Willington Nameplate Celebrates 60 Years in Business
- Theresa Cramer
- Apr 23
- 3 min read
According to the 2024 Connecticut Manufacturing Report, there are 4,548 manufacturers in the state. Several of those call Stafford home, and that’s as much a challenge as it is a benefit for the small but mighty Willington Nameplate. Constantly competing with larger companies for employees, the company strives to think strategically about efficiency and employee retention, which has driven many of the changes I observed during a recent tour.
This month, “the plate,” as it is affectionately referred to around the building, is celebrating its 60th year creating nameplates and durable labels for everyone from locker manufacturers to the federal government. The company likes to say it enables essential communication, making the labels and signs that so many of us never give a second thought to. As the company’s name implies, it got its start in Willington back in 1965. Marcel Goepfert relocated the business to Stafford Springs in 1970, as it evolved from a small family-run operation to a small business. Today, it employs more than 60 people and serves more than 1,000 customers from the aerospace, defense, industrial OEM, and automotive industries.
Current President Brett Greene took over as CEO in 2015 and stated in a press release that “the founders’ core beliefs of quality, integrity, and transparency will always be at the heart of our operations.” How those goals are achieved has changed with the times. Trained in Lean manufacturing methodology, Greene seeks to identify and eliminate waste throughout all areas of the manufacturing process, creating value for the customer. Staffing is a challenge for many manufacturing businesses, and Willington Nameplate is no exception, so Greene has focused on investing in automation tools to help make staff more productive. That could take the form of a robotic arm to move sheets of metal for high-volume jobs, or a few simple clamps to hold down the corners of a screen (eliminating the need for four people to hold the screen tightly).
At the same time, the company has been investing in people. Greene says they hope to compete with Stafford’s other manufacturers by making “the plate” a better place to work. That means giving better benefits and even becoming an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Greene told me the company is 45% employee-owned, which essentially provides employees with a different kind of retirement plan, while also keeping them invested in the company’s success. As he put it, "It justifies their efforts.” A digital screen on the factory wall displays daily key performance indicators (KPIs). Because of this transparency, employees also know precisely how much a mistake costs the company. With several employees who have been with the company for more than 40 years, it seems the strategy is working. (Be sure to check for any current job openings if you're in the market for a new gig.)
Other investments the company has made include those in environmental sustainability. Many of their customers look for “Sustainability Scorecards,” so Willington Nameplate invests in everything from recycling the metal used to make many of their products to an enormous water treatment system that separates solids from liquids and removes chemicals in the process. It’s able to discharge water directly into the sewer because of this, and the solids are hauled away. They have also moved away from harsh chemicals in some cases to soy-based products that perform the same job while being better for the environment and employees.
Even for small businesses like Willington Nameplate, cybersecurity is also an issue. “Per the Department of Defense, all vendors who work directly or indirectly with the government must be CMMC certified,” says the press release. “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 larger Stafford community is also important to “the plate.” Willington Nameplate recently sponsored the Polar Bear Paddy Plunge and works with Stafford High School’s transition programs to help students get real-world job experiences. On Thursday, April 24, 2025, the company will celebrate the 60th anniversary with a party for employees at the factory, and I’m sure they hope to kick off another 60 years in Stafford.
