Class in session at Currier PlasticsClass in session at Currier Plastics

Earlier this month the custom injection and blow molder, based in Auburn, NY, hosted its annual Technology Tour for the second graders of Herman Avenue Elementary School. "Herman Avenue second graders have been visiting Currier Plastics for about 15 years now," said John Currier, president of the company, "and my son Tim was in one of the first classes to visit.  He now works in our maintenance department."  The kids spend about 2.5 hours touring the facility and hearing from employees.

Erin LaFleur, who organizes the event, recruited the Currier employees to help. "I was able to get at least one volunteer from each department to be tour guides so that all the kids can understand what we do here and how they might one day come to work at a place like Currier Plastics," she explained. Elizabeth Roberts, inside sales and customer service representative at Currier, says the school kids enjoy the time in the facility: "They also write thank you letters to us and they are the best!"

On their tour of the molding areas, the children were shown how bottles, canisters and their matching lids are processed. They toured the molder's quality lab to see how science and math are used to measure and test the same bottles and lids they just saw made. Curry's CAD designer, Larry Jedik, showed the school children how a 3D laser scanner can scan a product and be used reverse engineering. "It's our opportunity to give back to the community and if we inspire a couple of kids to stay in school and get a good education, then we've done our part," said Gary Kieffer, VP of new product development and one of this year's tour guides. 

The goal, if all works well, is that in 10-15 years some of the young visitors will find their way back to Currier as employees.

Currier Plastics, which opened in 1982, won 2010 Economic Champion recognition from the CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity and was the 2009 winner of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence award. We've covered the processor's expansion through the years; surf here for an overview of that coverage.