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Small Biz, Big Deeds
Waterbury chamber fetes three local firms for excellence
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Business New Haven
2/4/2002
By: BNH
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WATERBURY - Three small businesses earned plaudits last month from the Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce.
In a January 24 event at the Waterbury Marriott, the chamber bestowed annual Harold Webster Smith Awards on Complete Software Solutions and its principals, Cheryl and Joe Tokarski, as Entrepreneurs of the Year; MPP Inc. President Richard DuPont, Manufacturer of the Year; and Industrial Riggers Inc., Anthony Truncale, president, as Small Business of the Year.
Explained Pam Monahan, chairperson of the chamber's Small Business Council: “It takes passion, intelligence, commitment and perseverance to establish a business and to grow that business to a successful level. No one knows that better than the small-business owners attending today, and all the winners, past and present, of the Harold Webster Smith Awards.”
The chamber wards were established to honor the legacy of Harold Webster Smith, founder of Webster Bank, who supported and helped to nurture small-business development throughout the Waterbury region.
“Through these awards we salute Harold Webster Smith and those business owners whose businesses have prospered during the past year and who continue to make commitments to their employees and their community,” said Bernie Lynch, president and CEO of the Waterbury chamber.
And the winners are:
A second-generation small business celebrating its 35th anniversary in May, Small Business of the Year Industrial Riggers provides services to move machinery, as well as crane service, millwright service, transportation, warehousing and overseas packaging. Since 1991 the Waterbury company has doubled its workforce and grown revenues by 50 percent since 1997.
Industrial Riggers' profitability has been aided by an increase in business, which has helped it establish a steady workflow by alleviating peaks and valleys. The company prides itself on a low employee turnover rate as it offers competitive wages and benefits, including a 401(k) plan, as well as a safety awards program.
Since moving into Waterbury's Information Technology Zone in 2000, Entrepreneur of the Year Complete Software Solutions has doubled its customer base and achieved significant year-over-year revenue increases in 2000 and 2001, according to the chamber. Established in 1993, Complete Software Solutions provides customized programming for off-the-shelf software, and offers its own product line, which it enhanced last year.
This year the company added a simple savings plan to its employee-benefits package, complementing medical insurance and parking benefits. Principals Cheryl and Joe Tokarski preach the virtues of superior customer service to help their clients understand what they do and how their work processes flow before installing software.
Family-owned and operated, Manufacturer of the Year MPP has found a niche in the design, fabrication and finishing of industrial rollers for markets across the globe. Founded in 1954, MPP is a diversified supplier, providing products to manufacturers of paper, film, foils, food, non-wovens and high-quality plastics.
MPP has employed lean-manufacturing and management-by-objective tools as well as ISO 9002-2000 certification for quality performance and excellence. It is currently seeking ISO 14000 quality certification as well.
By implementing process changes to improve efficiencies, Waterbury-based MPP has become the largest roll-finishing facility in the U.S., says the chamber. MPP, which last year posted an 11-percent hike in profitability over the previous year, employs 47 people and expects to grow significantly over the next three years.
The Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce has some 1,000 member businesses in Waterbury, Watertown, Oakville, Bethlehem, Thomaston, Woodbury, Middlebury, Southbury, Oxford, Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Wolcott, Prospect and Cheshire.
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