02/19/2021

by Brittany Willes, contributing writer, Plastics Business

There is no denying that with technological advancements come great benefits. However, there often are unintended drawbacks as well. When it comes to communication mechanisms like social media, the very platforms that are meant to bring people together often result in users being less present in their daily lives. This even extends to the workplace, as many companies are finding. So, how can business leaders engage their employees and cultivate a workforce culture revolving around engagement and teamwork? Plastic injection molder Revere Plastics Systems, LLC, Novi, Michigan, has found a way of incorporating social media into its company culture with positive results. 

Wanting to improve its fragmented human resources, payroll and benefits communication systems, Revere opted to implement a new system in 2020 – Paylocity, a cloud-based payroll and human capital management software system. In addition to bridging Revere’s human resources gaps, Paylocity came with an unexpected feature that would make a lasting impact on Revere’s company culture.  

“Once everyone was registered in the new system, they were able to access their paycheck through the computer or by downloading the app,” explained Kristi Stuetzer, vice president of HR. “The new system had an integrated tool called Community – similar to Facebook – where employees could interact with each other.” Through the Community page, employees discovered they could give one another awards – called Impressions – for various tasks, such as going above and beyond on a certain project, wearing appropriate PPE, for continuous improvement and more. 

“They actually discovered the feature without any rollout or marketing from management and began to use it,” she continued. “It was organic through our own team, and it was a neat process to see unfold.” Once an employee has been awarded an Impression, it is posted on the Community page for the receiver to see – along with everyone else. From there, other employees are able to leave comments and further positive encouragement.  

Seeing the employees eagerly awarding one another for positive actions, management quickly realized it had a powerful tool at its disposal that it could use to further celebrate the team while tailoring it to Revere’s specific needs. 

“Initially, we just used the original Impressions provided by Paylocity,” Stuetzer said. “However, we were able to adjust those and introduce items for the Impressions that are directly from our score card as a manufacturer. We measure ourselves on safety, quality, delivery, cost, etc. So, now we offer Safety Impressions and Delivery Impressions, along with the standard Thank You Impressions to further build our commitment to being grateful to each other.”  

In an effort to continue to encourage and celebrate employees’ efforts, Revere is planning on taking the Impressions program a step further – from virtual to real-world gratitude. “We’re going to create a virtual store,” said Stuetzer. “Once employees earn so many Impressions, they can turn them in for a rebate or coupon to buy things in the store, like hoodies, backpacks, T-shirts, hats, mug, etc.” It is just one more way for Revere and its employees to reap the rewards of their own positive actions. 

Furthermore, Revere is able to track and record employee activity though the system. The last week of every month, Impressions are tracked and grouped from the most to least given. This, in turn, ensures that Revere’s Employee of the Month, Quarter and Year programs are peer-driven, leaving no room for error.  

“To date, thousands of Impressions have been awarded without management even asking,” said Stuetzer. “People look forward to them. They want to know they’re making a difference. Even our CEO comments on the Impressions, and that matters to people. It has been an amazing experience.” 

“Recognition is a form of gratitude,” said Glen Fish, CEO. “When people show gratitude, it creates a positive environment that becomes infectious and makes people want to do more good things.” 

Creating an environment centered on gratitude and teamwork certainly has paid off for Revere in many ways. In addition to increasing employee engagement, the company has seen its production increase across the board while showing continued improvement in areas of safety, minimizing motion and waste, ideas of standardizing work areas and job understanding to eliminate confusion. 

The program was so successful, in fact, that Revere submitted it to the 2020 MAPP Innovation Awards. Stuetzer noted the company has been nothing but happy with the program and highly recommends it. “It’s validating,” she said. “Just being grateful – it reaches far with our employees. It means a lot to them.”

We’re very excited to announce Eric Berg, Director of Engineering at Revere Plastics Systems, LLC, was nominated and received the Above & Beyond Recognition Award from the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP). Over 430 plastic processing companies participate in the MAPP and over 1000 plastics professionals participated in the Benchmarking Conference last week. Eric was recognized in front of all of these people and I could not be more proud of his accomplishments.

Thank you Eric for what you do for Revere and thank you Natalie Williams for also nominating Eric!

#leadershipexcellence #benchmarking #aboveandbeyond #revereplastics

June 10, 2020

Don Loepp, Plastics News Editor

Injection molder Revere Plastics Systems Inc. is growing again through acquisition, buying two plants from Techniplas LLC, which is in voluntary restructuring.

According to court documents, Revere is paying about $2.13 million for the assets of plants in Auburn, Ala., and Ankeny, Iowa.

“We will run those as Revere facilities, rather than just taking the equipment and moving it elsewhere,” Doug Drummond, Revere’s vice president of sales and marketing, said in a telephone interview. “We are very excited about this deal, and I do like the idea of keeping these plants open, as well as our own continued growth.”

Revere, which is based in Novi, Mich., has been owned by French private equity firm Ardian since 2017. Historically a major supplier to the appliance market, Revere has been diversifying its customer base. Drummond said this acquisition will help continue that effort, plus it gives Revere a presence in two regions where it already has demand from existing customers.

“We have many customers that have facilities in the Southeast, as well as in the upper Midwest. Having plants there is something we’ve wanted for a long time,” Drummond said.

Revere has been designated the lead stalking horse bidder for the assets, and court approval is expected by June 15.

Nashotah, Wis.-based Techniplas itself is an injection molder that has grown through acquisition. It includes the former Nyloncraft LLC, with facilities in Misawaka, Ind., and Jonesvillle, Mich.; Dickten Masch Plastics LLC, with facilities in Wisconsin, Iowa and Monterrey, Mexico; and Vallotech SA in Vallorbe, Switzerland. In 2014 it doubled in size with the purchase of the Switzerland-based Plastics Technology Automotive and Industrial division of Weidmann International Corp. That deal included the 140,000- square-foot Auburn plant, which opened in 2004.

In recent years, Techniplas has been working on refinancing its debt. George Votis, Techniplas’ majority owner, founder and chairman, had arranged for financing last fall from The Jordan Co., a private investment firm based in New York. But that deal was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faced with $175 million in outstanding notes scheduled to mature on May 1, Techniplas led for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. on May 6. Techniplas’ note holders have a stalking horse bid for the remainder of the company, which remains open.

Techniplas posted a loss of $21 million in 2019 on sales of $475 million. The company ranked No. 36 in the most recent Plastics News survey of North American injection molders.

Revere ranked in a tie for No. 39, with estimated sales of $255 million. Revere has plants in Clyde, Ohio; Jeffersonville, Ind.; Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Brampton, Ontario; and Fraser, Mich. It acquired the Fraser plant in 2018 when it bought certain operations and assets of Tier 1 automotive supplier Sur-Flo Plastics & Engineering Inc.

Prior to that acquisition, Revere had been growing its automotive business organically. Drummond said the deal with Techniplas will help Revere grow in automotive, outdoor power equipment, medical and other end markets. He acknowledged that Revere will have to win business that Techniplas ran in the two plants prior to its bankruptcy.

“We think in the matter of a month or so we can have tools and production running again,” Drummond said.

The Ankeny plant has presses ranging from 85-3,000 tons of clamping force. The Auburn plant has presses ranging from 230-1,500 tons, and has expertise in two-shot molding.

Drummond said finalizing a deal was complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Even under regular circumstances it would have been difficult,” because of the timing of the bankruptcy, he said.

“We had to deal with having to do every single thing through a Zoom call or some sort of video conferencing. And then traveling to the facilities, everything was complicated, it took two days to get the team anywhere.”

https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/revere-plastics-buying-two-plants-techniplas-throughbankruptcy-court-process