Tonko visits veteran-owned business
Douglas Industrial Company marks 43rd year
WATERVLIET, N.Y. » U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, paid a special visit Thursday to Douglas Industrial Company — a service disabled veteran- owned small business that recently celebrated its 43rd anniversary.
Throughout the week, Tonko has been highlighting local and federal resources that support Capital Region healthcare and community development.
During his visit to Douglas Industrial Company, Tonko met with representatives of the business and toured the facility with Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
Douglas Plotz, president of Douglas Industrial Company, along with Curtis Peninger, in charge of Business Development at Douglas Industrial Company, showed Tonko several different areas around its facility, such as the sales counter, shipping and packaging area, the warehouse, the receiving area, the manufacturing facility - Brookview Bolt - and its offices.
Douglas Industrial is a national distributor and manufacturer of highly engineered fasteners for agriculture, automotive, construction, heavy equipment, heavy truck power train, recreational vehicles and local, state, federal government needs.
Peninger said that the company has roughly 20 employees and has
over $2 million in sales, and has had over 3,800 customers since it opened 43 years ago.
“Serving in Vietnam - nobody wanted to go - as a boy out of high school, I was just scared to death,” said Plotz, who is a disabled veteran. “You know you’re walking around with grenades and guns, it’s just not right.”
Plotz and Peninger both praised the work that Tonko does for his constituents and businesses in his 20th Congressional District and were appreciative to him for stopping by their facility.
Tonko also took the time to thank Plotz for creating a business like he has and employing so many people over the years, as well as for his service to the country
“We tour probably 50 to 60 businesses or manufac- turing sites a year and it is always so interesting to see what’s going on under the roof of that business,” said Tonko.