MAPP’s Board of Directors encourages plastics processors to utilize the knowledge contained within the MAPP network. To familiarize readers with the Board, each member will be profiled by Plastics Business ENews. This month, get to know Tom Duffey, President/Owner of Plastic Components, Inc.
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Tom Duffey, President/Owner, Plastic Components, Germantown, WI
MAPP Member Since: 2005
# of Employees: 54
# of Presses: 47
Industries served: Industrial and commercial markets, including small engines, power tools, appliances, plumbing, water filtration and water processing
How did plastics become your career?
Right out of college, I was a manufacturer’s representative, and plastics was one of the lines I sold. I’d been in enough plastics facilities to see that manufacturing operations were running with lots of people. I knew nothing about manufacturing – I was a marketing major in college – but I thought if you could conceive and execute a strategy that would allow a facility to run without all of those people, you’d have a model for success. I actually wrote the business plan to start PCI in 1988 while at Northwestern getting a Masters degree in business. I incorporated in 1989 with three small presses in a 10,000 sq ft building – I had no idea what I was doing! I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I’ve finally got it figured out.
Describe Plastic Components, Inc.
PCI wants to establish and maintain a position as a globally competitive molder of high-quality, precision injection molded parts. We run a fully automated facility, so our niche is fairly narrow, but in the niche we are in, with a shoot and ship production process, we want to be the best in the world. The new facility we opened on November 11th is fully automated and runs 24/7 with no one in the building. We want to be so far out on the front end of the technology and execution curve that no one can catch us.
In what areas are you willing to share your experiences with other processors?
We had the MAPP open house in our facility in May 2011, and 65 molders from all over the country were in our facility. We talked about our management philosophies and operational execution, and we conducted plant tours with stations throughout the plant where our people were talking about what we do. We are willing to share just about everything. At PCI, our number one distinction is our marketing and business development strategy. Number two would be the execution of our manufacturing strategy, using technology and automation.
Contact Tom Duffey at 262.253.0353 or email [email protected].
Previous Profiles
MAPP Board Members
Former Board Members
Other MAPP Members have offered their advice and expertise on job costing, automation, clean room technology and more through the Business and Technical Resources area of the MAPP website. Or visit the MAPP Forum for posts on business practices, equipment and materials.
