Diversified Plastics Inc. is fully supportive of its employees advancing and learning different jobs, and it will do what it can to get the employees there. Development programs include mentorship, job shadowing/cross-training and leadership workshops.
The Minneapolis-based company's established core values are can-do attitude, team player, willing to do more than asked, problem-solving/critical thinking, loyal and dedication, and ethical and honest. Core value champion coins are awarded to employees by their peers and recognized each month at meetings for the chance to win prizes.
DPI is a custom injection molder of precision, close-tolerance, small to midsized production runs of components for the medical device, filtration, industrial OEM, defense and aerospace industries.
DPI is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Founder Jim Dow refused to sell the organization to an outsider as he didn't want the employees to lose their jobs, according to DPI. Employees took ownership in 2011, and it was named ESOP Company of the Year by the Minnesota/Dakotas chapter of the ESOP Association in 2015.
"The ESOP has enabled some of our people to be able to retire with funds that would never have been possible," the company said.
One-hundred percent of health care premiums are paid for dental and vision coverage for employees and their dependents. New full-time employees are eligible for health care benefits 30 days after hire.
Activities include celebrations of cultural holidays; wellness challenges; personal cards and a prize wheel, including paid time off and gift cards, for birthdays; and community involvement in food drives and toy donations. The things that make DPI a top workplace, according to its employees, are feeling appreciated and heard.
