we are fortunate tohave expert chemical engineers, mechanical engi-
neers and employeeswithother skill sets to form a cross-functionality
team that’sworking constantly behind the scenes to design, maintain
and adapt tobest practices for producing our resins andmaterials.
“Our people have intimate knowledge of the processes that we need,
not the otherway around,” he said. “Whilemany other companies rely
on vendors to tell them the equipment that they need, Plenco typically
sends a planeloadof our experts to tell the vendorwhat we need!
“Everyone is involved from the start. The level of customizationof
Plencoprocesses, equipment and approach is unusual,” he said.
HowieRohde
, ResinDepartment Supervisor and a Plenco employee
for 45 years, agrees. Heworked as a resin cooker for five yearswhile
working hisway up the Plenco ladder tohis presentmanagement posi-
tion. He started as amolder at theGeeleAve. plant, then served in the
U.S. Army during theVietnamWar, afterwhichhe returned toPlenco as
amolder, and then transferred to theResinDepartment in 1972.
Howie told
PlastiScope21
that Plenco’s resinmanufacturing is growing
dramatically in today’sworldwhere phenolic resin is a necessity and,
consequently, “the strong backbone of Plenco.”
The resin supervisor credits Plenco’s achievements to innovation
championedby Plencomanagement and employees across the board
who constantly are looking to the futurewhile applying cutting-edge
technology and smart thinkingwith respect toprocesses, materials,
andnewmarkets.
“It’s the quality of Plencopeople that hasmade the difference over
my 45 years at the company,”Howie said.
JulieBrunner
, ResinQuality
Assurance Supervisor, is a good example. Since joiningPlenco in 1997,
Julie has become an integral part of theResinDepartment leadership as
she took control of theQALab, a critical juncture in the productionof
Plenco resins.
With a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from theUniversity of Wiscon-
sin-Stevens Point and almost 20 yearsworking in theResinDepartment,
Julie is highly qualified to supervise theQALab.
She leads a teamof sevenotherQALab employeeswhowork closely
with theResinLab (separate from theQALab) to determine the types
of testing required for each customer’s resin, and then assures that
production standards aremet.
“We takewhatever theResinLabhas developed andworkwith
customers tomake sure resins producedmeet the established
specifications,” she said. TheQALabpersonnel are akin to inspectors
whomonitor quality at each step in the resinproduction chain.
SixQALab technicians are on duty 24/7, two for eachof the three
shifts, when resin is being produced, Julie explained. “Every batch is
tested,” she said.
Julie is an important asset to the company. “I don’t think you could
find a better person in theUnited Stateswho understands the technical-
ity of themanufacturing of phenolic resins than Julie,”Mike said. “She
is a good cross between research andproduction aptitudes.”
The 1980swere a benchmark for theResinDepartment, Howie
explained as he lookedback over the years.
“Computerizationwas introducedwith an understanding that
no computer could take the place of the human touch,” he said.
“Despite the latest digital advances, we’re still old-school people,
committed to looking inside the kettles andobservingwhat’s going on,
because resin cooking is not a perfect science.”
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