Contact: Phyllis Levine at 845.896.6934 X3001 or by Email
HVTDC Helps Patterson Company Remain Competitive
Brewster Plastics has won the ISO 9000:2001 certification, internationally recognized as a mark of manufacturing excellence. The 33-year-old privately held firm, which has 45 employees, is a manufacturer of custom injection moldings.
Brett Wallace, Vice President, credits HVTDC with major assistance in reaching this milestone. He says, “Its consultants partnered us with a firm specializing in ISO certification, and with their help we achieved our initial milestone, ISO 9000, in the year 2000. We found that ISO certification was a stamp of approval showing that we were dedicated to quality. But in addition, it became apparent that by studying our internal processes and every aspect of the way we do business, we made ourselves more efficient and therefore more profitable.” Wallace notes that, “ISO certification has measurably improved the company's competitive posture, defined the procedures by which the company does business and provided a more cohesive management structure”.
That was only the beginning of the story. In December 2000 the International Standards Organization (ISO) issued the updated ISO 9001:2000 standard, with an effective compliance date of December 15, 2003 . Brewster Plastics had to make the transition to the new standard. If it failed to do so, its certification would have been withdrawn and the company would lose a huge competitive edge. Wallace notes that many of Brewster Plastics' customers will not do business with a company that is not certified.
Once again, Brewster Plastics turned to HVDTC for help. Consultants Rob Stein and Bob Winrow came to the company to determine what it needed to qualify for the new standard. After reviewing operations with the company's management, HVTDC put Brewster Plastics in touch with Prism, another ISO consulting firm.
Says Wallace, “Sally Wilks of Prism quickly grasped the philosophy on which our company is run, and how this philosophy relates to the ISO program. She outlined an approach to the transition, which was logical and well thought out. She helped us put together a realistic schedule, with readily attainable goals.
“She was able to explain the new ISO requirements clearly. She has a talent for asking the right questions about our system and how it works. Bringing up these questions greatly improved our ISO system.”
Brewster Plastics met the ISO deadline with time to spare. With HVTDC's help and ISO certification, Wallace says that Brewster Plastic has been able to attract new customers and serve its existing customers more efficiently. “We owe a lot to HVTDC,” he says. “They put us in touch with the right people, and they stayed with us to make sure we did what we were supposed to do. In addition, HVTDC worked with us to prepare a grant submittal, which upon award approval, provided funding to help offset the associated expenses of this activity.”
For more information, contact Phyllis Levine at 845-896-6934 X3001, via e-mail at plevine@hvtdc.org.