Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 3, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 15 M A N U F A C T U R I N G F O C U S RETIREMENT EXPERTISE TO OPTIMIZE YOUR FIRM'S PLAN For more than 20 years, Worcester-area businesses have turned to Bartholomew & Company for our proven approach as independent retirement plan specialists. With our industry knowledge and designations, we provide the depth of experience and guidance your firm needs to manage its fiduciary obligations and the investment options, services, and overall value your participants expect to help them retire with confidence. For a customized retirement program that encourages your employees to save more and plan smarter, contact the experts who are right in your community. Contact Peter McManus today for a complimentary consultation at peter@bartandco.com or 508.753.8807. Visit www.bartandco.com to learn more. PLAN WISELY. INVEST CONSERVATIVELY. LIVE WELL. 370 MAIN STREET, SUITE 1000, WORCESTER, MA 01608 | 508.753.8807 Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network ® , Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Knowledge + Experience + Trusted Advice. It all adds up. Large enough to serve the needs of most businesses and individuals; small enough to offer the personal attention you expect and deserve. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC Certified Public Accountants 306 Main Street, Suite 400 • Worcester, MA 01608 508.791.0901 • www.grkb.com F&M quadruples sales with new storage container I f you're on an organizing binge this spring and you walk into a big box store for supplies, you might not realize that one of your main choices for plastic totes and cabinets, Bella Storage Solution, comes from an unas- suming company located right in Leominster: F&M Tool and Plastics Inc. The company started in 1974 as a tooling company and moved into lines of plastic goods. Yet, it wasn't until 2008 that it launched Bella Storage Solution, which is now the company's main line. Since then, despite the Great Recession, the company's quadrupled its sales revenues, although the compa- ny declined to give specifics. Partly, that's thanks to F&M's work rolling out innovative products in various colors. "We want to be the solution," Mark Gasbarro, the company's owner and pres- ident said. "Because of this, we are always striving to innovate and create whatever our customers may be needing." Christopher Watson, senior vice presi- dent for commercial lending at UniBank, who's been F&M's commercial banker for almost a decade, said Gasbarro has succeed in a very competitive market. "He's continually fighting against Rubbermaid and Sterilite, and he's more than holding his own," Watson said. "It's weird he's been kind of under the radar." Growing in Leominster F&M spent $5.15 million this year on a 227,422-square-foot production facili- ty in Leominster, near its headquarters. The company has other facilities in Tennessee, California and Michigan. Watson said Gasbarro's success has been a product of his engagement with customers. By talking with women who buy the Bella Storage Solution products, he learned that they wanted new color options beyond the ugly green and blue once standard for totes, as well as more comfortable handles. The product line now includes a vari- ety of transparent locking chests with 360-degree wheels, bright colored utili- ty baskets, and sturdy storage units. The storage app Just last year, F&M launched the "Bella" mobile app, which lets custom- ers scan their totes to create a complete record of what they have stored where. "We saw that there was a high demand and need for a simple, easy-to- use method to get organized from our customers," Gasbarro said. "We wanted to provide a free way for our customers with a solution for those needs in the most efficient and convenient way." To Watson, F&M's success demon- strates Gasbarro's innovation in a mar- ket with little room for improvement. "It's simple things, and people love them," he said. Product Design & Innovation Award Bella Storage Solution / F&M Tool and Plastics Inc. Location: Leominster Industry subsector: Injection molding Top executive: Owner & President Mark Gasbarro Full-time employees: 100-150 Founded: 1974 Signature product: Plastic storage totes F&M has taken a simple storage container and grown its revenue by providing new colors, styles and a mobile application. BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to the Worcester Business Journal W

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