This is a tale of three business partners working together to get products to market cost effectively while providing job opportunities for workers with disabilities. It’s a story of innovation in production logistics and workforce management that is helping dozens of employees with developmental disabilities, autism and other special needs become independent—while helping their business partners succeed.

It starts with Graco Inc., a publically held, national leader in fluid handling systems―pneumatic spray guns, pumps, nozzles, and related parts used in the application of a wide range of industrial fluids. Many of their smaller parts are distributed in blister packs. Blister packs need assembly and that’s where the partnership begins.

A helping hand and lower costs

A few years back, while exploring the possibility of outsourcing some of their in-house packaging production work, Graco was introduced to Opportunity Partners. The Twin Cities-based non-profit organization specializes in helping area residents with disabilities achieve independent living by providing a range of training and support services, including meaningful work experience.

It was a partnership that clicked. Opportunity Partners provides trained employees and a production facility at their site where Graco’s parts meet up with the blister packs assembly process. But the beauty is in the detail. Surprisingly, it’s a kind of logistical choreography that happens behind the scenes.

The choreography

More than just blister pack assembly, or “kitting,” Opportunity Partners manages inventory control. They order the parts from a Graco subsidiary, about 35 to 40 SKUs. The imprinted “back cards,” designed by Graco in-house and printed by GLS Companies, are shipped from GLS to Opportunity Partners. GLS Account Executive Dave Tich coordinates production and delivery on a “just-in-time” basis. Next, the correct parts are mated with the matching back card and the pre-formed blister cavity materials, shipped in from another Twin Cities-based manufacturer.

The Opportunity Partners employees—part of a daily company workforce of 450 people at several work centers throughout the Twin Cities—then mate the adhesive-coated back card to the blister material. The finished, packaged products are then shipped to Graco as needed.

Benefits for all

For Graco, it means Opportunity Partners is taking care of virtually all of the details. The non-profit manages everything up to the point where the final product is ready for market. The result: workers with disabilities are gaining valuable work experience and self-confidence while Graco receives reliable production, reduced administrative costs and lowered production expenses.

According to Opportunity Partners’ account executive Randy Bloom the benefits are clear. “We provide work opportunities to people with disabilities, and Graco and GLS are helping us in that mission,” he says. “Our ultimate goal is to provide individuals with the skills to be employed by companies throughout the Twin Cities—and to be able to live independently to the greatest extent possible.”

A partnership that makes sense

Founded in 1953 Opportunity Partners has been growing and expanding their services for nearly six decades and now provides services to hundreds of individuals with disabilities and their families throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. As for Graco, it’s a partnership that has been growing for about ten years—and now it’s become a year-round operation. Graco’s Chad Kriewaldt couldn’t be more pleased. “It’s a great fit for Graco, he says.”They can produce the product less expensively than we can internally.” And that, he says, is something he can definitely recommend!

To learn more about Graco, visit their website at www.graco.com. For more on Opportunity Partners go to: www.opportunities.org.