Part of US Extruders Inc.'s culture is based on flexibility. When the pandemic first hit, the company was deemed an essential business and employees continued to work at full capacity. Those who could work from home did so, and everyone is now back in the office.
"We worked hard to make sure that we were following all guidelines so that our employees were safe," said Eric Adair, marketing manager. "We also added foot handles on doors, touchless hardware in facilities, added covid fogging and extra cleaning routines, and allowed those who could work at home to do so when possible."
From the start, US Extruders employees have worked completely in the cloud with no internal servers so that everything done in the office can also be done from home. Staff has always been allowed to work from home when needed.
Founded in 2017, US Extruders is a Westerly, R.I.-based manufacturer of custom single-screw extruders. The business runs on 100 percent solar power.
US Extruders is passionate about training and mentoring the new, young workforce. More than 40 percent of the staff is a millennial or younger.
Many team members are volunteer firefighters, and they are given time and flexibility to serve their community. The company is also involved with Honor Flight, which transports U.S. military veterans to see their respective war memorials, as well as Recycle Across America, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. and local high school students.
There's also free lunch on Fridays for employees to discuss business and connect.
"Developing a unique, positive and fun culture for the company was critical to the founders of the company when we started back in 2017," Adair said, "and we are honored to have made the list four years in a row."
