Learn about Suttle Costa Rica!By: Lourdes Sanchez, Senior Marketing Manager, Suttle

The 2013 Suttle Sales Meeting took place February 18-21, in San Jose, Costa Rica. During the meeting, CSI and Suttle sta� were given the chance to tour the manufacturing plant in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Alfredo Sáenz, Costa Rica Manufacturing Plant Man-ager, guided the group through the manufacturing plant during the �rst day-shift. Everyone on the tour was impressed with the organization of the operation and the wide variety of manufactured product assemblies.

The Suttle Costa Rica plant was founded in 1989 and has historically manufactured most of the traditional products Suttle markets globally. As part of the global supply network that supports Suttle’s interna-tional expansion, the plant is currently transitioning into production of the new FutureLink™ brand of Suttle products. Of the total plant capacity, 30 percent is dedicated to the new product lines, and 70 percent to Suttle’s traditional products.

Suttle Costa Rica employs 170 plant workers and 20 support sta� in departments such as Management, Engineering, Design, Quality Assurance, Procure-ment, Materials, Logistics, Human Resources and Finance. A large number of employees have moved up through the ranks over 10, 15, and 20+ years of dedicated service to Suttle - a testament to the positive working environment at the plant.

The operations side of the plant seeks to lower costs of production by taking advantage of incentives o�ered by the Costa Rican government for electric consumption e�ciency. While all areas on the plant have streamlined their operations to make e�cient use of power, the molding operations area has yielded the highest e�ciency improvements through the use of three back-to-back shifts.

The �rst shift typically attracts younger employees who can use their free afternoons and evenings to enroll in a high school diploma program or obtain a technical degree. The median age of the �rst shift is 23 years old, while the other shifts attract workers of an older age and those with family responsibilities.

Taking advantage of another governmental incentive that aims to increase marketable skills in the population, Suttle Costa Rica may also enroll workers in a technical specialization degree program. Through this degree program, Suttle employees are evaluated and selected for their on-the-job accom-plishments and sent to further hone their skills through special training programs, such as soldering and electronics.

Mariana Alvarado Espinoza assembling FutureLink™ VDSL splitters

Isaac Leiva Ruiz and Maria Luisa Torres assembling 267A4’s

Through yet another Costa Rican government incentive program, Suttle Costa Rica employs incarcerated men from La Reforma Penitentiary. Suttle Costa Rica was assigned a building by the Costa Rican government which was reconditioned to serve as the location for assembly operations. The building currently has space to comfortably host 60 inmates per shift, two shifts per work day. The goal of this program is to help provide support to the families while the men are incarcerated, and to contribute to the men’s reintegration into society after their term has been served.

In a 2012 ceremony, the Costa Rican government recognized Suttle for participation in this program for the past 15 years. The ceremony was reported by Costa Rican News Channel 7. If you have any ques-tions about Suttle Costa Rica, please contact Rick Marks at rickm@commsysinc.com.

Julio César González Villegas is �lling jacks with gel

Suttle Costa Rica employee, Lidieth Navarro Ulloa working in Assembly