World-Class Capabilities, Small Town Values...

Siro (Si) Vergari saw an opportunity in 1964 that would change his life. Born to a family of Italian immigrants, Si was a purchaser for a company that marketed potentiometers when he learned there was a need for high quality miniature precision injection molded parts. Seeing that few such businesses existed, Si decided to start a company focused on providing the best custom-designed injection molded parts anywhere. That’s where the story of the Mold-A-Matic Corporation (MAMCO) begins.

Si realized from the start that the best way to keep pace with the fast-growing business needs of his customers required a serious investment in state-of-the-art technology. He envisioned that reel-to-reel molding—the continuous molding of plastic parts—would help his engineers not only produce better custom designed injection mold parts for manufacturers, but be able to produce them in higher volumes and at lower costs than his competitors.

Mold flow analysis was another revolution Si helped spark. This software simulation gives the mold designer reliable information that helps eliminate expensive redesign procedures further into the manufacturing process.

MAMCO quickly came to be known as one of the foremost suppliers of customized, premium quality precision components and injection molded parts. To make sure the company’s employees kept focused on product excellence, performance improvement and customer service, Si established two important philosophies that are still in place today: “Team Management” and “Managing Total Quality.” By developing the team concept, he created a cooperative environment where MAMCO employees are able to call on any of the company’s resources that they need when they need them, thus freeing them up to focus on the customer’s requirements instead of their own, as well as double check each others’ work, in order to strive for zero defects. The teams are also encouraged to seek improvements in MAMCO’s design and production processes. And when MAMCO’s resources weren’t enough, Si forged alliances with tool shops in the U.S. to maintain a credible network of tool sources.

What’s more, Si saw the small town of Oneonta, New York, as a community of people whose strong work ethic fit with his commitment to quality and craftsmanship. He offered MAMCO employees long-term job security because he valued experience and loyalty.

Today, MAMCO is one of the most respected suppliers of insert-molded parts and assemblies in the world, with clients in Canada, Mexico, and Switzerland. And that is only the tip of the iceberg, as the company continues to expand its services into new countries while continuing to serve its long-time customer base in the United States. Si’s vision of a company that hinges on people power and technological innovation is clearly a value that still thrives these days at MAMCO.

“He really drove the technology part of the business,” says Dave Vergari, Si’s son and President of the company.

“There are about 7,000 injection molders in the United States,” says Mark Vergari, one of Si’s sons and Vice President of the company. “Only a handful do reel-to-reel.”

“He’s pleased with the direction the business has taken,” says Dave Vergari . “He’s really tried to mentor and teach us over the years, and we have the same goals now as he did from the very beginning.”