About
SKCAC Industries
Mission
Empowering people with developmental disabilities through gainful
employment opportunities.
Target workforce: people facing challenges finding
jobs due to disabilities, especially people with developmental disabilities.
Value Proposition
To provide the highest quality services and products to our business
and government clients by employing people with diverse abilities
and providing our employees with opportunities for greater independence
and pride of accomplishment.
In Action
SKCAC employs over 100 people; approximately 85 are production employees
with disabilities. Our workforce resides in Auburn, Bellevue, Burien,
Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Renton, Sammamish and Seattle. For
many, SKCAC provides the opportunity to participate in productive
work, earn wages, increase self esteem and gain independence. Our
employees look forward to the opportunity of coming to work each
day as productive members of our community.
Awards, Certifications, Recognition
- CARF Certified through 2008. The Commission on Accreditation
of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) reviews and grants accreditation
services nationally and internationally on request of a facility
or program. CARF standards are rigorous, so those services that
meet them are among the best available.
- 1999 – 2003 Rehabilitation Services and Accreditation (RSAS)
- Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Certification from the
Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
- 2002 In Pursuit of Excellence "Nominee", Kent Chamber of Commerce
- 2001 In Pursuit of Excellence "Leadership
Award", Kent Chamber of Commerce
- Outstanding Supplier Performance, The Boeing Company
- ISO 9001/2000 Quality Certification Application
for First Quarter 2006 (International Organization for Standardization)
History
Established in 1967
SKCAC Industries was organized in 1967 as a not-for-profit corporation
with the goal of helping people with disabilities become an integrated
part of our society. Over the years SKCAC has changed and grown
in how it delivers on its mission to provide adults with disabilities
with a chance to be a part of a productive workforce, increase independence,
reduce dependence on outside support and become more active participants
in the community.
The First Big Change
In 1984, government sponsorship for the social services being provided
to people with disabilities was dwindling and the objectives for
how the limited resources were to be focused were changing as well.
These changes meant that SKCAC needed to reinvent itself if it were
to continue with the tremendously important mission of providing
opportunities to individuals with disabilities and to remain a successful
and viable business.
Transition to Manufacturing Based Business
A group of citizens volunteered to help SKCAC make this transition.
Many of these volunteers were active members of the Kent Kiwanis
Club as well as many family members of the people we provided services
to. They helped SKCAC restructure the organization into a self sustaining
viable business venture. A new Board of Directors instituted a major
cost cutting program. The Board's implementation of the cost cutting
program raised enough funds to stabilize the financial condition
of the company and provided resources for achieving its goals. The
Board hired Bob Swartout as the new Director to lead the transition
from a social service organization into a manufacturing based business.
Bob served SKCAC for over a decade. Upon his retirement
SKCAC had built and owned its current 33,000 square foot manufacturing
facility in Kent, Washington, had established customer partnerships
that continue today and solidified the company's balance sheet for
the future.
SKCAC Reinvents Itself for The New Millennium
2000 saw the local economy begin its decline into a severe recession.
As this began SKCAC's Board of Directors hired Ray Coleman as the
new Executive Director. Ray was recruited from the government sector
where he had successfully worked in the correctional system as a
director. Ray brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in working
with political action groups. Ray helped SKCAC build and strengthen
its relationship with its government partners, while he worked as
an advocate and educator of our local, state and federal government
officials. Many of his political efforts were directly responsible
for improving the ability of SKCAC to expand its service partnerships
with King County and the State of Washington.
During Ray's tenure SKCAC successfully instituted
new programs for providing employment services for people with disabilities
to assist them in finding employment in the community. SKCAC was
recognized by the Kent Chamber of Commerce as the 2001 In Pursuit
of Excellence Leadership Award Winner.
2006 Fiscal Year Brings New Opportunities
for SKCAC's Growth & Development
With the retirement of Ray Coleman in 2005 the
Board of Directors hired Mark Kantonen as the new Executive Director.
Mark explains, "It is imperative that SKCAC finds new
and better ways to bring value to our customers. Our customers are
committed to the social value of SKCAC's mission of empowering our
workforce through gainful employment, but our customers also need
to know they will receive an uncompromising quality producer."
Over the past several years several local agencies
that provided services to people with disabilities in work training
and employment, have closed due to poor economic conditions. The
US Government estimates that the unemployment rate for people with
disabilities remains at over 70% and in the State of Washington
1,000 additional people need and want to find employment each year.
Mark comes from the "For-Profit Industry" where he held
senior leadership roles in finance, engineering, manufacturing and
facilities.
Mark, his management staff and the SKCAC Board are
focused on growing the manufacturing and employment services businesses
so that SKCAC can increase the number of people it serves. Mark's
success and skills at working in both the large corporate world
and successfully helping build a start-up into a highly profitable
$50M a year business are essential to SKCAC's ability to grow. He
has brought new ideas and opportunities for SKCAC to expand its
ability to partner with industry, the community, people with disabilities,
and the government.
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