Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 24, 2016 02:00 AM

International Plastics hires 'based on character'

Jeannie Reall
Correspondent
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    International Plastics
    International Plastics employees with a range of the bags it supplies.

    International Plastics Inc. is a second-generation family business, with a potential member of the third generation working there, too.

    The company's founders, J.R. and Frances McClure, turned the business over to their three children some 20 years ago. Today, Steve is president, Mark is vice president of operations and Carolyn Robinson is chief financial officer.

    The Better Business Bureau of South Carolina recently recognized International Plastics with its Business of Integrity Award, something that symbolizes the company's guiding principles.

    The Greenville, S.C., bag supplier comes in at No. 5 on Plastics News' list of Best Places to Work.

    What does the company look for in an employee?

    “We hire based on character,” Mark McClure said by phone.

    Most of the company's 40-plus employees participate in community service and charitable endeavors, and International itself contributes to about 100 different such groups.

    “We donate more cash [than] we can write off and love to give as much as we can,” the company wrote on its submission form.

    International holds quarterly blood drives and employees have donated more than 300 units of blood in the past four years.

    The company also sets an example with its green efforts. It's now testing a biodegradable additive from Enso Plastics that will allow it to offer customers more environmentally friendly alternatives. It retrofitted its 64,000-square-foot warehouse with motion-detecting fluorescent lights to save energy and promotes recycling of all plastic, paper and cans throughout its offices and warehouses.

    International Plastics offers yearly bonuses based on profitability. It formally recognizes employees for tenure and sales achievements. The firm promotes collaborative communication rather than a “top-down” style, McClure said.

    The staff knows how to have fun. There are company outings, barbecues, a fish fry, Christmas party and monthly birthday celebrations.

    “We treat our employees well and fairly,” McClure said. “You can't have a loyal customer base without a loyal employee base.”

    It's what McClure calls “the secret sauce of International Plastics.

    “Our mission is simple, but it's the philosophy and core values” that motivate employees when it comes to customer service. “This in turn helps us retain great employees, which ultimately impacts loyalty within our customers.”

    Finding and keeping customers hasn't been a problem. McClure said the company discovered something interesting during the Great Recession. It stopped manufacturing, and never looked back. International now focuses on supply.

    “We sell more than we could ever make,” he said. “We've been growing at a pretty good clip of 8 to 10 percent, even during the recession.”

    The company now devotes more time to sales and marketing, which is paying off because of the investment it's made in its website for search engine optimization and analytics.

    “We get so many requests for quotes online — probably 550-600 each month,” he said.

    The company also recently invested in enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems.

    “It was challenging, but we learned a lot,” McClure said. “It's allowed us to be more efficient. We will have so much more flexibility.”

    The annual profitability bonuses are determined by several factors including an employee's tenure, job function and contribution to company's success. The amounts can range from 3 percent to 20 percent of an employee's salary. There is also a 401(k) match and profit sharing.

    The company pays 80 percent to 85 percent of health insurance costs for employees and 40 percent to 50 percent for their dependents. After 10 years, employees are entitled to five weeks of paid time off.

    Something else employees seem to like is empowerment. They are “deputized” to make decisions within their job duties without having to ask a manager.

    Find an overview of the selection process and links to other Best Places to Work here.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Illinois AG sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Illinois AG sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    2
    Auto supplier Seoyon E-Hwa to invest $76M, add 740 jobs in Georgia
    3
    Higher sales, lower profit for LyondellBasell
    4
    Slowing demand for thermoformed PET leads to Genpak plant closure
    5
    Top-dollar deals, repeat buyers highlight 2022 M&A
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified