Checon Corporation Celebrates 35th Anniversary
Attleboro, MA - April 1, 1995 - Checon Corporation celebrated its thirty-fifth year in business this past Saturday by hosting an Open House for its employees and their families. Participants were treated to a series of plant tours, personally conducted by fellow employees with fifteen or more years seniority, followed by brunch. The popular event was the third of its kind, with similar celebrations previously held to honor the manufacturer’s twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries.
The story of Checon’s beginnings is a familiar one. Donald Conaway, an engineering graduate of Cornell University and native of Pennsylvania, was first exposed to the metal preparation and forming industry as a young engineer working for Attleboro based, Metals and Controls Incorporated, which was later purchased by Texas Instruments. Armed with some original thinking and a generous dose of courage, Conaway started the company in his basement with the idea of bringing a new metal tube cutting process to market. The success of Checon’s first product offering served as a springboard for what is currently the principle business at Checon – electrical contacts. Today the company is recognized as an industry leader with a number of technological patents, new product developments and quality awards to its credit.
Located on Dunham Street, Checon sits on a prominent corner overlooking what is affectionately known as the “speedway,” named after the horse races once held on the now present O’Neil Boulevard. The forty thousand square foot facility is a stone’s throw away from sister company Chemet Corporation, a manufacturer of materials for the contact and electronic markets. Both businesses boast a loyal roster of Checon veterans. “To grow from the 4 employees I started with at the Union Street location some twenty -eight years ago to the 84 that we have in place today is an incredible milestone to recognize,“ said David Lee, Checon’s system administrator. Close to twenty five percent of all individuals now employed at Checon have been with the company for twenty years.
“What is truly remarkable about Checon is not its longevity but the integrity and character of its people. Time and again the company has repeatedly attracted individuals that exemplify this type of dedication,” said Gerry Fontaine, Checon’s engineering manager and employee for more than twenty-two years. Dick Janson, new tooling foreman and another twenty year plus veteran added: “It goes both ways. Checon attracts good people because of its commitment to them – through the good times and the bad.” Ron Wilson, Checon’s most senior employee, summed it up: “Don Conaway has been an employer but also a friend. That’s something that most people seek but never find.”
Checon enjoys a reputation for being a stable employer with its repeated avoidance of layoffs during the recessions of the eighties and nineties. With the majority of its employees from Attleboro and the surrounding communities, the company continues to increase employment with today’s count totaling close to ninety individuals. “Attleboro is a great location for Checon due to the availability of both precious metals and a skilled work force,” said Don Conaway, now Chairman of the Board.
“Checon’s presence as a viable manufacturer is not only critical to our employees and the community at large but it is also reflective of the general health of the nation’s manufacturing sector, “ said Allen Conaway, president. “We see the business growing into the next century. The commitment of our employees, combined with continued technological advancements in our manufacturing, engineering and quality systems, ensure our future here in Attleboro, “ he added.
