Montaplast executive issues statement in wake of employee deaths
By Greg Kocher
gkocher1@herald-leader.com
The vice president of the Frankfort, KY factory where two employees died in separate accidents issued a statement Wednesday addressing their deaths and the temporary closing of the plant.
Holger Ramcke, vice president of Montaplast of North America, reiterated that “the safety and security of every employee at Montaplast is of the utmost priority to us.” (a.k.a. "lip service").
Angela Mitchell, 35, died Sunday after suffering a head injury Thursday night in an accident involving an overhead crane. Then, on Monday, Ben Cermak, 23, of Lawrenceburg died after suffering an electric shock.
Another employee in the Thursday night accident suffered a shoulder injury, but that person’s name was not released.
In his letter, Ramcke wrote: “The Montaplast and Frankfort communities have been shaken by the recent tragic, accidental deaths of Angela Mitchell and Ben Cermak. Angela and Ben were valued members of our Montaplast family of employees. Our employees are the backbone of our company. The safety and security of every employee at Montaplast is of the utmost priority to us.
“We feel it is important for the community to understand what we have done after these accidents. Once we voluntarily shut down the facility the afternoon of October 17, we began the important process of inspecting every piece of equipment. We engaged outside, third-party investigators to inspect our equipment at the same time governmental authorities were present investigating the accidents,” Ramcke wrote.
“Prior to re-opening our facility and resuming production on October 19, we re-certified the facility’s equipment with a focus that our team was coming back to a safe and secure workplace,” Ramcke added.
Ramcke wrote that grief counselors remain on site and “we plan to keep those counselors available to our employees until they are no longer needed. Our employees are encouraged to share questions or concerns with their supervisors, and we have a safety hotline available for our employees’ use.”
Ramcke said the company is “determining the most meaningful way to remember and honor Angela and Ben. We look forward to sharing that news with the Frankfort community soon.”
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet is investigating the two accidents.
Montaplast is a supplier of center caps, exterior trim parts, and cloth molded interior trim parts for vehicles, according to the Kentucky Directory of Manufacturers.
Montaplast of North America, Inc. - Frankfort, KY - Montaplast of North America Inc. is a technological leader supplying the automotive industry with state of the art composite air intake manifolds as well as highly engineered plastic components. Rapid growth and our technological capabilities have increased our need to continue staffing our Frankfort, KY. facility. Position Requirements and Description
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Cars can always do more. They get better, more versatile, and safer. With our innovative, high quality plastic systems for the engine compartment, exterior, and interior, Montaplast is making its own valuable contribution to progress.
Cars can always do
more. They get better, more versatile, and safer. With our innovative,
high quality plastic systems for the engine compartment, exterior, and
interior, Montaplast is making its own valuable contribution to
progress.
At Montaplast we understand "plastic" in its
original artistic sense too. We apply our creativity to ensure that
today"s finest automobiles meet our customers" increasing demands for
safety, stability, durability, environmental compatibility, design, and
comfort. The fact that tomorrow"s car can do so much more than
yesterday"s without becoming heavier or more unstable due to new
components has a lot to do with Montaplast. We work to ensure that metal
parts are replaced wherever possible by modern plastics that integrate
the maximum number of functions. With the help of the very latest
processing and material technologies we develop temperature and
pressure-resistant modules that are optimized for function, cost, and
weight - destined for the vehicles of the future, today.
This
proactive approach characterizes Montaplast today. Our high-quality
plastic parts comprise the heart of all systems "Made by Montaplast"
just as before.
The history and development of a special family business
Founded
in 1958 by Albert Stulz Sr. in Morsbach, Germany, Montaplast is a
mid-sized company representing five decades of experience in the
production of plastic precision parts and systems - first for household
appliances and now for the automobile industry. When Montaplast of North
America, Inc. was founded in 1992 in Frankfort, Kentucky, the family
business moved into a new and expansive phase. Since then, Montaplast
sales offices and development centers have sprung up in Detroit, Suzhou,
Nagoya, London, Paris, Stuttgart, Munich, and Cologne. In 2006 a third
production location was added, the Montaplast Automotive System (SIP)
Co., Ltd. in Suzhou near Shanghai.
History
| 1958 |
Company foundation by Albert Stulz Sr. Manufacturing of plastic precision parts for household appliances Start of the toolshop and extrusion technology |
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| 1968 | Introduction of vibration welding of plastic parts | ||||
| 1979 | Start of the lost core technology | ||||
| 1980 | Start of the first paint line | ||||
| 1985 | Introduction of CAD and CAM systems | ||||
| 1990 | SOP of the first plastic air intake manifold in lost core technology for Porsche | ||||
| 1992 | Opening of the Sales and Engineering Office in Detroit | ||||
| 1993 | Foundation of Montaplast of North America, Inc. in Frankfort, Kentucky | ||||
| 1999 | Inauguration of the technology center at the head office in Morsbach | ||||
| 2006 | Establishment of Montaplast Automotive System (SIP) Co., Ltd. in Suzhou, China |