AGM Container Controls, Inc.

Tucson’s AGM Supports Local Education, Employment

A strong supporter of continuing education in Arizona, AGM Container Controls collaborates with the University of Arizona to provide students with real-world learning opportunities.

Specifically, AGM partners with the UA College of Engineering and Eller College of Management Business MBA program to provide projects that challenge these students to apply what they’ve learned in school to create workable solutions to existing or potential manufacturing difficulties. Interestingly, the alliance also enables AGM to pre-screen potential local talent for future job opportunities with the company.

Students benefit because the project typically challenges their design, development, and problem-solving skills. In the past, AGM projects have ranged from engineering design ideas to business process feasibility projects.

The mutually beneficial assignments enable engineering students to get real-world experience and mentoring from AGM engineers, while also allowing AGM to take a look at up-and-coming local engineering talent. This enables AGM, which is both a family-run Tucson business for more than 40 years, as well as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan company, to help keep engineering talent in Tucson whenever they’re in the hiring mode.

AGM’s employee education program, initiated nearly 40 years ago and still continuing today, now enables current AGM employees to work part-time or full-time while they attend college. They are then reimbursed for the cost of their education up to $5,200 per year depending on their grades.

AGM Management is such a strong supporter of employees continuing their education that Management encourages all employees to enhance their future employability, at AGM or somewhere else, by availing themselves of AGM’s Educational Assistance Program (EAP).

“When employees go back to school, AGM wins because these ambitious employees improve or learn new important job skills, such as how to write, analyze and organize, etc. Pursuing outside education often enables these employees to climb the corporate ladder faster than those who don’t,” said Howard Stewart, AGM’s President and CEO.

In fact, AGM Management supports employees using AGM’s EAP to take courses that are non-work-related, as long as these classes are part of an Associates, Bachelors or Graduate program. Stewart added, “Worst case scenario, we graduate a teacher, nurse, paralegal (career skills that AGM doesn’t need), and our local Tucson community becomes a little bit stronger.”

As of the Spring semester 2012, 15% of AGM’s 110 employees are using AGM’s EAP to further their education, if not to pursue a degree.

Year In Review

As 2011 winds down and a new year begins, we look back at some of our achievements and areas of improvement.

AGM was proud to be named one of Inc. magazine’s 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States. This honor, which is the third consecutive for AGM, is proof of the great work that small businesses and manufacturing companies, in particular, can achieve in this country. We hope to carry on this tradition and perform well enough to continue making the list for many years to come.

A few months ago, AGM was also recognized with a Best Value Gold Medalist award from the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime. This honor recognized AGM’s 100% on-time and 100% quality ratings for all of 2010. We are proud to continue supporting our country’s warfighters with quality products that they can depend on in the most critical time.

In addition, Ascension, which is a division of AGM and manufactures the world’s premier portable wheelchair lifts, was honored at the 2011 Worship Facilities Expo with a “New Facility Product” award in November. This is a true testament of the supreme quality of Ascension wheelchair lifts, which not only help facilities meet ADA requirements by providing people with disabilities access to stages, but also help these same people live with dignity.

Our Ascension product line made great strides in the accessibility market by introducing the new Protégé portable wheelchair lift, which comes at a lower price point than our Virtuoso product line, while maintaining the same performance and reliability that comes only from the Ascension brand. In 2012, Ascension will continue to be an innovative leader in the accessibility market.

In general, 2012 brings new opportunities to serve you, our customer, in better ways. Whether it’s bringing you new high-quality items, providing better customer service, delivering your order on time and without errors, or quoting you at competitive prices, our customer is our top priority. We simply would cease to exist without our customers!

So, we at AGM and Ascension wish you and yours a happy holiday and a profitable, healthy and positive 2012!

Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies Recognizes AGM Container Controls Again

For the third consecutive year, Inc. 500 | 5000 names AGM Container Controls one of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Once is good, twice is nicer, but three times is amazing. There may be 5,000 companies on Inc.’s exclusive list, but the fact that the Unites States is home to 23 million companies makes this honor a bit more significant. Tucson-based manufacturer AGM Container Controls is on Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. for the 3^rd consecutive year.

Only the very best are awarded the distinction of being named to the Inc.500|5000, the gold standard of entrepreneurial success. Having your company listed at the top recognizes your prowess as an entrepreneurial leader.

Since 2007, the annual Inc. 5000 list has ranked the fastest-growing private U.S. companies based on percentage of growth in net sales. AGM’s 2011 ranking is 4,152, and it also landed nearly a thousand slots higher in 2010, “With this accomplishment, AGM joins the rarified company of enterprises who have appeared on the list three straight times, many of which have grown to become national icons,” said Howard Stewart, AGM’s President/CEO. “AGM’s success is all the more extraordinary given the recent economic climate, not just nationally, but particularly in Tucson.”

In addition to its 3^rd consecutive listing in Inc. magazine, AGM has been granted several other honors:

• AGM was recognized by the Defense Supply Center Richmond with their Gold Supplier award for 100% on-time deliveries and 100% quality for the year 2010.
• AGM was recognized by the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime (formerly known as Defense Supply Center Columbus) with their Gold Supplier award for 100% on-time deliveries and 100% quality for the year 2010.
• AGM was recognized with the United Way Platinum Award, the highest honor United Way of Tucson bestows to a company for long-term commitment. This award recognizes companies who have ran Gold-level campaigns for a minimum of five continuous years.
• AGM was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as the national winner for America’s Small Business of the Year award.

Full details about the Inc. 5000, including numerous lists and features, can be found at: http://www.inc.com/inc5000.