Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 1, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 25 A MAJOR ANNIVERSARY... A NEW BUILDING... A MAJOR COMPANY MILESTONE Whether it's the celebration of a major anniversary or the opening of a new headquarters, Worcester Business Journal's Custom Publishing Division can help you create a custom magazine for your business. Our division's top flight team of writers and designers can help you tell your story – and make your business look great! Based on our unique publishing model, it's surprisingly affordable. Can we create a CUSTOM magazine for you? Call WBJ Custom Corporate Project Director Christine Juetten at 508-755-8004 ext. 270. Worcester Business Journal WBJ Custom Publishing Division Celebrating 50 Years of Growth, Jobs and Development 1 50 Years 1 9 6 5 - 2 0 1 5 C E L E B R A T I N G An advertising supplement to the Worcester Business Journal Shrewsbury Public Library: Building the Next Chapter SHREWSBURY Building the Next Chapter public library MANUFACTURING S U M M I T & EXCELLENCE AWARDS WBJ Worcester Business Journal PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 100 Davis Street Douglas, MA 01516 www.solarwolfenergy.com Call us now at 888-878-4396 for a FREE quote! Going Green Has Never Been So Easy—or Affordable! OUR SERVICES • Solar Panel Sales & Installation • SolarSkin • Energy Storage • Roofing • Warranties (New & Existing) • Solar Installation Subcontractor • Financing M A N U F A C T U R I N G A W A R D S F O C U S Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership. "In order to get bigger gains it really involves the whole company," he said. More training = better outcomes Jane Wilson, manager of growth services at MassMEP, helped facilitate the training. Working with Sioui and other company leaders, she helped tailor a pro- gram specifically for Slideways, focusing on both top and bottom line growth. She said the program was well-received, across the board. "We hear a lot [of people say] that we don't have time for training, or we're too busy for that. And I think the lesson is that everybody has the same amount of time," she said. "It's about using it wisely." Sioui said making the commitment to upskilling his staff has helped in implementing new systems, as well as machinery reorganization. Increasing attention toward speedy and lean manufacturing, in conjunction with a pre-existing bonus program, has motivated Slideways employees in a brand new way. ose employees, he said, have demonstrated a renewed com- mitment to completing orders as quickly as possible, recognizing one person's success is the whole company's success. And it's an example he's happy to set. "It's so cliche, but you always hear, 'You Workforce Development & Productivity Award S L I D E WAY S , I n c . Location: Worcester Industry subsector: Plastics Founded: 1994 Top executive: CEO Tom Sioui Primary product: Machined plastic wear components for conveyors and packaging machinery Happy anniversary: SLIDEWAYS is celebrating its 25th year in business. In 1994, Glenn Priest and Tom Sioui opened the doors with all manual machinery and very limited capability. An early order re- quired more than a half million cranks on a manual lathe to drill holes in a plastic roller. It took Priest, Sioui, and a Worces- ter Voke co-op student working two weeks around the clock to get it done. The same job is done today with the push of a button, and a lot fewer hours. get out of it what you put into it,'" Sioui said. "If you're able to commit to it and then hold the employees accountable to the new system that they put in place, you're going to get your investment back really quickly." Slideways develops highly engineered plastic parts, including guide rails and slide tracts. Slideways' job training programs are designed to create maximum output most efficiently. W

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