Retraining initiative boosts manufacturer.(Ascension Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)

Strengthening Ascension Industries' niche in a competitive market is the motivation behind the company's new retraining initiative.

A $75,182 grant is helping avert potential layoffs and secure the 27-year-old metal fabrication plant's foothold in precision welding.

"This makes us more competitive in the global marketplace," said Wayne Wawrzyniec, chief financial officer. "It strengthens our labor base for the long term. We sell to our customers who in turn market their products domestically and internationally. With the Internet and how purchasing is nowadays, you can shop fabrication and machining all over the world."

The state Department of Labor and Niagara County Workforce Investment Board has - contributed $37,591 toward the training. More than 10 workers are being trained in new welding. techniques currently in demand such as pressure valve and ultrasonic welding.

"We have that existing skill base but not at the level we would like to be," Wawrzyniec said. "The work exists and there will be ways of measuring it as' we move forward."