New Ideas from Lasting Companies
By Megan Bevins
Many companies in West Virginia have been around for decades and thus have long provided the Mountain State and beyond with essential products and services. Despite their already impressive strategies, there are always opportunities for businesses to excel and innovate. A few local companies have chosen to do just that.
Warwood Tool, Amsted Graphite Materials, Star Plastics and MHI RJ Aviation Inc. are four examples of innovation taking place in longstanding companies, all of which have made great strides by implementing new ideas.
Warwood Tool dates back to 1854, when Henry Warwood, an English immigrant, opened a blacksmith shop that sold gardening and coal mining tools. Warwood went on to provide high-quality products for the railroads as they expanded across the nation. Now, the company continues to manufacture a wide array of industrial grade tools that can be used for any purpose.
Also in operation for more than 100 years, Amsted Graphite Materials was built by the National Carbon Company in 1904 and has been a notable contributor to the carbon and graphite industries. It was the first graphite electrode plant in the country, the primary carbon supplier for the 1940s Manhattan project and a key component for many space shuttle missions, as well as the production of freight railroad wheels.
Star Plastics, formed from its parent company SDR Plastics, began operation in 1988. The company started out receiving plastic materials that were about to be put in landfills in order to recycle and market them. Today, the company specializes in custom formulated engineering grade resins and continues turning used plastic into quality products.
Slightly newer, MHI RJ has been around for 33 years, the result of a merger between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series Program. It is the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider for CRJ and has one of the world’s largest regional aircraft bases.
Despite the longevity of these companies, their original processes were bound to need updated as new responsibilities and problems began to arise.
For Warwood Tool, innovation is constant as the company is always looking for new ways to make its day-to-day operation more efficient. Chris Azur, president of Warwood Tool, says this can happen in many ways.
“Whether it’s rearranging the layout of machines to create a more streamlined flow or finding new vendors for parts that can take twice the amount of wear before
needing changed out, we are focusing on changing the way we always do it to something newer and better,” he says.
For the company to do this, it must always keep an eye out for new staff that can bring fresh ideas to the table. This way, Warwood Tool can continue to hold its ground in a market constantly changing.
“We are specifically looking to recruit new talent who possess experience in other plants and industries to bring new ideas to this old process,” Azur says.
He also points out that the average age of staff is dropping significantly as it is filling up with young locals as opposed to veteran employees with tenure.
One thing in particular Warwood Tool has done to implement new ideas is launch an all-new product: the Perfect Axe, first developed in 1885 and now brought back with the tagline “The Return of an Icon.”
Gavin Noel, vice president and general manager for Amsted Graphite Materials, says innovation is necessary for the graphite industry to succeed.
In order for new technology to develop, the company must continuously work to improve its processes and the raw materials it uses to produce graphite. That proves to be a particularly hot process, as graphite is manufactured in temperatures over 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Our business has grown into new highly technical industries that demand high-quality graphite such as nuclear reactors and fuels, mass energy storage devices, ablatives and munitions for the U.S. and ally militaries and new technology SiC semiconductors,” Noel says.
Star Plastics has made major strides in innovation by combining the worlds of recycling and technology, partnering with Lenovo to manufacture laptops and other devices using redeveloped ocean waste.
During this process, upstream suppliers use state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment to give the plastic a stable physical property and bring it to the desired flammability rating after years of soaking in ocean water. Then, it can be recycled into electronic equipment.
“Plastic accounts for more than 85% of total marine waste. Lenovo has committed to ocean waste re-utilization for its product for years,” says Mike Watson, director of business development for Star Plastics. “Countries around the world are now exploring opportunities to reduce plastic pollution.”
Since this new venture, five of Lenovo’s ThinkPad models are now partially manufactured from recycled ocean waste with Star reNova re-PCABS-FR2215.
MHI RJ’s innovation move involves its expansion to West Virginia. This decision has helped the company grow its services, such as MRO activities on larger aircraft.
CRJ Series aircraft are the most successful regional jets, and MHI RJ hopes to continue innovation by growing its repairing capabilities for the CRJ Series family.
“Our component, repair and overhaul capabilities have been a significant success, with our revenue in that area more than tripling in just two years,” says Mike Genin, director of operations for the West Virginia Aircraft Service Center and MHI RJ. “This is a massive expansion, demonstrating that when we focus on and target a market we want to go after using the infrastructure we have, we can gain market share quickly.”
Genin says that in the future, the company hopes to increase its number of structural repairs not just for its own inventory, but for any aircraft that may need it. The company can use the technology that has worked for so many years to help other platforms.
“We are fully equipped to become the go-to MRO provider in the industry. We have the right people, technology, facilities and services to make it happen,” Genin says.
Any sort of change within a company is reflected in its workforce, and innovation measures have certainly shaken things up within these businesses.
One thing companies must do when introducing new ideas is ensure they have team members equipped to handle them. Genin acknowledges that MHI RJ is currently working on finding aviation technicians to fulfill its goal of expanding its services.
“As the largest regional airline MRO in the world, MHI RJ is committed to finding ways to address this issue to meet the growing demand,” Genin explains. “We see it as an opportunity to innovate and develop new solutions that will benefit the industry as a whole.”
MHI RJ sees its employees as the key to success and strives to create a positive work environment that can help further the company’s growth. MHI RJ has recently launched a recruitment campaign to bring forth new talent but still focus on current employees.
“We are confident this approach will help us expand our capabilities and better serve our clients,” Genin says.
Azur expresses Warwood Tool’s gratitude that its products are 100% American made. They are built to last and used in labor intensive environments like ironworking, construction and railroads. Due to the company’s home-grown products, it has seen many possible recruits showing interest in creating something that lasts longer than they do.
“Another allure to working at Warwood Tool is we are constantly producing different tools each day, so you can really feel like you’re a part of something special,” Azure says. “It’s not always the same thing every day, and our products literally get used to help keep the country in motion.”
Amsted Graphite Materials hopes to give its employees a sense of ownership, and innovation offers workers a chance for major growth.
“Amsted is a 100% employee-owned company, and we work hard to cultivate a spirit of ownership throughout our businesses, giving every worker the chance to learn, grow and advance their careers and make a real difference,” Noel says.
