By Susan Robinson, The Republic Reporter
CROTHERSVILLE — What began as the old U.S. Shoe/Nine West factory now houses Versatech, 32,000 square feet and 190 employees strong.
A subsidiary of Samtec in New Albany, Versatech produces electronic connectors, which pass signals between electronic devices.
The connectors are in communication devices like cell phones and iPods, and computers, DVD players and cable boxes. The company recently expanded into the medical and automotive fields.
The company opened in 2000 and in the past two years has grown from 9,000 to 30,000 production hours a month, according to plant manager Craig Mull.
Simple assembly processes create these high-tech components. Workers attach gold and silver comb-like metal pieces to small, black plastic parts and rainbow cables.
“We can do a one-day turnaround time,” said Mull. “A customer can call or go on-line, and we’ll ship tomorrow.”
“Our standard is three to five days, where most companies take three to four weeks.”
Willing work force
With production rapidly rising, 2003 the company expanded twice with a third one planned.
With an eye on costs, in 2004, Versatech began manufacturing in Malaysia, China, and Singapore, sending commodities work overseas while keeping the higher growth and technological jobs — the cost-sensitive jobs — here.
“It was a tough sell when we had to move work to foreign countries,” Mull said. “But we’ve had a 20-plus percent growth potential in the last six months. And we’re still adding people in all locations.
Seven independent contractors who worked for Versatech voluntarily moved overseas.
“We consolidated those (projects) so nobody lost their jobs,” Mull said. “We gave them the opportunity to work at one of our four locations.”
Most of the employees were happy to do so, and Mull credited a happy, hardworking work force with the company’s success.
“We’re very fortunate,” he said. “We have a good labor pocket and people who get along well.”
Employees are allowed radios and headphones at their brightly lit workstations, which Mull said allowed them to focus better on their work.
Besides a regular hourly rate, employees are paid on a piece-rate system and receive quality bonuses, which increase over time, starting at 10 percent for new employees.
Versatech keeps its scheduling flexible because most employees are women and single parents, with school functions and teacher conferences to juggle.
Because of this, there is no second shift; employees work 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.