Cosmetics Manufacturer Turns to HVTDC
to Polish up its Supervisors' Skills
"Because of Bob
Winrow and HVTDC, there has been a
tremendous increase in Kolmar's non-financial balance sheet."
Jim Foley,
Vice President
of Administration,
Kolmar Laboratories
Tucked away in the hills of Port Jervis, N.Y., near the New Jersey border,
Kolmar Laboratories has built a niche for itself as the premier contract
manufacturer of beauty products for well-known retail manufacturers. Lip
and eye products, make-up, creams and lotions, nail polish are manufactured
in Port Jervis as well as in plants in Corona, Calif.; Barrie, Ontario,
Canada; and
Mexico City.
Located in Port Jervis since 1943, Kolmar was acquired by CCL Laboratories
in 1991, and in January was bought by Outsourcing Services Group (OSG)
of Allendale, N.J., a full-service custom manufacturer that provides comprehensive
services for consumer-brand companies. Jim Foley, OSG's Vice President
of Administration, comments, "In the summer of 2001 we decided we
needed to upgrade the skills of our supervisory people, both exempt and
non-exempt. In a series of discussions with Bob Winrow of HVTDC, The Council
of Industries of South Eastern New York, Orange County Community College
and
Cornell Career Center, who has done recruiting work for us, Bob Winrow
pulled together a Supervisory Training Program."
Foley pauses for a moment, then continues: "Bob Winrow is our champion and nominee for man of the year! I can't say enough about his perspicacity and his intelligence. He came to us and he absorbed our atmosphere and our culture. He spent his time listening, looking, and understanding what we do. Then he set about obtaining a grant from the New York State Department of Labor, in conjunction with Empire State Development Corporation, and he put together the program we needed.
Winrow conceptualized and built a comprehensive skills course, consisting
of 10 three-hour sessions, attended by four groups of 19 employees. The
sessions, which lasted from November 2001 to January of this year, included
communications, communication skills, time management, conflict resolution,
legal consideration and performance reviews. Instruction was provided
by HVTDC,
Orange County Community College, Jackson, Lewis, Schnitzler & Krupman,
and Cornell Career Center. How good was it? Foley notes that employees'
evaluations of the course averaged 8.0 out of a possible 10.
"The results," says Foley, "was a marked upgrading in the skills of Kolmar's people. they had been so busy working to keep Kolmar successful that they had not had time to stop and breathe and catch up on new skills. With the help of Bob Winrow and HVTDC they now have the necessary tools to navigate the waters and meet corporate goals in an ever-changing environment. They were able to manage more effectively through the economic downturn. they are able to supervise more efficiently and to keep employee morale at a ver high level."
What has all this done for Kolmar? Foley thinks for a moment. "Well, I can't point to an increase in sales or in production at this time. But I can tell you this: Because of Bob Winrow and HVTDC, there has been a tremendous increase in Kolmar's non-financial balance sheet."