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
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • 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
    • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
    • 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
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Bioplastics Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • PFAS Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points 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
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
    • Europe - Virgin
    • Europe - Recycled
    • Europe - Feedstock
  • 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
September 29, 2017 02:00 AM

With guidance from MAPP, Nicolet strives to be 'an employer of choice'

Jordan Vitick
Special Projects Editor
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Don Loepp
    Mountain, Wis.- based Nicolet Plastics Inc. has won Plastics News Excellence Awards for employee and customer relations and has twice been a finalist for Processor of the Year.

    The Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors has changed the plastics landscape, according to Nicolet Plastics Inc. Business Development Manager Bob Gafvert.

    "I think where [MAPP has] helped us is from a technology standpoint with some of the newer technologies that are out there," he said. "As we've been implementing things — like RJG at our facility, having the experts at the Benchmarking conferences and the relationships [we] have set up with some of those experts — it's made it easier for us."

    Nicolet Plastics CEO John Ogorek said the company participates in the association's benchmarking reports.

    MAPP has awarded Nicolet Plastics second place for its HR Best Practices award, which will be received in October at the 2017 Benchmarking and Best Practices Conference.

    "I would say our entire team is honored and proud to be recognized by MAPP and also to be in pretty good company with Anderson Technologies and Harmony Systems," said Lisa Pichotta, human resources manager at Nicolet Plastics. (Anderson Technologies Inc. won first place, while Profile Xtrusions LLC and Harmony Systems and Service Inc. tied for third place.) "As far as our HR practices, it's taken our entire team from the planning, executing, following up and, of course, celebrating our successes to get to this point, so I think having MAPP recognize us pretty much solidifies that we're accomplishing our goal to be an employer of choice and that has taken our entire team to accomplish that. It's a really big deal to us."

    In 2014, Nicolet Plastics hosted more than 60 MAPP members for a tour at its Mountain, Wis., facility.

    "To be honest, it was just a great opportunity to showcase what we're doing to our industry and to our peers," Gafvert said. "For us, our business is unique in that we pursue low to moderate, highly complex plastics injection molded parts. But as we're continuing to grow, it's a good opportunity to have people come here and see what we're doing and get feedback and questions from them at the end — how do we look, how do we measure up, what were things that they thought were interesting or unique, or opportunities for improvement.

    "I think that's part of the power of MAPP," he added. "I don't know of any other industry where you would invite potentially 60 of your competitors into your facility to see what you're doing. The level of transparency and the trust that you have with a membership to MAPP really opens doors for everyone."

    Gafvert said the transparency spreads to MAPP's Benchmarking and Best Practices conference, which he described as an extension of the trade association in general and said it's a chance to engage young professionals by exposing them to the industry.

    "You can have three injection molders in the same industrial park and not one of those would have a similar customer, and that's kind of the feel that you get with MAPP," Gafvert said. "Yeah, we're all in plastics, but you don't get that feeling that you're talking to your closet competitor when you're at a breakout section or at some of the after-hour pieces. It really feels more collaborative."

    Gafvert highlighted an overall positive characteristic of MAPP: The organization has adapted and grown both with the industry and with technology. Above all, Ogorek said MAPP brings value to all companies involved.

    "The biggest part that we've seen is that, what MAPP started 20 years ago, it really kind of built that foundation of support for plastics professionals, and I think that's continuing to build bridges and kind of transform the industry as we know it today and what it could be tomorrow," Gafvert said. "What's really good is the leadership at MAPP as well. It's engaging [and] it's helpful; they've put a lot behind supporting everyone."

    Pichotta echoed that sentiment about MAPP's foundation and goals.

    "MAPP is always pushing us to collaborate with one another and to work with our strengths," she said. "That's a core competency that we at Nicolet Plastics appreciate, and we appreciate the support and all the coordinating that MAPP does to bring people together to help them be successful."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Preventing pellet pollution focus of expanded Operation Clean Sweep, congressional push
    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
    Braskem stops production on a PP line at Pennsylvania plant
    2
    Perspective: Making the case that ‘Recycling Is Real'
    3
    Superior Die Set seeks sale of Wisconsin plant, may be forced to close
    4
    An 8,000-ton dream for Milacron, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics
    5
    Lego ditches plans to make bricks from recycled PET
    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.

    Find more newsletters at plasticsnews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    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
        • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
    • 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
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Bioplastics Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • PFAS Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
        • Polymer Points 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
    • 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
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
      • Europe - Virgin
      • Europe - Recycled
      • Europe - Feedstock
    • 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