GW Plastics Vermont-based manufacturing company works to boost local economy and introduce students to world of manufacturing
BETHEL, VT. (September 1, 2014) – GW Plastics is pleased to announce the graduation of their first summer internship class. This year’s class included Tommy Zani, University of Maine ’16; Glen Rogers, Vermont Technical College ’16; Brendan Hackett, University of Vermont ’15; Griffin Thomas, University of Mississippi ’16; and Camden Houghton, University of Vermont ’15. All of this year’s graduates are pursuing degrees in mechanical or electromechanical engineering.
GW Plastics developed the internship program with the hope of spreading its passion for manufacturing throughout the local community and providing students with an exciting reason to stay in Vermont both for internships and eventual careers. The program offers both specialized training and a unique opportunity to quickly gain a wide perspective of engineering in a world-class manufacturing environment. As a capstone on the experience, each intern is assigned a specific, term-long project – with measureable objectives –and presents their findings to GW Plastics’ senior leadership at the term’s conclusion.
“We have been taking large strides to boost the local economy and expose students to what we do here at GW Plastics,” said Cathy Tempesta, Director of Human Resources. “Creating an internship program has been one of our priorities for several years, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that we had five bright interns this summer. It is important for us to provide the students with a solid learning experience that will shape the way they think - this is why we decided to assign them specific projects.” Now that the interns have been exposed to one of Vermont’s finest career options, the hope is that they will consider working in the state after they graduate from college.
There is much more in store for the interns than just working on their projects however. Every other week the interns take part in Lunch and Learn sessions where various team members and senior leadership present a variety of industry-related topics to the interns. They also participate in plant tours, corporate meetings, and the RJG Injection Molding Training offered by Chris Alibozek, Engineering Manager – Technical Services.
“Not only were we introduced to a professional working environment, but we also were exposed to engineering-related skills that aren’t taught in our college classes,” said Tommy Zani. Griffin Thomas, who was GW Plastics’ first intern last summer, is impressed with how much the program has grown in just a year. “This internship program is very well-structured and beneficial to the interns. I learned so much this summer and am excited to see how the program continues to expand,” said Thomas. “I loved my time here and would be thrilled to continue working for GW Plastics,” remarked Glen Rodgers.
About GW Plastics:
Since its foundation in 1955, GW Plastics has earned a reputation as a top contract manufacturer serving the world’s most successful companies in the healthcare, automotive safety, and consumer/industrial markets. Specializing in complex injection molded thermoplastic and silicone solutions, GW Plastics excels at close tolerance mold building, precision injection molding, and contract assembly. Core competencies include product development, in-house precision tooling, scientific molding, and automated assembly. With leading-edge technologies, a Six Sigma quality commitment, and a relentless pursuit of innovation, GW Plastics continues to attract and delight industry-leading customers who seek consistency of ownership, financial stability, a professional leadership team, and a workforce with the experience to deliver on-time and within budget. Headquartered in Bethel, Vermont, the company’s standardized ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO/TS 16949 and FDA-registered manufacturing facilities are located in Bethel and Royalton, Vermont; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Querétaro, Mexico; and Dongguan, China.
