Tool Gauge had the pleasure of hosting Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA; Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation) during a press conference on the benefits of the Aviation Manufacturing Job Protection Program (AMJP), on February 22, 2022 at the Tool Gauge plastics facility.

Senator Cantwell met with several Tool Gauge employees including General Manager, Jim Lee; Molding Manager, Aaron Davis; Master Scheduler, Teresita Quiroz; and CEO, Debbie Lee during the press conference to discuss how the AMJP has impacted Tool Gauge. Tool Gauge received close to $620,000 in grant funding from AMJP which saved 38 jobs during the pandemic.

“Because we had the grant, we had the workforce, and we were able to save our key-skilled positions. We were in a great position to take on that transfer work. And the thing about aerospace work is, once it goes away, it never comes back…So it was critical for us, and it’s going to help us grow back out,” said Jim Lee.

The AMJP focuses on supporting the aviation supply chain and helping aviation companies rebound from the effects of the pandemic, supporting 50% of employee total compensation costs (including health care benefits) and up to 25% of their employees. Overall, the program provided over $57 million in funds to over 68 different companies throughout Pierce, Snohomish, and King counties.

Not only did the grant help Tool Gauge to retain key skilled employees, but it’s also helping to support ongoing investments in educational opportunities for all skill level employees.

“In retaining the staff we have, we’ve gone further to invest in education opportunities for entry-level employees such as the AJAC program and RJG’s Master Molder program,” said Aaron Davis. “I started off as a machine operator just after the recession in 2008 and worked my way up in my career. It’s really important to me to be able to bring more staff on board at the same position I was in back in 2009 and be able to get them to a level where you can have a livable wage here in the Tacoma area.”

The ongoing pandemic has severely impacted the aerospace sector from manufacturing, supply chain, maintenance, and more. Tool Gauge felt the effects, going from a headcount of 190 employees pre-pandemic to as low as 68.

“I think that what we do here is really important and it impacts every single person that is part of this team,” said Teresita Quiroz. “Thanks to programs like the one the senator helped us with, we’ve kept people here and I think it’s just so gratifying to see that we have built a great company to be working in. I’ve benefited from this program, me and a couple of my family members work here. It’s been just a blessing to know that during these difficult times, I and my family have been able to keep our jobs to provide for our families.”

Currently at 95 employees, Tool Gauge is in immediate need of 20 additional employees in assembly and operation positions. Once the aerospace industry recovers and production is back at full scale, an additional 20-30 positions will be added.

 

 

For more information on the AMJP and Tool Gauge grant, click here.

Interested in working for Tool Gauge? Head to our Career Page under the About Us section, or click here.