You + Performance Plastics = A Winning Combination!
Performance plastics is a dynamic and innovative industry with good, stable jobs and growth opportunities.
That was the message Finger Lakes Extrusion delivered during a recent visit to a local high school.
Erica, Phil and Keith from the management team spoke with 30 students from Victor High School about the performance plastics industry, careers in advanced manufacturing, and jobs in related fields such as distribution.
“We brought in tubing samples to give students that tactile experience and demonstrate the hands-on nature of our work. We showed videos explaining the extrusion process and shared how prevalent performance plastics are in our everyday world. We discussed the important work we’re doing around recycling and sustainability, and minimizing impacts on our environment,” said Erica Wright, President of Sales.
Students can find performance plastics in the classroom, the science lab, the gymnasium, the playground, in the athletic apparel and equipment they wear, and inside their laptops and smartphones.
They also learned that plastics are essential to the future. You can’t build electric vehicles or solar panels, for example, without performance plastics.
For job seekers, that means opportunity.
The plastics industry is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the U.S. economy, and skilled workers are in high demand.
Wright explained you don’t need a college degree or prior experience to work in performance plastics.
“The first questions we ask are: do you have drive, can you communicate well, are you willing to learn? Then, do you have some mechanical aptitude? For example, do you like to repair things, are you good with tools, do you enjoy tinkering with motors, do you change the oil in your car?”
Finger Lakes Extrusion offers in-house skilled trades training under the direction of its long-term employees.
A new manufacturing hire starts as a utility packer, progresses to a material handler, and finishes as an extruder operator. That training takes up to one year to complete, with plenty of competitive job skills developed along the way.
In addition to the skilled trades, there are opportunities in sales, marketing, office administration and management.
Here’s what a few operators had to say about working at Finger Lakes Extrusion:
- Great work culture that shows in the products we make
- Good pay, incentives and benefits package
- Employees on the production floor communicate well and are always willing to help each other
- Responsive front office answers any question you have
- Owners care about the employees
Watch this video to learn more about career opportunities in performance plastics. And if you’re ready for the next step, send us your resume at sales@flextubing.com.
