As one of only 20 companies in the State to receive the Governor’s citation for Maryland Technology Champion in the first annual awards ceremony held in Annapolis on January 31, CPM Fastools of Lusby, Md. is in a lofty class of technological innovators.
While it may seem odd for a four-month-old company to receive such a prestigious award from the State’s highest official, CPM Fastools is actually a subsidiary of a larger plastics manufacturing company, Chesapeake Plastics Manufacturing, which has been operating since 2003. The company has also placed itself on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology with their laser sintering and cryogenics processes, unusual for the United States.
The awards program, hosted by BDO Seidman, LLP, the Gazette and the Tech Council of Maryland, was created to pay tribute to the companies that have been instrumental in Maryland’s growth and success. The citation was bestowed upon CPM Fastools “with congratulations on selection as a recipient of the first annual Maryland Technology Champions Award; and as our citizens join together in expressing gratitude, admiration and great respect for your positive contribution to the State of Maryland.”
CPM Fastools co-owners Mark McGrath and Steven Moore admit to being surprised by the recognition. “Of course, we were ecstatic to receive the Governor’s invitation and be included in such an impressive class of innovators,” said McGrath. “As the only manufacturer recognized and the only company representing Southern Maryland, it was truly an honor.” When asked what he thought gave his company the edge over other Maryland companies, Moore said, “It’s no secret that the manufacturing industry is in trouble from Asian competition. Our laser sintering and cryogenics technologies offer extremely viable, economical, secure and rapid methods for companies in the plastics and metal fabrication industries to compete against Asian manufacturers on price and speed. In fact, I believe this technology has the potential to revolutionize American manufacturing techniques.”
CPM Fastools’ laser sintering and cryogenics equipment – the first of its kind in Maryland – is able to rapidly produce production-quality tools and molds for clients in the plastics industry. The company can also produce metal parts and cryogenics for products such as replacement aircraft parts, police rifles, brake rotors and automobile windshield wiper blades. The company reproduces the parts and creates concept pieces without the need to wait for drawings and machining, thus providing manufacturers with solid modeling and finished parts in a fraction of the time and at a greatly reduced cost.
McGrath said, “We can cryogenically process many useful items that people wouldn’t imagine such as firearms and tools used for emergency management and maintenance departments. For example, cryogenically processed brake rotors, drums and pads provide a huge increase in life span over non-treated items, which can ultimately save organizations and government agencies lots of money,” he said.
With their new title of Maryland Technology Champion, Moore and McGrath hope their company can serve as an example for the State’s manufacturers, proving that success is possible in what is sometimes considered a vanishing industry. “The future of manufacturing is in technology,” said Moore. “The next generation of manufacturing champions will come from those companies that use brain power, not labor, to drive their innovations.”For more information on CPM Fastools or Chesapeake Plastics Manufacturing, please call 410.326.3004, send an e-mail to mark@cpmfastools.com or visit their Web sites at www.cpmfastools.com or www.chesapeakeplastics.com.For more information about the Calvert County, Maryland Department of EconomicDevelopment and the services available to businesses, call 410.535.4583, 800.331.9771 or 301.855.1880; send an e-mail to info@ecalvert.com, or visit our Web site at www.ecalvert.com.
