ZAGO Launches Sustainability 360 Social Impact Program
Taps Next Generation Manufacturing Talent in Newark, New Jersey
January 2, 2020 – Newark, NJ - Manufacturing is alive and kicking in Newark, NJ. Just ask ZAGO Manufacturing a 27-year old global producer of sustainable high-tech sealing solutions and components. ZAGO started in the NJIT Business Incubator Program in 1993, and what began as a one-person shop has evolved into a global business serving the likes of Google, Ferrari, BOSE and Apple from its state-of -the-art production facility on East Runyon Street.
While ZAGO has enjoyed year over year growth, there is a nagging challenge that could hamper success over the long-term: the unavailability of both skilled and unskilled manufacturing talent. In true entrepreneurial fashion, ZAGO launched ZAGO Sustainability 360 a social impact program to address the manufacturing talent shortage and provide Newark youth with viable pathways to well-paying employment and job security.
“Most New Jersey residents are surprised to learn that the average annual compensation wage for a manufacturing employee in New Jersey is $90,000*,” says Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich, CEO, ZAGO Manufacturing. “With close to 300 manufacturers in Newark, we have an opportunity to link tomorrow’s workforce to high-paying jobs that are literally in their backyards and have the ability to propel them to the middle class. Partnering with local high schools is among the best ways to reach and train young talent.”
ZAGO Sustainability 360 addresses education and gender disparity, economic security, job creation and environmental concerns. In 2019, ZAGO launched its first Sustainability 360 program with Newark Tech Vocational School, hosting field trips to its manufacturing facility and offering two scholarships to graduating 12th grade students who thoughtfully addressed the question: What is Advanced Manufacturing, and how can it be used as a force for good?
“ZAGO Sustainability 360 introduces low income students to the whole gamut of STEM and manufacturing careers – from the assembly line and engineering to sales, marketing, the C-suite and more,” notes Jackie Luciano, Vice President of ZAGO Manufacturing. “We had so much fun hosting the field trips and watching students’ faces light up as they toured the manufacturing floor and witnessed a robot making our product, that we looked for opportunities to expand the program with other schools in Newark.”
In September 2019, ZAGO expanded Sustainability 360 with Cristo Rey Newark High School and hired its first employee through the Schools That Can Newark Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways Program at West Side High School program and will be sending that student to NJIT for training through its Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics Training Programs offered in the NJIT Makerspace.
“It is exciting to work in manufacturing,” says Yasha Turnage, a ZAGO new hire and recent graduate of West Side High School, where she completed the Schools That Can Newark program. “The other day, I watched ZAGO self-sealing fasteners being made for prosthetic limbs. That was cool! I like that ZAGO is manufacturing sealing solutions that make a difference in the world.”
“What gets me most excited about working at ZAGO Manufacturing is being able to make sense of what is going on around me,” says Jewel Aryee, Sophomore, Cristo Rey Newark High School. “For example, when I hear phrases like socket cap and groove, I wouldn’t typically know what they mean, but being at ZAGO has helped me learn those terms quickly.”
“I'm excited to work at ZAGO because I get a window into what engineering is all about,” says Zinnah Dousuah, Junior, Cristo Rey Newark High School.
“When it comes to establishing a pipeline of manufacturing talent, we are at the tip of the iceberg,” says Friedberg Rottenstrich. “However, we are inspired by the high caliber of students and schools in Newark, and we look forward to finding employment solutions together.”
About ZAGO Manufacturing
ZAGO manufactures custom, high-tech sealing solutions and components. ZAGO sealing fasteners shield toxins from leaking in or out into the surroundings, are inherently green, and withstand engineers’ toughest production requirements. Thousands of engineers, OEMs and distributors choose ZAGO. Clients are global and include major military contractors, Apple, Google, Ferrari, BOSE, Lockheed Martin, HP and others.
