Worcester Business Journal

18 Worcester Business Journal | April 16, 2018 | wbjournal.com F O C U S M A N U F A C T U R I N G Industrial Polymers & Chemicals must compete with lower-cost abrasives providers throughout the world. IPAC became a global leader with a superior workforce BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor W hen Industrial Polymers & Chemicals got its start in Shrewsbury in 1959, it was surrounded by farms, not by retailers lining Route 9 as it is today. While much has changed around IPAC, not so much has changed inside the nearly 50,000-square-foot space hidden at the back of a commercial building. In fact, the machines coating IPAC's fiberglass in a resin are the same used nearly six decades ago. IPAC produces hundreds of millions of fiberglass products each year, oen as abrasives in machinery used by compa- nies including Worcester's Saint-Gobain. All the while, it has kept competitive with cheaper imports that in other cases can put companies in turmoil. "We compete with China," said Robert Murner, IPAC president and CEO, who joined the firm in October 2016. "e challenge is how we compete on price." In fact, for such a seemingly small operation – the company has just under 50 workers – it is North America's largest supplier of fiberglass reinforcements. IPAC balances its price difference with customer service overseas firms can't compete with. e company can provide a superior level of customer services thanks to a long-term, loyal workforce. "ey've been a terrific supplier. ey're very customer-conscious," said Arthur Robinson, purchaser for Bullard Abrasives of Lincoln, R.I., who has worked with IPAC for three decades. Creating that superior workforce starts with better wages and benefits, said Susan Dacey, who served as IPAC CEO from 1996-2006 aer taking over from her father, co-founder Ralph Dacey. "We're not always the lowest-cost sup- pliers, so we have to balance that," Susan Dacey said. Employees are cross-trained to be familiar with other aspects of the oper- ations and allow workers more variety. Turnover at the company has slowed, and workers are given incentives to keep their certifications up-to-date. Murner has held Kaizen events, busi- ness-improvement techniques in which managers and workers give a detailed re- view of operations to find new efficien- cies. A Kaizen event at IPAC brought a 40-percent improvement in checklist scores and a 35-percent reduction in distance traveled by personnel. IPAC works with the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership to find the best way to perform operations. Murner is IPAC's first leader from outside the founding family. He said he enjoys strong support from the Daceys and invested in renovations and planned machinery replacements at the facility. "Quality is a big part of this because abrasive wheels are dangerous," Rob- inson said. "You have to have a safe product." Workforce Development & Productivity Award Industrial Polymers & Chemicals Inc., Shrewsbury Industry subsector: Abrasives Top executive: President & CEO Robert Murner Founded: 1959 Employees: Around 50 Striking out on his own: Co-founder Ralph Dacey first pitched his idea for fiberglass reinforcements for abrasive wheels at a previous employer but was rebuffed. His wife suggested, "Ralph, why don't you do it?" The rest is history. W YOUR QuEST FOR THE BEST TRAINING ENDS HERE Our state-of-the-art Quinsigamond Engineering, Science, and Technology Center provides the advanced technical training that you or your employees need to remain competitive in today's STEM economy. Register Today! www.QCC.edu

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