Thermoforming Manufacturer Speaks at State House at Career Day in Boston

BOSTON, MA, April 16, 2014 (Press-News.org) Joe Peters, President of Universal Plastics, spoke in Boston about the importance of career centers in Massachusetts, and how they help to prepare and connect qualified workers with appropriate jobs at The Massachusetts Workforce Professional Association celebrated Career Center Day at the State House on March 13th. The focus on the day was to highlight for legislators how career centers vitally support both job seekers and businesses in Massachusetts.

Mr. Peters is on the Board of Directors for CareerPoint. Since 1976 CareerPoint has been serving the workforce and economic development needs of job seekers, social service agencies and the business community throughout Hampden County.

Said Peters, "At Universal Plastics we learned a long time ago that employee training is the only way to get your company to the top of its game. We have taken advantage of a couple of workforce training grants offered by the state to help get us operating as a lean manufacturer and certified under ISO 9000. But that isn't enough. Western Mass, like many areas of the country, has a huge disconnect between the many jobs that are open and finding employees to fill them. This skills gap is being chipped away successfully by training initiatives funded by the state but designed and administered by our Hampden County Regional Employment Board (REB). Career Point is the one stop center that helps the REB find qualified potential trainees and introduces them to the companies that need those skills in their workforce. Advanced manufacturing represents a huge and growing segment of the job market here. As an advanced manufacturer, the majority of the equipment at Universal Plastics is computer controlled and takes skilled employees to operate."

A former CareerPoint customer, Manny Cruz also spoke. As a result of an On the Job Training Grant administered by CareerPoint, Manny began training at Universal Plastics, where he was mentored and eventually hired permanently as a CNC Operator.

"Manufacturing is enjoying a renaissance, as computer technology and robotics are becoming the way of life. Our hope at Universal Plastics is that we can continue to attract young people to pursue amazing careers that are challenging, rewarding and essential in today's evolving economy," Peters said.

Universal Plastics is a custom thermoformer based in Holyoke MA with strong legacy of expertise in manufacturing thermoformed plastic parts of the highest quality with a distinct focus on customer satisfaction. Universal has been in business for over 45 years with a world class management team and currently serves customers in a variety of industries including aerospace, medical device manufacturers, transportation, consumer products, food packaging and electronic companies.

As a custom manufacturer, Universal has made kayaks, air ducts for the Space Shuttle, all of the bus stop signs currently used in New York City and the bow of the submarines used by the Navy Seals. In 2008 they added a 30,000 square foot addition to their Whiting Farms Road building for a total of 100,000 square feet of production and office space. The company is ISO 9001 certified. For more information visit www.universalplastics.com.