COLUMBUS, Ind. — The addition of new equipment expanding the capacity at a local thermoplastics manufacturer is also resulting in bigger paychecks for the company’s hourly employees.
Flambeau Inc., which operates a 177,000-square-foot plant at 4325 Middle Road in Columbus, is increasing its previous injection molding rage limit by 27%. This was made possible by the installation of the plant’s newly-installed Engel Duo press which increases the previous injection molding range limit by 400 tons to bring about a larger part capability to the facility.
In announcing their Engel Duo is now operational, Flambeau also said they are giving across-the-board raises to its 76 hourly employees in three categories. The plant has raised its starting wage by 6.7%, its top-of-scale wage by 10.8%, and its technical position pay by more than 20%, a corporate press release states.
Although the company did not provide monetary estimates, a tax abatement request filed last spring lists Flambeau’s average starting hourly wage at $15.65 an hour.
Thorough and exhaustive research by Flambeau’s engineers included studying dozens of machines before the Engel Duo press was chosen, company officials said.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.