Training Promotes Workforce & Business Growth

Lapeer Plating & Plastics is constantly investing in continuous improvement in key areas of specialization. These include the design, production, and delivery of exterior and interior decorative trims, including ornamentation, badges/emblems, body-side moldings, painted emblems, small/medium grilles, and accessories. Their location, Lapeer, Michigan, is close to many of their customers, offers the advantage of working as a partner in the same community, and offers easy access for collaboration. They employ 229 people from the surrounding community.

As manufacturing has evolved over the last few years, Lapeer Plating & Plastics has struggled, as many organizations did, to find talent and improve their processes. They determined that the systems they had had in place since the company’s inception needed upgrading to meet the increased demands of their client base and find a source of talent to meet their increased needs. To solve their talent issues, they reached out to the local Hispanic community. They also decided more training in lean manufacturing, quality management systems and leadership would be just what they needed. They decided to reach out to Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC), part of the MEP National Network™, as they had done in the past.

With the assistance of MMTC, Lapeer Plating & Plastics received Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund grant for workforce training in 2023 and 2024. With the grant award, Lapeer Plating & Plastics was able to train 11 leaders in MMTC’s Supervisory Skills 1.0 course, which provided the skills necessary for more effective communication, managing time, building better teams, and leading people through change. They added internal auditor training and APQP, PPAP and FMEA skills to new members of their staff to assist the quality department in keeping quality a number one priority.