Custom injection molder Dymotek Corp. recently had a rare change in leadership when CEO Norm Forest retired after 26-plus years at the company.
Longtime manager Shelley Fasano was then promoted to the top role at the Ellington, Conn.-based company.
Dymotek is a midsized molder with a big reputation. The company, which has about 90 employees at two plants and annual sales of about $20 million, was the 2016 Plastics News Processor of the Year and is a frequent honoree in the PN Best Places to Work awards.
The genesis of the company dates back to an innovative product developed in 1990 by its founders, brothers Steve and Tom Trueb, who still own the company today. The Trueb brothers created the Lav Guard — a covering for plumbing under sinks, designed to protect people in wheelchairs from burns from the hot-water pipes. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandated that type of protection and sales took off.
At first the brothers had custom molders make the products, but in 1997, the Trueb brothers hired Forest to set up a molding plant. He was tasked not only with making the complex part but also adding custom business.
Forest is well known in plastics circles and active in the Manufacturers Association for Plastics Processors (MAPP) and in groups specializing in liquid silicone rubber molding.
Dymotek posted an announcement on LinkedIn announcing Forest's retirement in the fall of 2023, noting that "Norm's legacy is more than just numbers and milestones. He's known for his profound belief that 'People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.' This philosophy has been the cornerstone of our company culture, fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, heard and empowered.
"Norm's genuine care for each member of our team has been demonstrated through his regular walks around the office and production floor, his presence at start-of-shift meetings, engaging roundtable discussions and even his legendary barbecue sessions, held at all hours of the day and night."
Fasano, who has held both operational and financial leadership roles at Dymotek, was profiled in PN's Women in Plastics special report in 2015. PN talked with Fasano at the recent MAPP Benchmarking Conference in Indianapolis.
Q: I went back and looked at your women in plastics profile, and our first question was, "if you were CEO of a company, what would you do first?" You said the one crucial thing is to be present. You also talked about leading by example and talking to every employee, starting with the front-line workers, to find out what is important with them because companies succeed or fail based on the engagement and morale of their workforce.
Now you're CEO. What's your reaction to what you said then?