Forum Plastics’ Investment in Supervisory Training Cultivates Stronger Leaders

Forum Plastics LLC, doing business as Forum Contract Manufacturing, was established in 1992 as GM Tool & Forum Molding Inc. Based in Waterbury, Connecticut, Forum is a comprehensive global contract manufacturer focused on injection molding. Over the years, their services have grown to include laser marking, cleanroom manufacturing, automated assembly, and prototyping.

Forum offers medical injection molding and micro molding solutions for the medical device and life science fields, along with commercial-grade molding solutions for complex industrial applications. They also combine their in-house tooling with engineering and project management expertise to develop components for critical military applications.

Dedicated to supporting customer projects with the highest levels of quality, consistency, and efficiency, Forum is certified in ISO 14385:2016, the Quality Management System (QMS) standard for the design, production, and manufacture of medical devices, and ISO 14001:2015, the QMS standard for environmental management systems. They have received ISO Class 7 Certification for Clean Room Assembly, are registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and are compliant with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), enabling them to support military, aerospace, and defense customers.

Forum's commitment to client support, delivered smoothly from project start to finish by all 160 employees, whom they consider "partners in innovation," sets the company apart in the industry.

Recognizing the importance of building and keeping a skilled workforce, Forum Plastics strategically invests in its employees by expanding their knowledge and improving their skills. They recognize the crucial role of effective managers in increasing organizational value and greatly enhancing team performance.

Recognizing the future potential of a newly promoted manager in their Engineering Department, who has worked at the company for six years, and a newly appointed supervisor in the Tooling Department, a ten-year Forum veteran, the company took proactive steps.

Forum's leadership decided to pursue training for their newly promoted leaders to gain a better understanding of their supervisory roles and improve their problem-solving and managerial skills.

Reputation for delivering results and industry expertise drew Forum Plastics to partner with CONNSTEP, the Connecticut MEP and part of the MEP National Network^TM. Company leaders chose to enroll their new manager and supervisor in CONNSTEP's Winter 2024 Supervisor Bootcamp.

This workshop series aimed to build stronger leaders by equipping participants with essential knowledge and skills for effective people leadership and management. It included a series of half-day classroom sessions that covered various aspects of supervision, from leadership and communication to delegation and conflict resolution.

Forum's Human Resources Manager described the participants' Supervisor Bootcamp experience as "transformative," noting that their new leaders gained a deeper understanding of their roles and a renewed sense of confidence.

The comprehensive curriculum, covering both theory and practice, helped participants master problem-solving techniques and build more effective teams. They gained skills in time management, Lean principles, and how to best coach and motivate employees for better performance.

Forum's new manager and supervisor returned to their teams, demonstrating improved communication skills, such as active listening and effective feedback, which fostered healthier working relationships. Utilizing real-life examples, they learned conflict resolution strategies, allowing them to create more cohesive and productive work environments.

A particularly valuable exercise focused on their supervisory styles: through a series of tools and assessments, each participant gained awareness of their management styles, identified their strengths and development needs, and learned how to use different styles and techniques to motivate top performance.

Supervisor Bootcamp was invaluable in helping these two new leaders transition from peers to supervisors. Having fully embraced their training, they applied their newly acquired skills in their roles and have continued to grow professionally, leading to stronger teams, departments, and improved operations for Forum.

The positive results of this experience motivated Forum to enroll two more leaders in subsequent Supervisor Bootcamp workshops, which yielded similar successful outcomes.

A combination of presentations, interactive activities, and best practices provided Supervisor Bootcamp participants with practical tools and strategies for managing their teams effectively and achieving their goals.