Company
C&J Industries is a total plastics contract manufacturer and product design company. We specialize in manufacturing complex, high-precision injection molded components and assemblies. For nearly 50 years, we've been listening to what our customers need and we have expanded our capabilities to meet each challenge.
C&J Industries began in 1962 when two young toolmakers, Dick Johnston and Harold Corner, started a small tooling company named Meadville Precision Tool and Mold. They quickly gained notoriety for building high-precision injection molding components and quality injection molds for companies such as AMP, Western Electric and Packard Electric.
In the early 1970s (this is the stuff of legend)—one of our customers commented that they were very pleased with the injection molds that we produced, however, they wanted us to qualify the tools prior to shipment. We responded, "But how can we qualify the molds—we don't have any injection molding presses?" Shortly thereafter a truck arrived at our loading dock and the truck driver had us sign for two slightly used injection molding presses. We were now in the molding business.
Our business grew quickly in the 1980s as we expanded into the medical and business machine markets. With the company's growth came a new name, "C&J Industries, Inc." In 1982, we became an FDA registered medical device manufacturer and began producing medical injection molded components and complete medical devices. We embraced a Total Quality Management approach to business. A "Full-Service" commitment to our customers was a natural progression.
In 1990, Dick Johnston bought out his partner and the company became an employee stock ownership plan company (ESOP.) In 1994, C&J Industries became the first injection molder and tool builder to receive ISO 9001 & QS 9000 certifications from Underwriters Laboratories. In 1998, C&J Industries was selected to be the primary contract manufacturer of fiber optic apparatus for Lucent Technologies.
Throughout the 1990s, C&J Industries expanded significantly and began to offer Product Design and Development services to our customers. The Honeywell whole-room air purifier was our very first product design that went to market in the mid-90s. By the end of the decade, C&J Industries had nearly 50 injection molding presses and over 200 employees.
In 2000 & 2001, the company experienced the combined effects of the telecom "bust" and the introduction of significant foreign competition. We began a series of initiatives to understand what makes C&J Industries a successful company. Why do so many companies continue to choose us over the hundreds of competitors—both foreign and domestic? As we looked over our history, the answer was evident: Technology. Teamwork. Solutions.
C&J Industries has invested millions of dollars in the past five years to improve our technology in every manufacturing discipline. We have added best-in-class, all-electric molding presses and we've tripled our clean room molding capabilities. Our tool shop is equipped with some of the highest speed and closest tolerance machining capabilities in the industry.
Last, and most importantly, C&J's success is tied to our employees' commitment and teamwork. We recognize that for us to be successful, we must make you successful. This can best be summed up in the words of Ron Reich from Segway, "C&J offers the responsiveness of a small company while providing the resources of a much larger company." That's what you can expect from C&J Industries. That's who we are.