Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
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Handi-Crafters announced that Communications Test Design Inc. (CTDI) will be the recipient of the 2018
“Best Friend Award.” The Best Friend Award is given annually by Handi-Crafters to recognize and honor service, commitment and dedication to Handi-Crafters mission.
Handi-Crafters is very proud to make this special recognition each year in the spirit of being our Best Friend, said Amy Rice, Executive Director, in a statement. “We are very fortunate and honored for the support bestowed on our operations and our mission by the generosity of our donors, customers and sponsors. This award grants us the opportunity to say thank you! Presenting CTDI with this award is very significant,” reads the statement. “The support of CTDI is tremendous, if not for our customers our mission could never be fulfilled. There would be no development of skills for our workforce, no learning, no growing and no paychecks,” Rice said. CTDI is an excellent example of what our customers do for our production management business model and our non-profit mission in providing supported employment for individuals who are differently-abled and may otherwise face barriers to competitive employment, the statement adds.
The Parsons family started CTDI in their West Chester garage in 1975. Today CTDI, has grown to encompass a full-service, global engineering, repair and logistics company providing best-cost solutions to the communications technology industry with over 14,000 employees and 90 facilities across the globe.
Handi-Crafters is most proud of the strategic partnership with CTDI. While CTDI supports HandiCrafters’ mission broadly, bringing work contracts is critical. CEO, Jerry Parsons recalls CTDI joining forces with Handi-Crafters in 2007 on the assembly of settop boxes, “Handi-Crafters was a reliable choice, and strategic, it meant we could free up our people, give the job to Handi-Crafters who went from 300 boxes a day to 6000 boxes a day. Having Handi-Crafters was a win for all, good for CTDI and good for helping the mission of Handi-Crafters,” said Parsons. In 2015, CTDI introduced a new job and a new program at HandiCrafters; recycling remote control devices with CTDI and Atlanta based, Cox Communications. “This job brought technology through robotic testing centers to Handi-Crafters workplace,” said Parsons. From visual inspection, to testing, to manual cleaning and packaging, HandiCrafters refurbishes
1-million remotes annually. The choice of using Handi-Crafters workforce was threefold, explained Parsons; “provide more production work, improve job satisfaction and increase wages, and to help develop skills through use of technology for competitive employment.” Accomplishing those goals and objectives at Handi-Crafters then allowed Cox to successfully implement the job in supported employment work centers like Handi-Crafters across the Country.
“CTDI, is an extremely valued customer,” said Brian L. Nagle HandiCrafters Board President. “We are deeply appreciative and extremely proud to have the opportunity to work with their outstanding company. The work they provide for our workforce has a truly powerful purpose. CTDI, challenges us, introduces us to innovation, and provides work opportunities for which we are most grateful.”
The Best Friend Award will be formally presented to CTDI and the Parsons Family on Friday night, April 20, at the Phoenixville Foundry. Tickets to attend “The Roaring Twenties-Speakeasy Benefit” will not be sold at the door, for more information and to serve tickets contact: 610384-6990 x 201. The Annual Fundraiser is presented by The Spatola Family. For more information or to purchase event tickets online at www.handi-crafters.org.