We’re like a small Family

Carly has been working as a laboratory technician at the Innovation Center in Wallingford, CT since March 2022. Her team includes four people: In addition to her and another lab technician, they are joined by two analytical chemists. They mainly perform tests for research and development, for new and existing products. Monday morning starts with a review of the business: What will the upcoming week bring? What orders are pending? Which chemicals are needed? Standard situations and exceptions alternate and all work requests are different. “That’s how it is in research and development. Everyone has a different concern about a part or a pellet. You have to be able to look at a problem from all sides. Often, we find the solution together at the round table,” Carly says.

Shortly after Carly joined the company, a huge project was on the horizon in October 2022. “Our lab moved out of the production facility and into the Innovation Center - an immense effort for everyone involved.” All the equipment had to be cataloged and packaged, and all the pieces were labeled and numbered - there were color-coded numbers for each box. “We had to be very precise.” After all, the lab needed to be able to resume operations as soon as possible. About 30 pieces of equipment had to change places, including some fragile specimens. The Injection Molder posed the biggest challenge: “We even had to remove a wall for transport.” The team was split up: “Two stood in the old lab, two in the new one, so that the packers handled the equipment with the necessary care. It was nerve-wracking.” But the effort was worth it. “We got the lab up and running again even earlier than expected. Now we are working under the best conditions. When I come into the office in the morning, I have a smile on my face.”

Are the processing times being met? The safety protocols? “We’re usually pretty busy.” But when idle time does occur, Carly is happy to fill in for colleagues: “We’re all trained to be so versatile that we can support each other at any time.” Team spirit is valued highly. “We’re like a little family. We help each other, we learn from each other - we have a great dynamic.” Carly is on site from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. She’s usually the first one in. Home offices are an option for her in emergencies, such as in the winter when heavy snowfall hits Connecticut. Outside of work, Carly loves spending time with her family. She has a fiancé, a French bulldog named Taz, and four children, including a set of twins who are now two years old. She built a swing set and a pool behind the house for the kids, and in the evenings, she likes to sit in her garden. “I love the flowers I planted there. The best way for me to relax is to look out at the blooms.”