Positronic named Manufacturer of the Year

In a year when all sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, are struggling, Positronic Industries Inc. showed it's weathering the storm.

The Springfield-based manufacturer and engineer of electronic connectors received the 2008 Manufacturer of the Year Award from the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce during a Dec. 10 luncheon at University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center.

Founded in 1966, Positronic also offers in-house manufacturing and engineering services for clients in addition to its electrical connector business. The company is vertically integrated, meaning it owns the production process from the raw material stage to the final completed product.

With more than 500 employees in Springfield, the company now has facilities in Puerto Rico, France, Singapore, India and most recently China, in addition to its Springfield headquarters, 423 N. Campbell Ave.

President John Gentry, son of Positronic's late founder Jack Gentry, said the key to his company's success has been the diversity of its product line; the company's electronic components are used in numerous industries, from telecommunications computer networking to health care, aviation and defense.

"As manufacturers it's tough, and every year gets tougher. The world gets smaller and there are more competitors," Gentry said. "Just to continue to survive deserves recognition, so to be singled out is even more exciting."

While Positronic has not had to enact layoffs or cut back workers' hours, others in the manufacturing sector have not been so fortunate.

Several companies have announced in recent weeks that they are closing their local operations, including freight car builder TrinityRail and 1995 Manufacturer of the Year honoree Aaron's Automotive. (See related story on page 1.)

Positronic has learned the importance of diversification firsthand - Gentry said the company "came crashing down" after the dot-com crash of 2000 and 2001, because the company was too closely tied to telecommunications and computer servers.

The result was that Positronic began developing products for other industries such as health care, aviation and military defense during its rebuilding phase in 2001 and 2002.

"Today, we find that while the general economy is causing business to decline, we're spread out among so many different industries that the effect will be gentler (for us)," Gentry said. "Because of our diversity, we can better weather the storm."

In the annual chamber program, Positronic edged out Nixa-based Aire-Master of America Inc., which manufactures odor-control and cleaning products, and Battlefield custom metal fabricator Snap Lock Inc.

Herb Dankert, president of 2007 award winner Jarden Plastic Solutions and a judge for this year's awards, said the decision was difficult.

"It was interesting to be on this side of it this year, and I enjoyed the whole process," Dankert said, pointing to Positronic's position as an industry leader as a key factor in the decision. "It was not easy ... but from what I saw, Positronic was a few steps ahead of the other guys."

All three finalists cited diversity of product and flexibility as strengths - a point echoed by Dankert.

"You have to be ready to do what the customer needs," Dankert said, adding that many manufacturers rely on a handful of large customers to stay in business. "We need to be ready to respond to their needs quickly. You can't have an upset customer and be in business very long. If I can make him better, he can sell more - and if he can sell more, I can make more."

Dankert was one of four judges; the others were Randy Hyde, human research director of 1998 winner Hiland Dairy; Richard Stark, director of the Workforce Development Center at Ozarks Technical Community College; and John Taylor, chief program officer at Drury University's Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The judges looked at five criteria: business stability and growth; employee development; product development and sustainability; environmental, health and safety performance; and community involvement.

Along with Jarden, Aaron's and Hiland, past recipients are Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., 2006; Edmonds Dental Prosthetics, 2005; Megavolt LLC, 2004; 3M Co., 2003; ReGen Technologies, 2002; The Maiman Co., 2001; Kraft Foods, 2000; Northrop Grumman Interconnect, 1999; Hagale Industries, 1997; and SMC Packaging Group, 1996.[[In-content Ad]]