Agri-Industrial Plastics proud of skilled workforce that gives back

FAIRFIELD — Richard “Dick” Smith founded Agri-Industrial Plastics Company in 1978 with one used blow-molding machine and four employees.

The company has grown steady in the 45 years since then, and today is headed by Smith’s daughter Lori Schaefer-Weaton as president. Agri-Industrial Plastics’ 20-acre campus now houses 20 state-of-the-art accumulator head extrusion machines, eight multi-layer continuous co-extrusion gas tank machines and the best supporting automation technology in the industry.

Schaefer-Weaton said the company’s workforce uses those machines to make blow-molded parts such as traffic safety walls, playground slides, fuel tanks and more. About half of the company’s business comes from multi-layer, EPA-compliant fuel tanks for non-automotive industries such as off-road vehicles and water vehicles.

Schaefer-Weaton said that the company’s workforce is now 50 times larger than its first year, with 200-plus employees. She said that even though more tasks are being automated, Agri-Industrial Plastics still has a need for a skilled workforce.

“We are trying to make the jobs safer and efficient, and automation is a huge piece of that,” Schaefer-Weaton said. “Our customers, such as John Deere and Yamaha, expect every part to be perfect every time, and to meet those standards, you have to automate a lot.”

Schaefer-Weaton said those interested in a career in manufacturing should know that Agri-Industrial Plastics has a robust training and orientation program.

“It’s always a step-up if you have a background in manufacturing, but we want to broaden the pipeline by letting other people come in and be successful,” she said. “It might take those people a little bit more training, but our goal is to open up the pool.”

Apart from helping its employees get the skills they need, Agri-Industrial Plastics loves to see its employees succeed off the job, too. It encourages employees to invest in the community through volunteering their time and money in worthwhile causes. Company employees serve on a number of boards such as the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, ABI Foundation, FEDA, Fairfield Manufacturers Association, Chamber of Commerce, Little Superheroes, the African violet Foundation and more.