About
Plattco Corporation is an employee-owned company with over 100 years of experience in designing, forging, and building dry-goods valves in the heart of Plattsburgh, NY. They invented the first double flap airlock valves that prevent leakage in the 1960s and have since developed thousands of custom solutions across many industries worldwide. Wherever you encounter difficult-to-manage dry materials in tough environments, you’ll find Plattco valves. Their team of about 55 people is dedicated to leading the industry by blending innovative ideas with respect for traditional craftsmanship and open communication. Plattco values their workforce and community, which is reflected in strong loyalty, long-term stability, and a long list of satisfied customers.
The Challenge
Plattco’s facilities consist of two aging buildings separated by gravel, leading to inefficiencies in key processes like design, production, inventory management, and shipping and receiving. This physical separation, along with outdated infrastructure, challenges interdepartmental communication and operational efficiency, and fails to meet current environmental and energy standards.
Planning the construction of a state-of-the-art facility while maintaining high-intensity production processes, including metal forging, requires careful coordination and a resilient, aligned workforce. Recognizing that this transformation affects every part of the organization, Plattco engaged CITEC, part of the New York MEP and the MEP National Network, to help build the organizational readiness and alignment needed to support their long-term growth and modernization goals over many years.
CITEC has been a trusted partner of Plattco for many years, supporting nearly every department across our organization. Whenever we encounter a challenge, we know CITEC either has the tools to help us address it directly or can leverage their extensive network to advance our goals. They consistently bring valuable resources to our attention, often ones we would not have known existed, and help us navigate how to access and utilize them effectively. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CITEC for many years to come.
MEP’s Role
Plattco has strategically invested in its people, processes, and materials to prepare for moving to a new facility while maintaining its commitment to serving a global customer base with high-quality, custom-engineered valves.
Understanding the importance of bringing the entire team together around a shared vision, Plattco partnered with CITEC to help develop mission and vision statements that embody the organization’s core values. This collaborative effort made sure every employee understood their role in the company’s future, encouraging a unified culture ready to face the challenges of modernization.
To support effective leadership during this critical period, Plattco teamed up with CITEC to deliver management development training for its leadership team members. These programs provided managers with vital skills in communication, coaching, conflict resolution, and team motivation, leading to increased productivity and lower turnover.
Plattco’s dedication to continuous improvement includes leveraging research and innovation. Through a CITEC connection, Plattco has secured R&D tax credits, leading to significant cost savings that can be reinvested into product development. Additionally, with support from the NY MEP’s Advanced Materials Grant, Plattco tested a reusable sand material for valve mold production, reducing waste and operational costs while supporting their environmental sustainability goals. They also completed a cybersecurity assessment, providing a roadmap to help protect their information systems and adhere to industry standards.
By leveraging its partnership with CITEC and the New York MEP network, Plattco continues to build a solid foundation for its future, aligning operational excellence with innovation as it prepares to move to a modern facility that will support its growth for decades to come.
Originally published on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website with the help of New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP)