"None of us is better than all of us together." That plaque hangs over the door to Ken Patzkowsky's office at Hanson Mold and expresses the company president's belief in teamwork.
It's one of the reasons the company was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year in the manufacturing division by Cornerstone Alliance. During 2012, the company built a 10,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility and new equipment was ordered for a total investment of $1.45 million. This year, Hanson Mold expects to add five employees.
Patzkowsky is an example of someone whose worked his way to the top. He started as a tool and die apprentice at Weldun Mold, now Hanson Mold, in 1968. He continued to be promoted in the company till he was named president of
Hanson Mold in 1999.
Hanson Mold specializes in production and prototype tooling for a wide variety of parts and industries. The company offers complete engineering, die design, construction, sampling, and inspection of zinc, magnesium and aluminum die cast dies, as well as custom plastic injection molds, compression molds, transfer, and more.
Hanson Mold's goal has been to be the "employer of choice" in Southwestern Michigan by providing above average wages and benefits to teammates. It also has maintained a strong apprenticeship program over the years.
The company has been part of the economic recovery in Michigan and has seen its workforce come back to 95.
"None of Hanson’s success would be possible without their group of highly skilled and dedicated teammates…with a large emphasis on the word team," says Pat Moody, of Cornerstone Alliance. At Hanson Mold, they believe that their teammates are Hanson Mold’s most valuable asset and the skill of their workforce is what sets them apart from their competition, Moody says.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Jamie Balkin, Cornerstone Alliance