There were smiles all around the spacious new products area at Malco Products last week when the Annandale manufacturer was honored for its work in welcoming people with disabilities.
The smiles from the more than 100 first-shift employees and guests were fitting, since they are by far the most common reaction produced by Malco’s 15-year association with Functional Industries, a disability service provider in Buffalo.
That association – Malco’s president and CEO, Mardon Quandt, calls it a partnership – was recognized Wednesday, Oct. 4, when the industrial tool manufacturer was named an Outstanding Disability Employer by the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation.
The award, which had never been presented before, was one of just 12 that were handed out in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
"We cannot overemphasize the importance of employers in our efforts to provide meaningful services to people with disabilities in Minnesota," said Mike Burke, MOHR’s president.
A true partnership
More than 30 years ago the Keymer family began a relationship with Functional Industries, Quandt said, and that has only deepened over time.
For most of those years, Malco sent packaging work to Buffalo for people with Functional Industries to do at its location. That process continues today.
But four years ago they added another wrinkle, with from five to eight people being transported from Functional Industries to the Malco building five days a week, to work in-house to be part of their manufacturing team.
The individuals with disabilities assist with packaging and assembly of hand tool products on the assembly shop floor, with supervisors from Functional Industries overseeing the work.
Malco produces hundreds of different tools for the construction and automotive industries, and the addition of workers from Functional Industries into the workplace has allowed Malco to schedule new jobs quickly, with greater flexibility than ever before, according to Deb Nistler, the company’s products director of operations.
"They have been a joy to work with," she said.
"This partnership with Functional Industries helps our associates, and we want them to really feel a part of our Malco family," Quandt said, commenting on the work ethic and commitment he sees in those from Functional Industries. "I really feel a sense that we’re contributing back to the community, It’s a win-win."
It didn’t take long at all for the verdict to come in on the experiment.
"Within the first week they were producing work at such a high quality and speed," Quandt said.
Yet at the outset, there was some trepidation about how smoothly everything would go. Kate Story, plant superintendent at Malco, recalls a day when someone came to audit Functional Industries and they came to Malco to see for themselves how an person with autism was adjusting to his new surroundings and tasks.
"This woman was saying how much he’s changed, how his temperament had calmed down, how he was branching out in so many areas," Story said. The moment made such an impression on her that the hair on her arms stood up.
"I remember thinking this is significant, that if all I ever did was a be a part of something like that," Story said. "I came to Malco for a paycheck, but I’ll stay here for moments like that. It is so rewarding that that’s what this company does."
She has worked at Malco for 11 years, which she says almost qualifies her as a new employee when compared to the longevity of so many others.
"Why do people stay here? People know this is a good company that cares," she said. "Who doesn’t want to go to work and have a job where they can contribute something?"
Seeing it first hand
State Sen. Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) wasn’t about to miss the awards presentation, since he has a very personal relationship with Functional Industries.
He has served on their board of directors for nearly the past decade. His daughter Emily was born with cerebral palsy, and she has been a part of the organization for more than 25 years.
"I know people who aspire, like my daughter, to work in an actual workplace in and around the community," he said. "We’ve had great success with their employment, and seen it be a stepping stone, to where they get the confidence to say, ‘I can do this.’ What a blessing that is."
Anderson has made visits to Malco and observed the Functional Industries workers in action.
"I’ve seen their enthusiastic, dynamic desire to want to be a part of you here, and they got such a warm invitation to be a part of your lives," he told Malco employees. "It’s fantastic to see."
Amber Oster, vice president of workforce solutions for Functional Industries, has worked there for 15 years and with people with disabilities since 1996, and says they have been some of the best years of her life. She nominated Malco for the state award, and says it is one of the best sites to learn job skills.
"The company’s professionalism, work ethic and role modeling say it all," she said. "Our individuals are so proud to work for them and have grown by leaps and bounds in the environment they offer on this crew site."
Oster said the challenges they have met have been a confidence boost that has translated into going out and applying for and landing other jobs in the community.
Integration, attitude
It was one thing to invite people with disabilities into a workplace. It is another to meld them into the workplace, and thanks to decisions by management at the outset, that is what has happened at Malco.
"We had a lot of conversations, and management decided if they’re coming here in assembly, they will be integrated with our employees, so they made some adjustments to the floor layout," Story said.
That has made all the difference.
"Our people are protective of them, and make sure they are at all of our events," Story said. "It is really an integrated workforce."
That decision has paid dividends with both sets of workers.
"As a result of the hard work, reliability, cheerful attitudes and high quality of the Functional associates, we are able to increase our production while giving them the opportunity to become a part of the Malco family," Quandt said. "Their positive attitude rubs off on everyone."
People at both Malco Products and Functional Industries agreed. Nistler remarked on how exciting it is to see their smiling faces on a daily basis.
"They can bring a smile to all who they meet, and bring a positive outlook to any workplace," Oster said.
Those smiles never fail to disappoint.
"Even if you’re having a bad day, you go stand next to one of these fine folks and it gets better. And I don’t think there’s anybody here that wouldn’t say these same things," Story said.
"There isn’t one time that I don’t ever think I’m not smiling around them."