Checon marks 50 years

NORTH ATTLEBORO - Many businesses are foundering in a struggling economy, but one local company is celebrating a half-century of continued success this month.

Allen Conaway stands in front of an extrusion machine.

Checon – which manufactures contact materials from brass, copper and silver – was founded in 1960 in Attleboro by Don Conaway. Today, the company is headed by the founder’s son Allen and prides itself on community involvement and environmental progressiveness.

Half-century anniversary festivities included a reception for the many people who have been involved in the company’s progress over the years, a barbecue, and a trip to a Pawtucket Red Sox game. Employees also showed family members and friends around the Checon plant.

Company President Allen Conaway recalled his father’s 1960 departure from Texas Instruments to start his own small business, recounting how the larger company often referred customers to his father’s business until it realized that Checon had grown into a real competitor.

“Eventually, it grew into a big business and (Texas Instruments) stopped referring,” he noted with a laugh.

Allen Conaway poses in front of material ready to be stamped into electrical contacts.

Conaway said his father had included him in the business even from age 5, when they would sort parts on the kitchen table. Years later, his father brought him into the office to help tame the “newfangled computer,” and eventually passed the company presidency on to his son.

The company has undergone many changes since its founding.

The four original Attleboro locations were consolidated into one North Attleboro facility, a move that project manager Judith Conaway said allowed the company to expand and better adapt to a difficult economy.

The company also has worked to reduce its effect on the environment.

All materials except the food consumed by the building’s workers are recycled, and the company is in the process of changing to a completely online, paperless office.

Lighting efficiency in the plant is also important, Judith Conaway said. Many employees ride bicycles to work, parking them at racks provided alongside parking spaces for cars.

Others take advantage of bicycles provided by Checon during their breaks, going for a ride to get lunch or just some exercise.

Despite its evolution, Checon also stresses that its dedication to employees and to the local area has not changed.

The company has employed mainly residents of Attleboro, North Attleboro and Pawtucket, as well as some from outlying areas.

Judith Conaway described a group of workers ranging from the most recent hire – a 21-year-old recent college graduate – to employees who have been with Checon for decades.

Tool designer Dick Janson, 58, of Rehoboth, is one of the longtimers.

An Attleboro native, Janson has been working for Checon since his graduation from high school, and says he’s done virtually every job at Checon during his 38 years of employment there.

“A friend worked here, and told me to work here, and I’ve been here ever since,” Janson said. “I’ve been able to grow with the company.”

Allen Conaway said its important to provide “stable” jobs to local residents in times of high unemployment.

“Certainly, for myself and I think for Judy and the rest of the family, we think that offering quality jobs is the best thing we can do right now.”

He expressed hope that the company, which has changed from a solely domestic supplier to one that does business in Mexico, China and Europe, will continue to grow and flourish.

“Despite the lousy economy, we’re doing well,” he said. “(Checon is) a survivor.”

This article was written by:
Eliza LaJoie – The Sun Chronicle – Sunday, June 13, 2010
Photographs by Mike George – The Sun Chronicle
Read the original article here.