PPB April 2018

The Right Stuff Ben Clark explains how his company hires and trains its employees to ensure the long-term success of Promo Cookie Cutters. Vermont is known as a place where residents aren’t afraid of hard work. Even large companies such as GE and IBM take advantage of the local workforce by establishing operations there. “The work ethic here is phenomenal, so it’s not difficult to find good employees,” says Clark. Promo Cookie Cutters employs lean manufacturing processes, and many of the team members have been through the training. “We talk about process here a lot—to be able to build a program, do it right and get it out on time. We work hard at our process and we’re always looking to improve.” Employees who have a direct hand in producing the cookie cutters are trained on‑site “because there is no cookie cutter manufacturer training,” he says. Candidate interviews include hands‑on demonstrations, and new hires are trained in “production cells” alongside tenured employees. They also participate in offsite training, online training in software skills, and lean manufacturing practices. More than this, says Clark, it’s important that his company’s employees exhibit good character. “Our biggest non‑negotiable is that we hire people with character. I want to be able to introduce my family to our people.” About Promo Cookie Cutters Principals : Ann Clark, president; Ben Clark, CEO; Kevin Coleman, CFO; Elizabeth Clark Craib, owner; John Romano, promotional sales manager Number of orders filled per year: 300‑400 custom programs per year; capable of producing as many as 70,000 pieces in less than two weeks Notable accomplishments : The company was featured in a #MadeInAmerica segment on ABC Nightly News in December, which can be viewed at http:// abcn.ws/2kmwJAE Size of production facility: 17,000 square‑ foot factory Number of employees: 48 Types of specialized equipment : Custom dies, custom roll formers and proprietary forming tables, welders and assembly equipment Read on to learn more about how Promo Cookie Cutters produces its custom treat makers. Jen Alexander is associate editor of PPB. 1 Flexible steel from large wheels is measured prior to cutting and molding. 2 Metal is welded to form a single piece before it’s molded on a custom die. 3 Longtime employee Colleen Courcelle holds up a custom dog bone cutter after molding. 4 John Romano, promotional sales manager, double checks shipments prior to their delivery. | APRIL 2018 | 83 CONNECT