One-on-One visit with Artic Tool and Engineering Co.

One of our most recent One-on-One programs was to Artic Tool and Engineering Co., LLC, a manufacturing facility tucked away on Ford Lane, at the end of Jefferson Blvd. in the northern part of the city. Founded in 1971 by Manuel and Ann Marie Sousa, the company specializes in manufacturing parts in CNC milling, CNC turning, stampings, assemblies and inspection services. They pride themselves on their customer service, quality products and outstanding support. All of their management personnel have completed lean engineering and value stream mapping coursework, which, they say, has resulted in reduced costs and quicker turn-around time for customers. An ISO-9001 certified and ANAB accredited company, Artic Tool was acquired last summer by The Carlyle Johnson Machine Company, LLC, of Bolton Conn. This company, with over 100 years' experience, is a supplier of specialized clutches and brakes to industries and government agencies, including NASA and the Department of Defense. During our tour, John Sousa, Manuel and Ann Marie's son, Michael Gamache, president of Carlyle Johnson, and employee Ken Carr, explained that the merger has been extremely beneficial on a number of levels. The Warwick base of employees has doubled, and by combining their respective staffs' knowledge and talents the company has been better able to serve their customers and increase product offerings. Gamache anticipates additional employee growth in the near future. We are pleased to have them in Warwick, and look forward to working with them to help them realize greater success in the future. Scott Avedisian is the mayor of Warwick.