United Plastics Group

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United Plastics Group Boosts Productivity and Eliminates Labor Constraints With Veryable

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United Plastics Group (UPG) is a global manufacturer specializing in high-quality plastic injection molded parts for the automotive, medical, electronics, and consumer goods industries. With a production footprint that runs across three shifts and serves highly demanding customers, UPG must balance consistent quality and speed with the unpredictable swings in demand that define modern manufacturing.

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Traditionally, UPG used a core group of full-time employees alongside a standard temporary labor strategy to cover demand spikes. However, the burden of continuously onboarding and retraining new temporary workers slowed operations and impacted costs. As Sandy Cooks, UPG’s Plant Manager, put it:

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“It has always been a burden for us filling positions with people who want to return steadily and want to work full-time. We have always used the traditional temp labor strategy.”

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That changed in September 2022 when UPG found Veryable’s on-demand labor platform. With Veryable, UPG built a flexible extension of its workforce that could be deployed instantly, enabling “just-in-time” response to demand and eliminating the inefficiencies of traditional approaches.

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Embracing Change With A New “Just-In-Time” Solution

Change is never easy, but UPG saw the opportunity immediately. Chris Akins, HR Manager at UPG, explained:

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“Change is always unique in that sometimes you embrace it and sometimes you’re scared of it. We were perplexed with where things were at, and when we were introduced to Veryable, it seemed like a great concept and a good platform, and we’ve liked it.”

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Through Veryable, UPG can post open positions on demand and filter applicants based on past ratings, certifications, distance, and reliability.

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“We like the fact that operators are rated by past opportunities, and that they can rate us as well. That rating attached to them working gives them skin in the game, as opposed to just a regular traditional staffing agency,” Akins shared.

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He continued: “I like that when we have a big list of operators who have bid for a position, I can filter them through different key points like distance from our location, or reliability, or overall rating. We also like that we can see what certifications they have and what kind of previous work they’ve done.”

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Meeting Demand in Real Time

UPG began by integrating Veryable operators on its first shift — the busiest shift with the most team members in place. Once those operators proved consistent and reliable, they were added to second and third shifts as well. Akins described how this approach gave UPG flexibility across their 24/5 schedule:

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“If I come in in the morning and I hear that third shift maybe had a large order added on, and now they have an increased need for operators the next day, then I can go onto the platform and create those ops and have the positions filled in a matter of hours.”

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This just-in-time capability ensures that even surprise production spikes are met, without overburdening their core workforce.

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Building a Reliable Labor Pool

As UPG developed a pool of trusted, high-performing Veryable operators, it could post directly to this vetted labor pool for even faster results. Akins explained the power of this approach:

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“Once your labor pool is built, then these are the people from Veryable that you know. They’ve been here, they’ve seen different positions, they’re consistent. You don’t really need to vet them again — they’ve been through the vetting process.”

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When production increases dramatically with short notice, UPG can now rely on their labor pool, ensuring a seamless experience for both operators and their full-time workforce.

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Upskilling and Efficiency Gains

Veryable’s approach has also allowed UPG to cross-train operators, maximizing uptime and reducing bottlenecks. Akins explained:

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“As operators come in and spend more time in our production facility, they are able to learn different positions. They may be on this machine today, tomorrow they may be on a different machine, and it’s a win-win. When we have a sudden increase in production, we don’t have to continuously train new people on a daily basis — they’ve already been there, they’ve already done that, they’ve been through the training.”

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By leveraging a flexible labor model, UPG has strengthened its position in a highly competitive market, achieving the speed, customization, and cost-effectiveness that its customers expect. Veryable’s on-demand labor platform enables UPG to handle demand spikes without sacrificing quality or increasing overtime, helping their team stay agile and future-ready.

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“Whenever I talk about Veryable,” Akins concluded, “I talk about the key things that drew me to it: the number of operators in our area that we can draw from, that they’re rated and vetted, and that we can fill shifts on short notice. That makes a big difference.