Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1387295
32 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JUNE 28, 2021 Family Business Awards 2021 T he Star Supply Company is an HVAC wholesale distributor, servicing residential and commercial contractors in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. It supplies a full range of parts and equipment for the service and installation of HVAC systems. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. The Star Supply Company is extremely fortunate to has seen steady and record growth over the past several years, and despite the challenges we faced, we have also flourished during the pandemic. The Star Supply Company has also A special moment captured of Star Supply employees and customers coming together to celebrate The Star Supply Company's 60th anniversary in business. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED W epco Plastics is a family- owned company specializing in design solutions, 3D printing, aluminum tooling and plastic injection molding. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. We employed over 10 people during the pandemic, made personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline heroes and facilitated growth through lean manufacturing. How has your company shifted its strategy during the pandemic? We created an entirely new Industry: Manufacturing Year Founded:1985 Founder: Wally Parmelee Generation Running Company: First & Second Full-Time Employees: 34 Part-Time Employees: 1 Family Members Employed at Company: Wally Parmelee, Owner; David Parmelee, President – Wally's son; Cara Scirpo, Shipping Department Manager - Wally's daughter; Kaden Atwell, Intern – Cousin Company Website: wepcoplastics.com (From left) Tool room assistant Kaden Atwell, Founder Wally Parmelee, Shipping Manager Cara Scirpo, and President Dave Parmelee pose for a family photo. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED value stream in our front office in order to best serve our community through manufacturing PPE. We made face shields, face masks and critical medical components through assembly-line collaboration and in- house capabilities. What are your family values and how do they contribute to your business success? We have four core values: Always do the right thing, never stop improving, impact our community and do more. These values foster a collaborative, communicative and creative culture which fosters continuous improvement, camaraderie and a lean work environment. Where do you see your business in the next five years? We aim to maintain a highly skilled workforce and become much more involved with automation. The Star Supply Company Wepco Plastics Inc. Industry: HVAC Distributor Year Founded:1959 Founder: Seymour Cohen Generation Running Company: Third Full-Time Employees: 47 Family Members Employed at Company: Larry Cohen, CEO; Greg Cohen, President – Larry's son Company Website: www.star-supply.com 2ND PLACE | CATEGORY: 25-75 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES 3RD PLACE | CATEGORY: 25-75 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES been named as a Top Workplace in Connecticut by Hearst Media for the past three years. How has your company shifted its strategy during the pandemic? We invested and implemented new technology to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. We established a new working environment with more of a dependency on remote capabilities. This allowed us to maintain and retain our entire workforce throughout the pandemic, and in a safe manner. We also implemented policies to support employees dealing with challenges on the home front, such as work- from-home arrangements. What are your family values and how do they contribute to your business success? Some of our family values include working hard, doing the right thing, and placing a strong emphasis on loyalty.