PolyChem Alloy Contributes Nearly $1.5 million Economic Impact to Region

Protective covering for wiring, plastic wine corks, golf club shafts, catheter tubing, seatbelt coverings, materials for car interiors and exteriors—these are but a few of the hundreds of products PolyChem Alloy, Inc. (PCA) of Lenoir helps make possible for Fortune 100 companies like SABIC Innovative Plastics and Delphi.

PCA manufactures the raw materials used to create the products above. Keeping up with all the product coordination and quality is no small task, but PolyChem Alloy is making their mark on the world and their local economy by focusing on details and quality as standard operating procedure.

The company recently reported an almost $1.5 million economic impact in the local economy, according to an independent third-party survey completed as part of the work PCA did with North Carolina State University’s Industrial Extension Service. NC State professionals worked with PolyChem Alloy to help them achieve ISO 9001 certification—a global seal of approval for quality management systems, recognized world wide as the gold standard. The economic impact figure includes nearly $1 million in increased sales, an employee increase of about 5 percent, and investments in new equipment and software.

“With the help of NC State University, especially ISO specialist Barbara Williams, we are now ISO certified. This certification is a built-in message to our customers; they know our products conform to quality practices, and our calibrations are accurate, the confidence is there because we walk the walk,” said Chak Gupta, company founder and president.

Quality Manager Tony Bryant worked closely with NC State’s Barbara Williams on the certification process. “Barbara was awesome, she is so competent, and she walked us through this process in a no-nonsense fashion. She really explained it, and her willingness to help made this a pleasant experience,” he said.

ISO Certification Opens Doors

PolyChem Alloy conducts business across the globe, including South America, China, India, U.K., and the U.S. Achieving ISO certification means that customers no longer need conduct their own audits to determine quality and standards; so it simplifies business practices. This certification guarantees the processes and procedures are established and documented.

PolyChem Alloy produces more than 30 million pounds of plastics additives and master batches annually, so it’s critical that quality practices are thorough and documented. That’s exactly the point of ISO certification; internal practices are now standard, all employees know what’s expected of them, and systems are documented and reliable.

“We identified nonconformities, improved our work flow, and completed our structure to get everyone on the same page,” said Gupta. “The ISO process helped us allocate assets, both human and capital. We now have well defined tasks and responsibilities for each employee. When each person knows their boundaries, they relax within the structure. Our employees don’t hesitate to give us feedback, and we have a low turnover rate.”

The certification process also yielded an enhanced, intensive calibration program; one that quantifies quality. The company also has expanded a database used for trending and simplifying management review, resulting in greatly reduced paperwork and centralization of all data.

Starting Small, Thinking Big

PolyChem Alloy started in 1989 in the basement of founder Gupta’s home. A native of India, a Ph.D. and former faculty member at Brown University, Gupta holds more than a dozen patents and is a respected author and speaker on an international level. Gupta’s goal with this company was to create a new environment for working people. For five years he did it all. The gamble and hard work paid off. Today the company spreads over a 15-acre site, includes two manufacturing plants, a spotless administrative building, and many Fortune 100 clients.

Achieving ISO certification further expands their growth potential, and they are taking full advantage of it.