October 18, 2002

Manville Rubber Products Achieves
ISO 9001:2000 Registration

Newark, NJ — Headquartered in Manville, New Jersey, Manville Rubber Products (MRP) Inc. is a rubber industry leader that has over $5 million in annual sales. Jan Gajewski founded this 30-person company in 1969 as a supplier to the aerospace industry. Manville Rubber manufactures custom molded rubber products and rubber covered rollers for a variety of industries including: automotive, electrical and electronics, pharmaceutical, railroad, and fiber optics. The company has earned a reputation for their total dedication to quality, efficiency and attention to detail.

Intrigued by a marketing initiative, MRP’s Mark Gajewski, contacted the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP), a National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership network affiliate (NIST MEP) to learn how NJMEP could be of assistance with their corporate ISO program, sales and marketing initiatives and process control practices. NJMEP Field Agent, Joe Mastrianni, worked with MRP to prioritize their programs and presented MRP with a plan for them to become ISO 9001:2000 registered within a one-year time frame. Using the teamwork approach of the New Jersey Department of Labor’s Office of Customized Training Grant program, Mr. Mastrianni’s expertise in implementing ISO in the plastics industry, as well Prism eSolutions, an ISO 9000 implementation resource, Manville Rubber Products went through the process of becoming ISO registered.

The nine-month program was concluded when Manville Rubber Products was recommended for registration in September 2002. TUV America audited Manville Rubber Products and found the company to be compliant with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

Mark Gajewski states, “The ISO program has been a good program from a business point-of-view. We are more organized, more efficient and have identified areas of opportunity for process improvement to reduce costs and further increase efficiency. Our company procedures and documentation have been strengthened and we have a strong foundation for growing our business.”

Manville Rubber Products has seen a 15% reduction in costs and 25% business retention and anticipates 30% in business growth as a result of implementing the ISO program and achieving registration. Other benefits include “improved teamwork and communication within our facility” as stated by Mr. Gajewski, and current initiatives in place to reduce scrap and improve process control.

“MRP is very dedicated to working with NJMEP. They have a good understanding of my business, provide excellent resources and are very responsive to my company’s needs”, stated Mark Gajewski. NJMEP and Manville Rubber Products are currently implementing a Sales and Marketing development program.

New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. has assisted more than 850 manufacturers with 1,450 projects in over 5 years! New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP), a not-for-profit organization, provides small and medium-sized manufacturers with access to technology and business management tools. The program, which was modeled on the Agriculture Extension Program, utilizes Field Agents assigned by county to enhance a manufacturer’s ability to take advantage of New Jersey Manufacturing Program’s network of academic and private resources. New Jersey’s MEP has been in existence for over five years, however the program has been in place nationally since 1988 and boasts a total of 75 centers across the country with at least one in every state. NJMEP has provided help to over 800 New Jersey manufacturers with industrial modernization or business management experience since its inception. Services include: Strategic Planning; Lean Manufacturing; Developing Product Prototypes; and Sales and Marketing Programs. For more information call 800.MEP.4MFG or visit us on the web at www.njmep.org.