When Matt Duval arrived at Fourslide fresh out of high school, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Nearly forty years later, he couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. And Fourslide wouldn’t be the same without one of its longest-tenured employees.
We purchased this Keyence IM-8000 Series Image Dimension Measurement System in February. It has immediately impacted our quality control and production processes, enhancing our ability to ensure that every part we deliver exceeds acceptable tolerances.
If you’ve started a project with us recently, you probably spoke with Scott Macek, our new sales associate. Scott joined us in May and quickly proved an excellent fit at Fourslide. From evaluating new quotes to sourcing material and helping ensure that returning business runs as smoothly as it ever has, his versatile background in manufacturing and management has made him a significant asset to the team.
After 53 years with the company, Judy Schmidt has retired as Fourslide’s CFO / Office Manager.
Judy started with us part-time in 1970 in a job-share arrangement with her mother doing accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general office work. No computers! All paper! When her daughter was born in 1972, Judy took five years off, though she continued to assist her mother at work. She returned under the same arrangement in 1978, leaving each day in time to greet her daughter as she got off the bus. Judy would eventually take over for her mother full-time, with her responsibilities growing to include Human Resources and Chief Financial Officer.
This fall marks our 60th year producing stamped and formed metal parts here in Bristol, Connecticut. Boy have we ever come a long way.
A Family Business Deeply Rooted in Bristol
Arthur Funk and a partner founded Fourslide Spring Products, Inc. on the 4th floor of Bristol’s historic J.H. Sessions building in 1962. Starting with a single customer and a single machine for fabricating parts, Fourslide has steadily grown into a $6 million operation employing 25 workers.
All of us at Fourslide Spring and Stamping will miss Executive Vice President Jim Richards as he retires after 17 years at the company.
Jim has been an integral part of Fourslide since the day he arrived in Bristol, armed with a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in manufacturing, machine building, and machine tool sales. With a keen skill in negotiation, Jim was instrumental in forging great relationships with many businesses that remain loyal customers. Under his guidance, core business sales rose an average of 5% per year, with sales of new tools increasing from 15 per year to more than 50 in 2022.
Mark Ratta, the Working Leader on our production floor, joined Fourslide nearly 30 years ago as a member of the Shipping and Receiving Department.
“I didn’t even know what a fourslide machine looked like when I got here,” offers Mark. Three decades later, he is a very accomplished set-up man and a highly effective Working Leader.
After a 20-month hiatus – both scheduled and dictated by COVID protocols – the next phase of our facility update and reorganization is back in full swing.
The first stage of upgrades intended to boost production capacity by as much as 50% involved relocating our toolroom to an up-fitted area previously vacated by our assembly operation. This new phase involves the area that previously housed our toolmaking activities.
It’s been full-steam ahead with the facility reorganization that we first unveiled back in November, and we are happy to report that we are fully up and running in our first phase of upgraded spaces.
In 1979, the federal minimum wage was $2.65 per hour; the inflation rate was 13.3%. You could buy a new Toyota Corolla for $3500 and fill the gas tank with a $10 bill. Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA title game. Jimmy Carter, Margaret Thatcher and the Ayatollah Khomeini were all in power.
Meanwhile, in Bristol, Connecticut, two milestone events transpired: the Entertainment and Sports Network (ESPN) took to the airwaves for the first time, and young William King made his debut at Fourslide Spring Products.Read More →