Today, our team is building on generations of brushmaking experience through automation, digital technology, continuous improvement, our Brush Innovation Center, and programs like TWIST that give the next generation an opportunity to learn manufacturing by doing it.
We’re proud of where SanMac has been, but even more energized by where this team is taking it.
Thank you to AIM for recognizing the work happening in Palmer and for supporting the future of manufacturing across Massachusetts.
Recently, we had the privilege of welcoming several Sanderson MacLeod retirees back to the plant—to reconnect with old friends, meet today’s team, and see how the operation has evolved.
We showed them new automation, digital production reporting, our Setup Operator development program, and some of the investments we’re making in our people and processes. But the best part was seeing how much of today’s progress is still rooted in what they built.
Irene once produced as many as 3,000 brushes a day by hand. During the tour, she got to see the automated cell carrying that process forward and meet Kristin, the operator running it today.
Following the tradition of our Rosie machine, we also made Irene a promise: the machine will be repainted, recommissioned, and proudly named the IRENE-I.
Then there’s Ray S., who ran General Products for decades. Long before dashboards and real-time reporting, Ray managed much of what we’re trying to capture digitally today—with experience, discipline, and a yellow legal pad.
Having Ray back with our current team was invaluable. He was humble and reflective, sharing his perspective while taking a genuine interest in where we’re headed.
Recently added to the retiree list is Chris…who left not too long ago. We got to showcase one of Chris’s last projects—a completely automatic acrylic dipping line. His work has been carried on by the OSI team and he got to see it run full production.
The tools have changed. The knowledge behind them hasn’t.
To our retirees who came back to visit: thank you for helping build the foundation we continue to improve upon today. Your fingerprints are still all over it.
One of the things we appreciate most at SanMac is the relationship between Quality Assurance and the Operations team—and how well the two departments truly work together.
Quality isn’t something that just gets “checked in” at the end of a process. It’s built into it. And that only happens when QA and Operations are aligned, communicating, and working toward the same goal.
What makes our QA team especially effective is their background. Every member of the team started on the production floor—running machines, troubleshooting issues, and learning the details of brushmaking firsthand. They understand the process not just in theory, but from experience.
That shows up every day.
It shows up in how they approach problem-solving—practical, informed, and grounded in reality.
It shows up in how they communicate with operators—peer-to-peer, with credibility and mutual respect.
And it shows up in how quickly we can move from identifying an issue to actually fixing it.
There’s no “us vs. them” mentality. No disconnect between what’s expected and what’s possible. Just a shared understanding of the work, and a shared commitment to getting it right.
When QA and Operations operate as one team, quality stops being a checkpoint—and becomes part of the culture.
Proud of the team we’ve built.
A special thank you to Kennedy, Josh, and Jackie for their dependability (and smiles) day after day.
