Family-owned and community-focused Wepco Plastics, Inc. was founded by Wally Parmelee in the early 1980s. Located in Middlefield, CT, the company specializes in providing American-made plastic injection-molded parts and rapid aluminum tooling for clients with 3-D printing, mold building and injection molding needs. In 2016, Wally’s son, David, took over as president. Wally’s daughter, Cara, […]

Agility is a term that is used often in product development and prototyping. The ability to test and iterate potential designs to find the best solution is the key to success in competitive markets where many companies are developing similar products simultaneously. In an environment where lead times for prototyped parts can mean the success […]

Why work with a company that utilizes scientific molding? Balance, intentionality, precision, and most importantly, consistent, high-quality parts. Recently, here at Wepco, we began utilizing scientific molding, and it has already changed the way we operate. I have personally spent most of my career as a tool maker, mold designer, and programmer, so I had not […]

If there is one methodology in any science that is universal, it is the concept of testing and controlling variables to create repeatable results. For generations, the scientific method has proved to be a reliable model of building upon knowledge and understanding the effect of change. With regard to injection molding, the scientific molding process […]

The Mandalorian. His Dark Materials. Now, Cobra Kai. The last few weeks of December and the beginning of January meant more than just the end of 2020. The season ending episodes of each of my favorite shows had also occurred in a thrilling, but dreadfully short time period. So, now that I have watched everything […]

I am not saying I’m old, but, I am… in body and mind. I have been through it all, in my personal life and professional life. My professional work background is one that ranges from property management, to landscaping, to concrete, to co-owning a wire and sheet metal display company, to brewery employee, and so […]

What does it mean to be a part of a family? I’m sure every person would explain their familial commitment in a completely different manner, as we’ve all had plenty of varying experiences and would testify in alternate ways. But there are some common themes to being a part of a functioning, healthy family. Some […]

When people think of plastic injection molding, it is common that they think of mass production and millions of parts produced per year off of extremely complicated, expensive steel production tools. Although this might be a common perception of injection molding, it’s not all the art has to offer. Time to break some common thought: […]

Recently, for the first time in my life, I started to read in my free time and have found it a great way to expand my knowledge on my own accord. I should clarify by saying “read in my free time” really means “read in general”. As sad as it is to say, I probably […]

I have been an avid reader for many years; a book that I especially love is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I have read this gem twice, front to back. The first time was probably 10-12 years ago. I have since promoted the book as a must read, but I […]

I’ve heard it. I might’ve even said it. I’ve definitely felt it. The “I Just Work Here” mentality creeps up once in a while. I think when overwhelmed, disappointed in a decision made for the gander, or when feeling less-qualified in the line and level of work, we tend to resort to comforting ourselves and […]

I’ve been with Wepco Plastics for 7 years now, and as I reflect, I see that the company I work for is dramatically different than the one I began with, in hundreds of ways. One stark difference is our presence.  In 2013, we were just a small mold building and injection molding company from Connecticut […]

Have you ever watched a juggler juggle? Have you ever really paid attention to them? I have always admired their skill, as I lack some serious hand-eye coordination. Jugglers are physically talented, and they amplify grace, coordination, confidence, and oftentimes, joy! It’s most impressive to me because I am awful at juggling in a balanced […]

At some point in time, I think everyone has a ‘Monday morning’ moment: the moment of overwhelming demotivation, trudging back into work after a lunch break, or after an insufficient amount of sleep. I spent weeks fumbling over this idea, specifically how to counteract its prolonged effects. As I watched coworkers languidly complete tasks at […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxLEUcKk20I I don’t really get embarrassed. I can recall 3 childhood occasions of embarrassment, tops. Typically, not much makes me feel like I want to hide, and I attribute that to my goofy nature and ease of adaptability. I get nervous, sure. And even more so, I feel discomfort like anyone else, but discomfort is […]

When I was a little girl, I loved creating anything from jewelry to origami. I still do. I could look at a hand of recycled beads and incision a beautiful necklace, or take scrap wood to make a jewelry box. I love being able to transform something ordinary into a beautiful piece. It’s my perspective […]

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of being a guest on Tony Demakis’, of Alliance Specialties and Laser Sales, Chat and Chow podcast. As we are both fitness enthusiasts, it was natural that this topic came up. Tony is a Planet Fitness member and I am a CrossFitter. When Tony visited Connecticut in July […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt4XY0eu5DU We are small compared to the ocean. Deep territory unexplored, the ocean must be home to more than the human brain has the capacity to grasp. The depth of the ocean is similar to the concept of Heaven, or our minimal knowledge of space… compared to the galaxies, our existence is minor. I’d like […]

From entry level operator, to experienced process engineer… How does one get there? Training in the plastics industry is wildly important, arguably more so than in other industries, reason being (which I quickly learned) simple mechanical intuition does not do much for you in plastics. It is almost entirely its own craft.  This craft requires […]

Of the many critical communication exchanges that occur in a manufacturing setting, the shift handover is one of the most important. Poor communication and preparation have been the cause of countless catastrophes, and the chance of negative repercussions drastically increases when the working group changes on such a dramatic level. Expressing the importance of tasks, […]

They say a picture is worth a thousand words; they say a picture is a window into the world. But what about a video? A video places you in a moment and lets you experience it completely… fully. It’s not just looking, it’s feeling. You are submersed. This is a powerful thing. Video is able […]

I have been involved in manufacturing for most of my life; my father, Wally Parmelee, started an injection molding company in the early 80s, then and still known as Wepco Plastics. He took a tremendous risk in doing so. With a wife, two kids, and a mortgage, this decision was not an easy one for […]

One of the latest buzzwords to come out of the manufacturing industry is “Industry 4.0”. Industry 4.0, as the name implies, is widely considered to be the 4th industrial revolution of the US.  It is the successful culmination of data, automation, cloud computing, and connected machines. Each of these components is a great resource on […]

Starting from scratch is not easy, whether it be with a project, an aluminum mold, or even company culture. I’d argue that it’s especially difficult with company culture. And through tireless review in the form of survey, that’s what we had to combat to survive culturally at Wepco Plastics. It doesn’t feel nice writing that […]

Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day? Some researchers believe the total is somewhere north of 35,000! Many of these are obviously insignificant, but all of them have ramifications. The more important the outcome is, the more we want to be as certain as possible that we get it […]

I decided again to watch the documentary Free Solo with my children. It chronicles the journey of Alex Honnold as he plans to attempt a ropeless ascent of the 7,569 foot granite face of El Capitan in Yosemite. I was originally drawn to it because of my love for our National Parks and nature in […]

Relationship.  A word that can mean a lot of different things to a different people. It can carry a lot of weight, or no weight at all. Someone might hear that word and think of love and fulfillment, while others might think of disappointment and hard work. For me, I guess it’s a bit of […]

Pictured above is local CrossFit Playground business co-owner, Colchester Plum Tomato general manager, full-time Mom, coach, and dear friend, Erin Walls. Erin is a do-it-all kind of gal as you can see in this photo, as Erin sports her CFPG cap & Wepco Face Shield, and takes a moment from her management duties to get […]

by Charles Daniels The measurement of my responsibility as a leader can be summed up in one word: results. Therefore, everything I do should relate, in some way, to ensuring that Wepco Plastics achieves the best results possible. I believe that paramount to this is making good decisions, and then monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness […]