West Virginia Honors Manufacturer Who Doesn’t Sell in West Virginia
FEATURE
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT – The West Virginia Development Office and the West Virginia Export Council honored fastener manufacturer Star Technologies LLC even though it doesn’t sell its products in the state.
Star Technologies was one of 50 West Virginia companies noted for adding foreign customers, The State Journal reported. Star Technologies gained customers in Brazil, Canada and Mexico. The Huntington, W.VA manufacturer long has exported fasteners to Great Britain, Japan, Poland and Malaysia.
The Star Technologies plant produces millions of parts annually, managing partner Rick Houvouras told State Journal reporter James Casto. Among those are 200 designs for GE Aviation.
The company’s precision clamping devices, brackets and metal stampings are used airplanes plus transit buses as well as HVAC products.
Star uses laser systems and advanced water jet technology in producing fasteners from aluminum, titanium, stainless steel and Inconel, a high-performance nickel-chromium super alloy known for its corrosion resistance at high temperatures.
Houvouras and other local investors opened Star Technologies in 1994, after Adel Precision Products Corp. closed.
Founded in 1938, Adel grew with production in World War II planes. Employees worked around the clock to meet the demand.
But Adel had its ups and downs in the post-war era and in the 1990s was acquired by a California company, which closed the West Virginia plant and moved the jobs to the West Coast, leaving skilled local employees jobless. Houvouras and local investors raised $800,000 to create Star Technologies.
The new company hired a half-dozen former Adel employees and pledged partnership status if the company reached a profitability level.
Houvouras told the State Journal that the former Adel employees were key to the success. “They had skills that were needed — purchasing, quality control, tool and die-making, production expertise and engineering skills,” he explained.
Houvouras, a former state legislator, also credited state government for helping by providing low-interest loans, training grants and “lending the company a helping hand, especially when it was getting started.”
Editor’s Note: Articles in Media Spotlight are excerpts from publications or broadcasts, which show the industry what the public is reading or hearing about fasteners and fastener companies.
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