Currier Plastics to Aide in the 1st Plastics Technology Program at Cayuga County Community College

Auburn, NY. Currier Plastics is consulting with Cayuga Community College (CCC) to help create their first plastics technology program.  CCC was awarded a grant in the fall of 2012 to develop an advanced manufacturing project in the plastics industry for New York State and to support state-wide workforce development initiatives.

Sam Ware, automation engineer at Currier Plastics recently spent the day on campus with the CCC architecture students working on the designs for the new plastics lab and said,  " This lab is going to be
quite the showpiece for the community, industry and students.  The idea is to have an injection molding
machine (IMM) with a press mounted Cartesian robot. The IMM would have a conveyor tied in so that students could troubleshoot the interfaces between the conveyor system and the IMM. There are also plans for a multi axis robot that would be on a mobile station so that students could perform different "real
world" tasks with it. CCC plans to eventually build a "mini factory" which would give students the hands on learning experience of a real molding facility."

Cayuga Community College is one of 64 accredited institutions that make up the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation's largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Cayuga Community College provides a strong liberal arts foundation for further study and career preparation.

Currier Plastics is located in the heart of central New York and has been custom molding for a variety of industries such as plastic packaging, beauty and cosmetics, amenities, household consumables, electronic
connectors and medical measuring devices since 1982.

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Currier Plastics $ 21 Million Expansion and Renovation Nearing Completion

Auburn, NY. Currier Plastics is expected to complete the expansion and renovation during the second quarter this year. Focused on the packaging sector, Currier has outgrown its current footprint, making this expansion necessary to keep up with demand.

In addition to the completion of the new 40,000 sq ft Blow Molding Building, and the 10,000 sq ft Warehouse addition, they are also remodeling the interior business offices. Completed are the new Quality lab, employee cafeteria, and maintenance shop- each one around 1,500 sq ft. Under construction now is the new entrance and courtyard. "We're in a unique position having to expand to accommodate our growth in the packaging industry so we took advantage of the opportunity to make updates to the interior that would bring our facility up to today's standards," says Gary Kieffer, VP of New Product Development and one of the owners of Currier.

Currier Plastics made the decision to target the packaging industry several years ago and has experienced significant growth as a result. "Targeting this industry is in our best interest as it utilizes our core strengths of design, blow molding and injection molding. We are preparing for new programs that will require new machines and automation not only on the blow and injection molding floor, but also in the Quality lab. We will finally have the space we need for our current programs and growth for the future programs," adds Kieffer.

Currier Plastics is located in the heart of central New York and has been custom molding for a variety of industries such as plastic packaging, beauty and cosmetics, amenities, household consumables, electronic connectors and medical measuring devices since 1982.

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Currier Plastics Receives $100,000 Lean Manufacturing Training Grant

Auburn, N.Y. Currier Plastics has been awarded a training grant by New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).  Currier Plastics is expanding its central New York facility and applied for assistance through the Excelsior Jobs Program and Economic Transformation Fund to support this expansion.  Currier sought additional funding through NYSDOL's Existing Employee Training program in order to upgrade the skills of incumbent workers and to create a culture of lean manufacturing throughout the entire organization.

Lean manufacturing is the practice of continuous improvement.  Companies adopt Lean to improve quality, stay competitive and to reduce waste. "Continuous improvement" means incremental improvement of products, processes, or services over time, with the goal of reducing waste to improve workplace functionality, customer service, or product performance

"We are expanding our current footprint to accommodate a growth in our core business of custom design, injection mold and blow mold packaging.   We felt that the additional workload would require that we train more in Lean Manufacturing techniques to ensure our success moving forward," says Diane Pisciotti, Human Resources Manager.

The in-house Technical Training Program will include both hands-on and classroom learning for approximately 80 people resulting in approximately 100 hours of training and mentoring.  The Job Instructions (JI) would focus on the lean manufacturing enterprise, and would support process standardization/process control among technicians and operators.  The JI Training Program would allow Currier to advance new products and processes because the company's workforce would be applying a consistent methodology to their work with a greater focus on continuous improvement. 

Currier plans to retain the 100+ manufacturing employees and add 50 new manufacturing jobs in the next five years. The proposed training programs will enable Currier to close the skilled workers gap from the inside, training their incumbent workers as primary and back up technicians and skilled operators.

Pisciotti adds, "The value this training will provide is immeasurable.  It would supply Currier with a skilled, flexible and committed workforce and would in turn promote our V² business philosophy and enable Currier to be more competitive and innovative in an ever changing global economy."

Currier Plastics is located in the heart of central New York and has been custom molding for a variety of industries such as plastic packaging, beauty and cosmetics, amenities, household consumables and medical measuring devices since 1982. Currier defines V² as value in everything they do times speed or true velocity to provide outstanding service to their customers.            

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 Release – C11/12 IID

Contact Information:
Governor's Press Office
NYC Press Office: 212.681.4640
Albany Press Office: 518.474.8418
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Andrew M. Cuomo - Governor

Governor Cuomo Announces Currier Plastics Breaks Ground on Project to Expand Manufacturing Operations in Central New York

Regional Council priority project was awarded $1.75 million in State resources, leveraging $20 million private investment to create & retain 150 local jobs

Albany, NY (November 29, 2012)

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Currier Plastics, Inc., an award winning design, custom blow molding and custom injection molding manufacturer, broke ground on construction work to nearly double the size of its manufacturing operations in Cayuga County, creating 50 new jobs over the next five years while helping to grow the local economy by paying over $50 million in wages to local employees over the next ten years.

"The expansion of Currier Plastics demonstrates New York’s commitment to strengthening our home-grown companies so they can continue to create jobs in the communities they helped build," Governor Cuomo said. "This project is a prime example of the Central New York Regional Council identifying and supporting a key local asset that is creating jobs and growing the local economy."

Lieutenant Governor Robert J. Duffy today visited with executives from Currier Plastics and, along with State and local officials, participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark the start of construction on the expansion project.

"Today's groundbreaking is a great step forward in putting 50 New Yorkers back to work with the smart investments made by the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council," said Lieutenant Governor Duffy. "Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, we are seeing first hand that partnerships between private business and State and local government can produce the results we need to grow the economy here in Central New York and across the State."

Utilizing $1 million in Excelsior tax credits and a $750,000 Economic Transformation Grant from Empire State Development, the company expects to invest $20.8 million to re-use and re-purpose a minimum of 6 acres of underutilized land to construct a 55,000 square foot manufacturing and storage facility and also make related infrastructure improvements, including construction of a new roadway to provide direct, more efficient truck access to warehouse loading docks. To handle the increased production and new contracts the company will purchase $12.5 million in new machinery and equipment over the next five years. In addition to the creation of 50 new jobs, the expansion in Auburn will retain 100 jobs that would have been lost if this project was implemented out-of-state.

"Currier Plastics is very proud to break ground on an expansion that will contribute new jobs and new opportunities for our community," said John F. Currier, President of Currier Plastics. "We are a homegrown manufacturer and have deep roots in Auburn and Central New York. Our success is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the Currier Plastics Team."

"Currier’s expansion will create jobs and enable the company to build on its position as a key employer in Cayuga County and as a competitive manufacturer in our region," said Robert Simpson, president of CenterState CEO and co-chair of the CNYREDC. "I applaud the Governor and Empire State Development for investing in this priority project of the CNY Regional Economic Development Council."

Nancy Cantor, Chancellor and President of Syracuse University and Co-Chair of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council, said, "We are excited that Currier Plastics is breaking ground today on their more than $20 million expansion. This project is a perfect example of the way state and regional partnership can provide critically needed investment to build on local economic strengths. Our regional council of cross-sector experts identified advanced manufacturing as one of the highest priorities for investment because we have both the technical capacity and the workforce talent readily available right here in our community. Currier Plastics’ commitment is a great example of how public-private collaboration of this kind is absolutely the key to restoring prosperity for Central New York and for New York State as a whole."

In the fall of 2011, Currier Plastics began discussions with Empire State Development relating to the company's need to expand its Auburn-based plastics molding manufacturing operations. With its headquarters in Auburn, the company originally pursued expansion at their current inner-city location, but found development on adjacent land to be problematic due to wetland and industrial access issues. The company then considered alternative locations, exploring sites in the city and surrounding area, and also entertained offers from out-of-state, including New Jersey. However, with the support of the CNY Regional Council and funding through the CFA was able to fill the funding gap resulting from the high cost of site development associated with the adjacent property and the company decided to expand their operations in Cayuga County. The company plans to have the project largely completed in 2013. Equipment purchases and additional construction, including renovations to its current facility, will occur through 2016.

"Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is making the smart, strategic investments we need to create jobs and spur economic growth," said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. "Currier Plastics has been one of Auburn’s leading manufacturers for many years, and we are proud to provide support to ensure they will continue to operate effectively and create jobs for years to come."

Founded in Auburn in 1982, Currier Plastics has grown into a state-of-the-art design, custom blow molding and custom injection molding manufacturer. Due to capacity constraints at its current location, the company has been unable to take advantage of market opportunities for its products. By increasing its manufacturing capacity and improving technology, the company will be able to meet the market demand while maintaining its primary goal to consistently engineer improvements that reduce consumer costs and increase part quality.

Senator Michael Nozzolio said, "Currier Plastics is a critically important part of the Auburn, Cayuga County and Finger Lakes economy and its expansion and job creation is tremendous news for our region. The revitalization of Upstate New York relies on job creation and the growth of local manufacturers like Currier Plastics and it is yet another example of New York’s efforts to help strengthen companies by making strategic investments. It has been a pleasure to work closely with Governor Cuomo and John Currier to secure this investment so that Currier Plastics could expand and bring new jobs and innovation to our region."

Assemblyman Gary Finch said, "The awarding of the State grant in the amount of $750,000, the $1 Million million dollars in tax credits, the $750,000 City of Auburn Community Development Block Grant CDBG funding along with the $12.5 million invested by Currier Plastics is a wonderful example of state government, the City of Auburn and private enterprise joining together to retain current workforce and create new jobs. We applaud Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Governor Robert Duffy’s Regional Economic Development Council, Mayor Michael Quill, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Andrew Fish in making this project become a reality."

City of Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said, "The City of Auburn is very proud to have Currier Plastics expanding here at home. It has been a challenging venture between the Currier Family, The State of New York and City of Auburn Staff. It is not very often that we have a local company intent on continuing to employ 100 highly paid manufacturing jobs in Auburn and on top of it adding 50 more jobs through its expansion. As Mayor I want to personally thank the Currier Family, Governor Cuomo and Lt. Governor Duffy for believing in Auburn and their continued interest in developing our local industrial base. This was a Team Effort by everyone and I am very proud to be a small part of it."

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