(Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment in a monthly series highlighting some of the region’s unsung manufacturers that make products essential to the economy and, in many cases, our way of life. Other installments can be read here.) Goodwin-Bradley Pattern Co. has contributed to a lot of firsts in history. It worked with Igor
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ARMED AND READY: Goodwin-Bradley employee Luke Howard holds the arm of a coordinate measuring machine in the company’s quality control room.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
EXACTING MINDSET
Making money in a manufacturing business is no easy feat. On top of the constant reinvestment of capital, the industry requires problem-solving skills and constant attention to detail.
And in a business where the thickness of half a hair can make the difference between keeping or tossing a product, Goodwin-Bradley can hardly afford even the slightest mistake.
“Sometimes that drives me nuts in this business,” Goodwin said. “You can make something that … would be completely perfect but because it’s half a human hair off and the engineer said it has to be to this tolerance, it’s junk. It can make your day rough.”
Small mistakes do not just ruin the employees’ days, but they can cost the company tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why everything is meticulously checked using expensive, highly calibrated measuring equipment.
“Every mold poses its own challenges,” Goodwin said. “It doesn’t have that finish line moment. You figure out how to do the impossible and as soon as you’re done, you might get a pat on the back, the customer might say good job, but then the job is shipped out and here’s the next job.”
No two projects can be completed the same way, no solution can be used twice. And it’s this challenging spirit that drew employees such as Todd Sposato to Goodwin-Bradley. A former advanced manufacturing coordinator at the New England Institute of Technology, Sposato found himself out of a job when the school lost some of its funding last year. And while other companies came knocking with job offers, Sposato’s eyes were set on Goodwin-Bradley almost right away.
“It’s been a real eye-opening experience,” said Sposato, who is now the floor supervisor. “Ever since I was a kid, I had a knack for looking at something and seeing what to do with it. And that’s what’s neat here. I like the ‘How am I going to do this’ part of the job.”
[caption id="attachment_427948" align="alignright" width="300"]
HANDIWORK: Goodwin-Bradley Pattern Co. Vice President of Sales Christopher Goodwin holds one of the company’s products, which are made using a meticulous measuring process.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
HIRING HANGUPS
Because of the nature of the manufacturing industry, being able to rely on a skilled workforce is essential, Goodwin says. And because of the computerized machinery, workers at Goodwin-Bradley must be both machine operators and programmers.
This is not an easy set of skills to acquire and despite the growing number of academic programs dedicated to the industry, continuing training remains essential. And it’s why Goodwin encourages his most seasoned workers to “transfer knowledge” to younger team members.
“We can have all the equipment in the world, but without the right people, we have gigantic, expensive paperweights,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin says he has been looking to add two or three more qualified workers. But surrounded by multibillion-dollar companies that can siphon away talent, Goodwin says his company has struggled to recruit graduating students in recent years.
“You can only do so much,” Goodwin said. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there.” n