Category Archive: Uncategorized
News Release
For Release: IMMEDIATELY
ZHONGLI NORTH AMERICA, INC. PURCHASES STERN RUBBER COMPANY
The purchase of Staples, Minnesota-based Stern Rubber Company by Troy, Michigan-based Zhongli North America, Inc. is announced by Kenneth Rohan, vice president of operations for Zhongli North America, Inc. a leading global provider of vehicle parts and components and assembly parts including engine mounts, chassis shock absorbers, chassis modules and interior/exterior plastic parts.
Mr. Rohan explains, “The acquisition of Stern Rubber Company is the first step in Zhongli Corporation’s strategy to establish a manufacturing presence here in North America for our automotive products and ultimately expand our capabilities for other automotive related components. Currently Zhongli has a 13,000 sq. ft. technical center in Madison Heights, Michigan where sales, engineering, logistics and quality control functions are performed. A second 33,000 sq. parts storage and re-packaging warehouse facility is located in Troy, Michigan. Zhongli currently has manufacturing facilities in Shanghai and Wuhu, China.
Rohan adds, “ Stern Rubber Company has the level of manufacturing capabilities we have targeted. They are a leading supplier of custom molded rubber and extruded rubber products, specializing in bonding rubber to other substrates such as metal, plastic, cables and other types of rubber. Stern has built their business in non-automotive industries and has three manufacturing facilities in Aitkin and Staples, Minnesota. Their main 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing complex is located on 40 acres and the company currently employs 85 people.”
Stern Rubber operation manager, Robert Jackson says, “This is going to be a good fit for Stern. The opportunity to take advantage of the synergies from both companies is exciting. By combining our rubber technology and manufacturing know-how, we are confident we can make Zhongli and Stern Rubber stronger sources for a wide range of industries. We look forward to beginning the process of adding new manufacturing capacity and additional jobs for our communities here in Minnesota. It’s déjà vu, since Stern just recently completed a new 12,000 sq. ft. expansion and capital equipment program to add more capability. We’re proud to be involved in bringing more manufacturing back to America.”
About Zhongli Corporation
Zhongli Corporation as founded in Shanghai, China in 1998 to provide R&D, design, manufacturing and sales, focused on vehicle parts and components and assembly parts. Zhongli has manufacturing and technical sites in China, Italy, South America and the United States. Products include; powertrain mounts, chassis components, suspension assemblies, plastic parts, bumping blocks and other rubber bumper components. Zhongli has ISO 9001:2008, ISO/TSI6946 and ISO14001 certifications. www.zlcglobal.com
About Stern Rubber Company
Stern Rubber Company was founded in 1969 as a manufacturer of injection, compression and transfer molded products, as well as extruded rubber products, and specializes in bonding rubber to metal, plastic, and other materials. Stern has manufacturing facilities in Staples and Aitkin, Minnesota. Industries served are widely diversified and include; municipal water gate valves, chemical valves, power sports, watchbands, agricultural, industrial plumbing, and many others. Stern Rubber Company is ISO 9001:2008 certified. www.sternrubber.com
Rubber That You Wear
Fluoroelastomers are a special purpose synthetic rubber with a fluorocarbon base. Fluorocarbon, which is made of a broad family of compounds including fluorine, chlorine and carbon, are added to other synthetics, such as rubber to create many products, spanning from fishing line, to Teflon. In the case of the development of a fluoroelastomer the combination of the rubber and fluorocarbon, bond together to form a strong chemical, and heat resistant, superior performance product. Fluoroelastomers are used in many different applications, from general purpose sealing to Aerospace fuel and lubricants. Yet what has brought this product into the lime light most recently, is Apples release of using fluoroelastomers as their material of choice, for the band of their Apple watch. Apple made the choice not because of its chemical resistance, but because of its superior elasticity and great texture.
Along with these common applications, here at Stern we also put fluoroelastomers to use. Stern Rubber chooses to use two different brands of fluoroelastomers, Viton by DuPont and Fluorel by Dyneon. DuPont’s Viton is considered by their company, to be the most specified fluoroelastomers for fuel systems, seals, hoses and gaskets. With this being said, the overall goal of the Viton product is to extend maintenance intervals on the products it is used to create, and protect against seal failure. Along with working with DuPont, here at Stern we also use Dyneon’s Fluorel, to produce some of our products. It has many of the same properties and capabilities as Viton. The choice between the two is often the compatibility of the material with our customers’ needs.
With these two great products readily available to our team here at Stern, they are put to great use. As I said before, fluoroelastomers have a great deal of chemical resistance, and many of the products we make put fluoroelastomers into use for that exact reason. One product it is applied to is carburetor boots for snowmobiles and ATV’s, since these are areas that are going to have constant contact with gasoline, and high temperatures. Along with this, the most common use for this type of material here at Stern, is within components for chemical valves. Now although these are the practical applications for fluoroelastomers at Stern Rubber, there is one unusual product that they are used in, and that product is tubes within hearing aids. Now although there is no need for chemical resistance within a hearing aid, there is a great need for strong acoustical properties, and after a great deal of testing, fluoroelastomers were shown to be the material that possessed this quality.
Now although this type of material is very effective, we also use multiple other types of rubber to produce our products. So, remember, Stern Rubber is always available to help with your material selection. Check out the engineering resources section for more information on materials, which includes a material selection guide.
Lakes area Golf Continued From Last Week
Last week, we talked about the amazing golf available in the Brainerd lakes area, and specifically, the Brainerd Golf Trail. This week, we pick up where we left off, and discuss the remaining courses.
With Craguns and Maddens, located on the south side of Gull Lake, fifteen miles north, is the historic Grandview Lodge, home to the Pines, Preserve and Garden golf courses. The Grandview golf team, ensures that each player is catered to, and with fifty four holes in the Grandview course family, there is definitely a place to fit everyone’s needs. Grandview prides itself in being one of the first resorts to offer championship golf in the Brainerd area. Introduced by executive Fred Boos, the Pines was one of the first top notch golf courses in the area. The Pines offers 27 stunning holes, laid out by course designer Joel Goldstrand that continues to draw tens of thousands to play every year. The Pines has been awarded with many prestigious awards. Including the gold medal from golf magazine, as well as they were ranked in the top 120 golf resorts in the world by Conde Nast Travelers in 2012, just to name a few. Along with the stunning Pines course, Grandview is also home to the par 35, relaxing Garden course. The Garden built in the 1930’s, is just like its social nine counterparts that are there to be family friendly and fun, but can also offer a challenge for any player. With these two courses located on the Grandview Lodge property, ten miles north of the Pines, is what I consider Minnesota’s greatest hidden gem, and that is the recently renovated, Preserve at Grandview Lodge. The Preserve is 18 holes of stunning championship golf that one has to see to believe. Having eleven elevated tee boxes, bent grass tees, greens, and fairways, all carved through some of Minnesota’s best forests and wetlands, leads to a golf experience like no other. With a view from the clubhouse that is like no other course in the country, the Preserve is the tip of the iceberg, to what make Grandview Lodge the most awarded golf resort in Minnesota.
At the end of this Lakes area golf trail, is a crown jewel of golf courses. Deacons Lodge in Breezy Point, is part of the Breezy Point resort family, but it is nothing like any other course in their possession. It was designed by the King of Golf, Arnold Palmer, and named after his father, Deacon. This course is 18 holes of championship golf that will not disappoint. The course consists of bent grass tees, greens, and fairways that carve through beautiful Minnesota forests, wetland, and stunning lakes. Deacons is so impressive, it has been listed on Golf Digest’s top 100 greatest public courses, and the 17th hole is even part of the Kings dream 18.
So next time you are planning you and your buddies golf trip, skip Pebble Beach, and play in Stern Rubber’s back yard, home to some of the greatest golf courses in the United States.
Lakes Area Golf Calls it a Season
Located about twenty miles east of Stern Rubber, is the Brainerd Lakes area, which is home to many recreational activities, including fishing, biking, boating, skiing, hunting, and some of the best golf in the country. Golf Digest even wrote that the Brainerd area is “one of the top golf destinations in the world.” With winter soon approaching, many of these great courses are closing for the season, but there is still plenty of opportunity to play them in the future.
Stretching from Deacons Lodge in Breezy Point, to the sixty three holes at Maddens Resort on the east side of Gull Lake, is what is known as the Brainerd golf trail. Along the trail is a wide spread of great golf, including the Legacy Courses at Craguns, Grandview Lodge, and Breezy Point Resort.
The trail begins on the southeast side of Gull Lake, which is home to Maddens and Craguns resorts. Maddens Resort, which is home to four courses, totaling sixty three holes, is spread throughout the East Gull Lake area. Located at the main lodge, is a family orientated Social Nine, that offers a unique relaxing setting that is a true test for any players game. Also located on the same property as the social nine, is the historic Pine Beach East course. Built in 1929 by Scottish designer James Dalgelish, the East course is a challenging but score able par 72. Spanning only 6,100 yards, the course has it unusual twists and turns, as most courses do, including a 620 yard par 6, several drivable par 4’s, and plenty of small challenging greens, that all come together to offer a great on-course experience. Now along with these two courses located at the lodge, less than a mile from them is the shot makers delight, Pine Beach West course. Although the West course seems very score able, the 5,100 yard par 67 layout demands every shot in a player’s bag. Featuring tight wooded fairways, and small true greens, the opportunities to go low, are not as easy as one may think. With these three courses being masterpieces of their own, Maddens is also home to the highly awarded Classic. The Classic, which was designed by course superintendent Scott Hoffmann, was created to give every player a unique tour quality experience. Given a five star rating by Golf Digest, and currently ranked the 63rd public golf course in the country. The Classic offers stunning views, challenging shots, amazing course quality and all around a “Classic” golf experience that rounds off the other great courses located at Maddens Resort.
A few miles down the golf trail from Maddens, is Cragun’s Resort. Craguns which is home to the 45 holes of the Legacy Courses, offers golfers an amazing experience. Located on one piece of stunning property, is 36 holes of championship golf, a nine hole reversible par 3 course, top notch practice facility, and stunning club house. The first unique aspect of the Legacy, is its reversible par 3 course. This course, much like the social nine at Maddens, is intended to appeal to families and kids, but is also a challenge for any player. Yet what is unique about the par 3 at the Legacy, is that is has 18 sets of tees and can be played either starting on one and playing to nine, or the other way around depending on the day. Along with the par three course, the Legacy is also home to the Bobby’s and Dutch courses. Both are 18 hole championship courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and are sure to test any players game, while also offering stunning views, and a great experience. Both the Dutch and Bobby’s courses were ranked by Golf Digest in 2009, awarding the Dutch course with 5 stars, and Bobby’s with 4.5. The course is also home to master teaching professional and Golf Digest ranked number 4 teaching pro in Minnesota, Chris Foley.
Stern Rubber Attends International Elastomer Conference
Bob Jackson (President), and Connie Krueger (Purchasing Supervisor) attended the International Elastomer Conference, held in Cleveland, OH, during the week of of October 12th. This conference was well covered by the Rubber & Plastics News, which recently featured an article about Stern Rubber Company.
Bob and Connie spent their time meeting with current and prospective material suppliers, and examining the many pieces of production and testing equipment that were set up and running. Some of the equipment included injection presses from Desma, Maplan, Rep, Engel, and others. There was also testing equipment from Alpha Technologies, MonTech, and TA Instruments, among others.
The most impressive thing that they found at the show was a mold that Desma was running in their injection press that was using new technology for the rubber industry. This was impressive, as it was a 4 cavity mold, but the 4 cavities were parts of different sizes. This is important, as usually for a part to run well in injection, the parts need to be identical, and the volume of the feed needs to be very evenly balanced. Desma had gotten around this by installing pressure sensors in each of the cavities. The cavities were each directly fed with a gate valve from a cold runner system. The gate valve was controlled by pressure sensors in the cavity, that were tied into the program of the press. As the smallest cavity reached the full point, the cavity pressure started to rise, and the press shut off the feed valve to that cavity. The other cavities continued to fill, and each of them shut off, as they got full, and the pressure started to rise. This was an expensive mold, as it required a cold runner, as well as the pressure sensors, and the press has to be outfitted with a specific control system. But, normally, if 4 different sized parts needed to be run, it would require 4 molds, instead of just one. There was also significant material and secondary labor savings, as this system allowed these parts to be run flash free, and there was no waste from a runner system. This system has additional possible positive ramifications as well. By monitoring the cavity pressure as the parts cure, this could also be used to monitor the cure state, to minimize the cure time, for additional time and cost savings.
Another place where this technology could be helpful, would be for making rubber to metal bonded parts, where a casting is used. Castings (especially sand cast parts) have a lot of variation
in size and volume. This is important, as normally when molding this type of part, you need to use extra material for all of the cavities, to make sure that there is enough material to take up the extra room left by the smallest castings. This means wasting extra material, and having to take the time to remove all the extra flash. By using a cold runner with the pressure monitoring system, it could be run to always use the exact correct amount of material, and to minimize the flash that hasto be removed.
It was wonderful to see the new technology, and from the number of exhibitors and attendees, it appears that the rubber industry is healthy!
To see videos that were filmed at the conference, please click here.
`Reprinted from Rubber & Plastics News
Stern Rubber expands in Minnesota
By CHRIS SWEENEY
10/12/2015
Photo by Chris Sweeney This new
warehouse is part of Stern Rubber’s
expansion to its manufacturing
facility in Staples, Minn.
STAPLES, Minn.—Stern Rubber Co. isn’t afraid to try new things, and it is paying off with more business.
The firm recently celebrated the grand opening of a new 12,000-sq.-ft. addition to its manufacturing facility in Staples, increasing the size of the building to 50,000 square feet with 65 employees.
It also has added three new pieces of equipment since the addition opened—a Normec splicing press, a fourth Desma Injection Press and 3.5 inch NRM Vacuum Extruder.
In total, President Bob Jackson said the firm has spent about $1.45 million on the new expansion and the additional equipment.
“We were drastically out of room,” Jackson said. “We needed to buy some more injection presses, and we didn’t have anywhere to put them. We also needed more warehouse space because we were completely out of warehouse room.”
The company used the expansion as an opportunity to improve its process flow. Jackson said the firm’s deflashing and trimming process had been in the center of the building as opposed to the end because of the way the plant has evolved. The executive estimates the main building has been expanded six times since it was established in 1973.
Stern Rubber operates three facilities—its main building and an extruding plant both located on the same campus in Staples. The third facility is about an hour east in Aitkin, Minn. That building exclusively focuses on gate valves—one of the firm’s largest sources of business. The three facilities combine to employ about 85.
The company operates six injection and 27 compression presses at its main facility, with the extrusion operation consisting of two lines. It also operates three compression presses in Aiken.
Stern Rubber uses almost every kind of rubber imaginable—including natural rubber, EPDM, SBR, molded silicone and fluoroelastomers—using compression, transfer and injection molding as well as some extrusion. Part of the reason for the growth is the company’s willingness to try almost anything.
“If we can mold it, we’ll quote it and take it on,” Jackson said.
No experience needed
Photo by Chris Sweeney
Stern Rubber President Bob Jackson
When a customer was looking for a company to try its hand in extrusion, Stern Rubber wasn’t shy. In fact, the customer wanted a rubber molder who didn’t have any extrusion experience and was willing to support a rubber molding shop to get the results it needed.
Jackson said the customer approached about 100 rubber shops, with Stern Rubber one of two that said yes. The customer produces a thin walled extruded rubber tube used in the bottom of sewer ponds to break down sewage. The product required wall tolerances tighter than industry norms.
“It’s a spider web of PVC pipes that are coated with these extruded tubes that have thousands of holes punched in them,” he said. “The size of the hole is what dictates the bubble, and the smaller the bubble, the more efficient the hole. You then have more surface area to break down the sewage.”
The rubber part sets the size of the bubbles and works as a one-way check valve, not allowing water or sewage back into the system when the air is shut off.
The customer wanted to teach a company how to extrude the product from scratch, to show that it can be done consistently. Jackson said the customer was having problems maintaining those tight tolerances consistently with extruding firms accustomed to industry norms.
That business has been good for Stern Rubber. The firm and its customer partnered on one machine. Stern Rubber since has added a second extruding line, and both operate out of a 14,000-sq.-ft. building on the main campus in Staples. The extrusion operation employs about four.
Bread and butter
Photo by Chris Sweeney
Stern Rubber’s gate valve business is so big it needs its own facility for the commodity valves it produces for two primary customers. The Aitkin operation spans 10,000 square feet and consists of 16 employees, producing high volume valves of the 4 to 12 inch sizes via injection molding.
Stern Rubber’s main operation produces the larger gate valve sizes bigger than 12 inches used in water treatment facilities. Some span up to 24 inches and weigh about 500 pounds. The firm also has a customer that buys as small as 2-inch valves.
The company also does a lot of work in agriculture with John Deere and in the snowmobile industry with two Minnesota-based firms—Polaris and Arctic Cat. New business in that area will require Stern Rubber to upgrade one of its injection presses at the main facility by early 2016. Jackson said the firm is hoping to get the press on order shortly.
“We’re always looking for more work,” Jackson said. “The gate valve industry is one that they use the same parts for years and years, but the snowmobile world is a lot like the automotive world. Those parts have a very short lifetime.”
Jackson said Stern Rubber has been growing at about a 10 to 15 percent clip every year since coming out of the recession in 2008, though for 2015 he said so far the operation has experienced about 7 percent growth.
The firm primarily chases premium business.
“We don’t sell on price,” Jackson said. “We’re not usually the cheapest, but we offer the best value. We have very good quality, very good delivery, but we also help the engineers. We make design recommendations to help them save costs and help them choose materials. We sell more on the technical side than on the price side.”
Central Minnesota CEO
When people think of high school, they often think of learning the basics: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Yet as our world changes, so does education, and a man that noticed a need for this change is Craig Lindvahl. Craig is the founder and Executive Director of the CEO program, which was started by the Midland Institute of Entrepreneurship.
CEO is not a normal high school class. In fact, it isn’t even facilitated within a school. CEO, which stands for Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities, was started in Effingham, Illinois in the early 2000’s, with the intent to teach from a more real life perspective, rather than in a somewhat simulated environment within schools.
Since its early beginnings, CEO has now expanded to not just one site in Illinois, but it is now in over 28 locations including central Minnesota. As I said before, CEO is not a normal class. First of all, it is funded completely by local businesses. Along with that, the class is also hosted within one of the local businesses.
Yet that is not the only thing that makes CEO special. The main purpose of CEO is to develop students to be more business savvy entrepreneurs, that later in life will better the local community. The way CEO does this is through several different strategies. First of all, just like a job, students have to go through a rigorous application process to get into the class. Once accepted, the students have the opportunity to travel and visit businesses in the local area, and learn from the owners and managers. Along with that, there are also several speakers that come into the class and talk about their business experiences and offer insight to students. But the biggest part of CEO, is that students are required to start a business of their own, by the end of the year. Yes, you read that correctly, the students have to start their own business, not hypothetically, or in a simulated form. They actually develop a business plan, and have to execute it effectively, while getting their tax ID numbers, registering their business name, marketing their company, etc.
Now I’m sure your saying “a class like this sounds great for kids”, well Stern Rubber thought so too. So when the opportunity to start a course in the Staples area was proposed, Stern as well as a multitude of other local businesses, were more than happy to invest and get it going, and last year the first CEO class took place in central Minnesota. CEO is now offered to Staples, and Wadena students that want to be more than just an average every day learner. The ideas that are taught in CEO are lifelong skills that will hopefully not just better the community, but also the student as a whole.
Craig Lindvahl does a much better job describing the CEO class, so please see this video from Craig. For more information on how to bring a CEO class to your community, please click here. There is also a lot more information on the Midland Institute website that you can visit by clicking here, or their Facebook page by clicking here.
Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award
On Saturday, September 26th, Terry Stern was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for an incident-free 50 year flight career. Jay Flowers from the Federal Aviation Administration presented the award to Terry on a foggy morning at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.
The FAA started presenting the awards on August 11, 2003, to honor pilots with 50-year clean records. The FAA evaluates applicants for good, moral character, so there is a vetting process that applicants have to go through.
Flowers brought a record book of all of Terry’s flight data, about an inch thick, going back to his very first flight. Friends and family looked on as Flowers noted Terry’s achievements and presented the award in the airport’s conference room.
According to the FAA’s online database of Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award winners, there are currently 55 honorees in Minnesota, but Terry is the first from the Brainerd lakes area.
Terry took his first solo flight in February of 1964, when he was 17 years old. Now 68, Stern is coming up on the 52nd anniversary of his solo flight. He wasn’t surprised by the award, as he knew that once he hit the 50-year mark, he could apply for the distinction.
Terry submitted his application, and a couple of his pilot friends, Chuck Datko, Bruce Olson, and Janaka Bolduc, submitted letters of recommendation on his behalf. All four pilots are part of a group called T-6 Thunder North American Flight Team, which performs flyovers for different events. For those flyovers, Terry flies his 1944 North American Aviation T-6 Texan.
Terry has logged about 6,500 pilot hours. He worked as a corporate pilot for a time, where he did on-call flying for different companies, which gave him the chance to fly a wide variety of planes. For the last 15 years, he has been flying in the Commemorative Air Force, which gave him the chance to fly more classic, military-style planes.
Terry, and his Father, Donovan, started Stern Rubber in 1969. Terry said that flying played a key role in the company’s development. He said, “We used aircraft to visit customers, and to deliver parts to customers. Just being able to move people around quickly and help a customer out if they had a problem.”
Terry’s time in a plane varies these days, but he averages a couple of flights per week. He said he’ll go two or three weeks without flying, and then have a weekend like a recent one where he flies in five different flyovers. With the Commemorative Air Force, Terry does a lot of missing man formation flyovers at funerals for fallen pilots or veterans. “The idea is to remember the people that sacrificed everything for us”, Terry said. “That’s probably our biggest mission, is remembering the veterans and the people that gave everything they had to protect our freedom.”
IMMI – Seat Belts for Polaris RZR XP 1000
One of Stern Rubber’s newest customers is Indiana Mills and Manufacturing, or IMMI. IMMI produces seat belts, tie downs, and safety equipment for everything from UTV’s to fire trucks. IMMI has facilities located in the USA, Mexico, UK, and China, and is headquartered in Westfield, Indiana.
For the outdoors market, they make tie down systems and tow straps that are marketed as CargoBuckle, and BoatBuckle. Many of these are retractable, and many can be permanently mounted. These include ties downs for trailers, straps for attaching a boat to the trailer, fishing rod holders, boat light holders, and trolling motor tie downs. Click here to see their entire catalog of outdoor equipment.
Some of the other types of industries that they serve include school buses, commercial trucks, fire trucks, military, child seating, motor coach, off road construction vehicles, and UTV vehicles.
For buses, IMMI makes base seats, along with ones with seat belts, and integrated child seats.
For commercial trucks and fire apparatus, they have a system called RollTek, which is specifically designed to offer advanced protection in a rollover accident. RollTek senses an impending rollover and tightens the seat belts, pulls the suspension seat to its lowest level to increase survivable space, and deploys side airbags to cushion the head and neck, which gives the driver a better chance to survive. They also have a system called 4Front that was created for head-on collisions. When 4Front senses a collision, it tightens the seal belts, pulls the suspension seat down to increase the survivable space, and inflates a steering wheel airbag to protect the head and neck of the occupants.
They also make restraints for a resting passenger that is in a bunk in the back of a commercial vehicle, along with custom seat belts that can include their Komfort Latch that relieves seat belt tension, a seat belt height adjuster, high visibility seat belt webbing, a rugged latch, a retractor, and electric switch options.
IMMI produces specific items for the fire service such as SmartDock, which is a hands-free SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) holder, and ReadyReach, which is made specifically to go over the bulky, heavy gear that is worn by firefighters. ReadyReach allows firefighters to grab their seat belts and buckle in one-handed.
IMMI also owns its own testing facility, known as CAPE. Here, the do testing, including crash testing of commercial vehicles such as semis, buses, and fire trucks. The have the biggest barrier block in the world to put some of the world’s biggest vehicles to the test. They do trailer under-ride, oblique and offset tests and vehicle to vehicle crash testing. They also built a 90 degree dynamic rollover impact machine to better understand how injuries occur in a rollover.
Stern Rubber has been doing business with IMMI since early 2015, and is producing a strap that goes on a seat belt assembly that IMMI is providing to Polaris Industries. The assembly is being installed on a Polaris RZR XP 1000. The strap improves the comfort of their shoulder strap, as it pulls it down onto the shoulder of the rider, instead of catching the operator on the side of the neck or face. To see these in action, stop into your local Polaris dealer and climb into a new Polaris RZR 1000, and check out the seat belt.
Mark Pfeifer Joins the Team at Stern Rubber Company
Mark is one of our newest team members at Stern Rubber Company, and he was recently hired as our Quality Manager. As the Quality Manager, he manages the Quality Assurance Dept., and has responsibility for the quality of all the products produced here at Stern Rubber, and the registration to ISO 9001:2008. He works closely with the Operations Dept., as well as the Technical Dept., Sales, and Customer Service.
Mark was born in South St. Paul, Minnesota and grew up in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Both are located in the Twin Cities, about 140 miles south of where Stern Rubber Company is located. Mark has lived in the Brainerd area for 22 years. Mark has his MBA in finance from the University of St. Thomas as well as his BSME from the U of M in Minneapolis.
Mark is very involved in the realm of quality and is always looking for ways to make processes more efficient and successful. Mark is one who likes to be involved not only in the quality lab, but also on the floor, working with the molders to ensure that what they are producing is the high quality product that Stern Rubber strives to produce, while also ensuring that the processes they are applying, makes their jobs better as well. Mark’s background in quality management expands beyond his new job here at Stern, and he joins the team with over 20 years of experience in the field, along with a passion for quality, leadership, and problem solving.
For hobbies, Mark used to be an avid snowmobiler and dirt biker, but has now begun to put his dare-devilish hobbies aside, and enjoys boating, fixing up his home, and his newest hobby: curling. Mark is a member of the Brainerd curling club, where he plays 3 times a week, and was recently elected to the board of the club, and is working on learning about ice preparation. Mark is married to his wife Deb, and they have three daughters, two have graduated from college and the other just started. His girls were very active in dance competitions when they were younger and his wife worked at the studio to offset the high costs of them being in dance.
Mark is a great asset to the Stern Rubber team, and his prior experience in quality management is extremely beneficial. His passion for leadership and problem solving adds to the great team already in place here at Stern Rubber.
Feel free to give Mark a call or email, if you have any quality related questions or issues.
