Willington Nameplate Celebrates 60th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary
CT Manufacturer Established in 1965 Reflects on Past, Looks to the Future
This month, Willington Nameplate celebrates its 60th year as a nameplate and durable label manufacturer. Established in Willington in 1965 by Marcel Goepfert (relocated to Stafford Springs in 1970), this nameplate manufacturing business evolved from a small family-run operation to a small business employing more than 60 people and serving over 1,000 customers from the aerospace, defense, industrial OEM, and automotive industries.
Willington Nameplate manufactures permanent identification and durable labeling for equipment, machinery, and products that provide clear specifications, branding, or safety information in demanding environments.
Made from a wide range of materials such as metals, polycarbonates and flexible labels, WNP is a leader in the nameplate manufacturing industry for its extensive quality certifications, which allow it to produce parts for regulated industries such as aerospace, defense and automotive.
Current president, Brett Greene took over as CEO in 2015 and says that “the founders’ core beliefs of quality, integrity and transparency will always be at the core of our operations.” Trained in Lean manufacturing methodology, Greene applies the tenets across the company. Lean manufacturing aims to identify and eliminate waste in all areas of the manufacturing process, focusing on creating value for the customer. Today, these concepts are evident in all departments to create an “effortless experience” for the customer.
WNP keeps up with rapid innovations by regularly evaluating the performance of machinery and equipment and by improving its cybersecurity infrastructure. Per the Department of Defense, all vendors who work directly or indirectly with the government must be CMMC certified. CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) requires companies to complete many rigorous steps to protect government data. To keep its current aerospace and defense customers and secure future contracts, the WNP leadership team determined that becoming Level 2 CMMC-compliant was a strategic decision to keep the company competitive. Recently, WNP was informed that it had achieved a SPRS (Supplier Performance Risk System) score of 90, which identifies them as a low-risk, high-performing manufacturer entrusted to continue providing aerospace, defense and other government entities quality custom nameplates and durable labels. The company is expected to be CMMC Level 2 certified by the fall of 2025.
The WNP culture is rooted in training, transparency and teamwork. After a rigorous onboarding experience, employees are encouraged to take ownership for their work, step into leadership positions and maintain open lines of communication with their team and supervisors. Continuous Improvement is another Lean concept that is always in practice throughout the company and employee input is encouraged. In 2023, WNP became an ESOP (Employee Stock Option Program) and with that came an even greater commitment from employees who regard their work as having a direct impact to the success of the company. KPIs are shared daily and quarterly meetings are held to discuss challenges and goals. Success is rewarded with special luncheons, BBQs and other celebrations throughout the year.
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