep him plenty busy!
Carolyn Freytag
As many of you know by now, our Sales Coordinator, Amie Youngs, left us to move to Chicago where her husband was transferred. Although we will miss Amie, we believe we have found an excellent and equally competent replacement in Carolyn Freytag.
Carolyn comes to us with a manufacturing background, having formerly worked for a dental products OEM and Sharp Electronics. She is new to Arizona, having moved here recently from New York, to be with family and to take advantage of our great weather. "Although, it was 115 degrees the day we moved here," Carolyn remarked. (But, hey, it's a dry heat. Right?)
Carolyn has jumped into her new position with Mastercraft with both feet, and has already proven her ability to deal efficiently with the customers and provide quality customer service and sales assistance.
She is married to David, and they have three sons ages 18, 14 and four. Although she says that with three boys she doesn't have much time for hobbies, she does like to mountain bike. She is also very involved with her sons in sports.
Larry Mackin Designer/ CNC programmer
Bob Kempf Tool Shop Manager
John Goltz Moldmaker
At a time when many molders and moldmakers are seeing a slow-down, we at Mastercraft Companies are going full speed ahead. Of course that's when sales efforts mean the most, and our sales team has been doing a great job making new contacts, quoting lots of new jobs, and landing new business for us.
The Job Shop Technology show in Ontario, CA, in September was good in terms of traffic. We obtained 42 viable leads from the show, reports our Sales Rep Wendie Hill. So far, we've received nine Requests for Quote, and many indicated a definite interest in giving Mastercraft future opportunities for new business.
Our next show is the Medical Device and Manufacturing Show in Anaheim, CA, Jan 8-10. This is always an excellent show for us, made better this year by the new Plastec Show that has been added, along with the Pacific Design Show. Please stop by and visit with us in Booth #351.