Rome ‘s Kris-Tech Wire Still Growing after 3 Generations
ROME — At Kris-Tech Wire, it’s all about community.
The nearly 34-year-old company focuses on employee happiness and community service, said Eric Pietrowski, operations team leader.
“We have the best team,” he said. “We’re all driven here, we all want to succeed. It’s all about teamwork and giving 100 percent. I believe we are the most family-oriented business you can find. We don’t have time clocks, we still run on the honor system; we don’t have foremans running around, we have shift leaders.”
Founded in Rome near the Rome Copper facility, the third-generation, family-owned wire manufacturer recently expanded to a new facility in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park.
When the company was founded in 1984, twins Gerry and Glenn Brodock had recently retired from their careers in local industry and used their combined networks and skills to start Kris-Tech. They made their first sale later that day, according to the company’s website.
The company is a vertically integrated wire manufacturer that produces all materials in Rome, where they draw, anneal and twist copper rod into multiple wire gauges, which then are insulated with various plastic compounds, according to the company’s website.
The company serves commercial building, water and gas, solar and explosives industries, among others.
Rob Hinsdill, value integration leader, said one of the most common uses for their product is when gas pipelines are replaced with plastic. Companies will put in the copper wire next to the plastic pipes so they can find them easily again, he said.
“The only way to locate (the plastic pipeline) again is to have something that will conduct electricity,” Hinsdill said.
Along with the work employees do daily, there also is a Kris-Tech Cares committee that allows them to decide where to donate some of the company’s monthly profits, Pietrowski said.
Volunteers from the company also do work in the community on their time off.
“We give a certain percentage of what we ship each month,” Pietrowski said. “So if we ship a certain number of copper pounds, we give a certain amount back to the community. … Everyone here has a big heart, it makes everyone feel really good.”
Pietrowski said what sets the company apart is the value statement printed on the wall of the new facility. That statement is:
Kris-Tech is a relationship-based company committed to excellence:
It doesn’t go unnoticed, either.
Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo said the company is an example of a good company that has been grown in the city and helps with the community.
“A lot of companies today aren’t as community-minded,” she said. ”(Kris-Tech) stays true to the roots of their founders. … They’ve kept up that community spirit, which is great for us. … It’s not just a job, they’re actually taking part in activities that they pick and they’re able to give back.”
Contact reporter Samantha Madison at 315-792-5015 or follow her on Twitter (@OD_Madison).
