Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/987722
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J u n e 2 0 1 8 • I NSIGH T | 25 J u n e 2 0 1 8 • I NSIGH T | 25 work with and are very easy to connect with on both a professional and personal level." While Nicolet's surroundings may be a paradise, the business experience hasn't always been one. Much of the success the company has experienced the past five years is a result of deliberate decisions the company made during a difficult cycle for the industry, and Nicolet in particular. Prior to 2010, Nicolet Plastics was struggling with debt, high inventories and what has been described as the "Amazon effect" taking hold over manufacturing. e "Amazon effect" is the change the consumer products giant has brought to customer expectations. As people have become used to ordering something in any size, shape and color from Amazon and having it delivered within a day or two, those same expectations have crept into the demands made on manufacturers. It's not always that easy. For companies such as Nicolet, a new customer requires new tooling molds to be made and plastics to be formulated so the component produced will perform as expected. ose types of expectations and the realities don't always mesh well. Yet, Nicolet embraces the challenge. In 2010, the company incorporated the principles of Quick Response Manufacturing, or QRM, and created its own "Fast, Fluid and Flexible" approach to meeting customer demands and expectations. e company also invested heavily in automation on the shop floor and launched innovative programs to train its workforce and educate its customers. ONLINE: Watch Nicolet Plastics' CEO John Ogorek discuss living and working in the Northwoods. Nicolet Plastics An injection molding plastics manufacturer based in Mountain, specializing in low- to moderate-volume, custom plastic parts and value-added assembly for marine applications, HVAC, aerospace, medical MRI, consumer products and industrial OEM. The company includes a tooling division that makes and maintains client molds. Founded: 1986 Employees: 90 CEO: John Ogorek Website: nicoletplastics.com Awards: Winner of the 2017 Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year award in the small firm category for its nationally recognized employee cross-training programs. Insight Innovation Award winner in the category "People," 2016 Oconto County stretches from the Northwoods to the shores of Green Bay, allowing Nicolet Plastics to leverage a wide range of outdoor activities to recruit a workforce to the plastics manufacturer. Raw materials for Nicolet Plastics' injection molding presses are moved using a specially engineered system of pneumatic hoses that deliver material as needed without human intervention. This results in less waste and frees workers to concentrate on higher-level tasks. C O U R T E S Y D I S C O V E R W I S C O N S I N [ c o n t i n u e d ] »