Plastics completely custom
Butler Technologies began when two employees ventured out on their own to start a custom plastic printing company in 1990.
William J. Darney and Nadine Tripodi have grown their company to 57 employees, filling a 20,000-square-foot building in the city.
Butler Technologies on Wayne Street makes plastic parts from basic labels to complicated membrane switches.
It creates graphic overlays, membrane switches, instrument dials, gauges, labels and decals. The products are used in industrial control, medial, automotive, marine and safety industries.
An original equipment manufacturer, the company handles orders from when the customer calls with an idea to when the finished product is put on a truck. The majority of Butler Technologies' business is repeat, and clients come from domestic and worldwide locations.
The steps to make a product vary, said vice president of sales Glenn Farrell.
"It's not a cookie cutter," he said. "Everything is unique."
The client might have drawings ready to use, or the company can create the drawings for the client, said company representative Marilyn Suchy. The products are then screen printed, cut, inspected and shipped.Only types of plastics and vinyls are printed, which is usually on thin-gauge products for Bayer, 3-M, or other large companies.Technology has made the cutting process easier with the advent of laser cutting.Also, the company has gone from traditional screen printing to digital screen printing.It takes three to four weeks to finish a product, Farrell said."As we move forward, one of our biggest issues will be attracting and maintaining qualified employees," Tripodi said.About 85 percent of the employees at the company were trained there, Farrell said. Because of that, the company has many long-tenured employees.In 1994, Butler Technologies moved into its current building, which is on four acres."The whole market has changed based on a global economy," Farrell said.
