SPI Wins 2020 Plastics News Best Places to Work

This Article originally appeared in the March 30th, 2020 issue of Plastics News.

Parsippany, N.J.-based Asaclean-Sun Plastech Inc. has made Plastics News' Best Places to Work list six years in a row, but this is the first time it's made the top spot. Established in 1996, SPI manufactures and distributes Asaclean purging compounds for North and South America.

SPI employees participate in Bring Your Child to Work Day; casual Fridays; dressing up for Halloween; international food day, where everyone brings in local foods since many employees are from other countries; champagne toasts to celebrate special occasions and milestones; flexible hours and the ability to work from home once per week. The SPI workweek is 35 hours, and employees start between 7-10 a.m. and end between 3-6 p.m.

There are murder mystery dinners, barbecues, golf outings, sporting events, dinner cruises and regular company dinners with entertainment. Perhaps most notable is the free week-long trip to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, to sight-see and visit the headquarters of parent company Asahi Kasei Corporation.

SPI Vice President Phani Nagaraj said the company believes in "hiring the right people and focusing heavily on fostering an environment where employees are empowered to make the right decisions."

"We believe helping our employees understand the strategy and how each person can add value in the execution of strategy," Nagaraj added. "People who understand the 'why' of the business make smarter decisions and drive positive results."

Employees are recognized for their hard work through gift cards and plaques. Workers who go above and beyond for the company are nominated for recognition and awarded at a company dinner, and gift cards are given to technical sales representatives who write the most popular blog posts.

"We take time every quarter to congratulate and recognize personal and company achievements during our sales meetings," according to the company in its Best Places to Work questionnaire.

The company matches 100 percent of employee 401(k) contributions up to 5 percent of overall compensation and contributes an additional 3 percent for free. SPI also matches flexible spending account contributions.

There are 12 paid holidays per year, and new employees are given 15 paid days off work. Employees can also donate accrued PTO to fellow workers in need.

SPI has 27 employees, with 15 in Parsippany and 12 working remotely.

"[SPI] is a 'best' place to work because of the culture, investment in employees and the people themselves," the company's questionnaire said. "SPI believes in and supports each member of the team, and the team reciprocates that commitment. … Each employee knows the company goals and puts the team first. SPI shows their commitment to the team through their actions."

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