Tag: aluminum extrusion

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Member Manufacturers

New owner focuses on future, company honor at Dunaway

Tucked off Leffingwell Road in Canfield near state Route 46 is a 40-year-old manufacturing company undergoing some changes.

 

One of those changes at Dunaway Inc. is the transition of ownership.

 

In March 2021, Jason Markijohn purchased the company from founder Mike Dunaway.

 

Hearing Dunaway was considering selling, Markijohn sprang into action.

Dunaway owner Jason Markijohn.
Jason Markijohn is the new owner of Dunaway Inc. in Canfield.

 

“I’d always wanted to own my own company, and the opportunity presented itself,” said Markijohn, who has an engineering background.

 

Dunaway Inc. is a newer member manufacturer of MVMC.

Everything to everyone

Founded in 1981, Dunaway Inc. has historically been associated with maintenance and field service, as well as being a machine shop for aluminum extrusion.

 

Over the years as services and demand grew, so did the building to its current 25,000 square feet.

 

Throughout everything, Dunaway himself “was the company. He was everything,” Markijohn said.

 

To continue the integrity Dunaway is known for, Markijohn recently hired an experienced engineer to ensure operations run smooth.

Building a support system

For 2022, “it’s a transition year,” Markijohn said. “Year one was me being here and trying to understand things, trying to learn as much as I could from Mike.”

 

Now, it’s letting Dunaway retire.

A CNC machine operator works on a project at Dunaway Inc. in Canfield.
Founded in 1981, Dunaway Inc. is a machine shop for aluminum extrusion.

“It’ll be a big gap to fill,” but Markijohn will be able to call Dunaway up with any major questions.

 

There’s also focusing on the field service part of the business, which Markijohn said was well-established.

 

In the meantime, Markijohn is also busy surrounding himself with “knowledgeable people,” which weighed into the company joining MVMC.

 

He wants to learn from other business leaders what they’ve done to build and maintain a lasting company.

 

“This is a big undertaking, and I want to have a supportive team around me.”

 

Categories
Faces of Manufacturing

Faces of Manufacturing – Sugeily Melendez

Sugeily Melendez is a mom by day and packer at a Mahoning Valley aluminum extrusion company by night. She has worked at Pennex Aluminum in Leetonia for just under two years and is already climbing the “aluminum ladder.”

Her career with Pennex began as a forklift operator. She has since moved to her current position as packer and is in training to become a loader. Part of her drive to keep moving forward comes from her desire to dispel stereotypes of what women “can’t do.”

melendez at Pennex
Sugeily Melendez of Youngstown is a single mother who found a rewarding career in manufacturing that offers the flexibility and clean environment she was looking for.

“I feel I’m more competitive than some of the men and I’m always trying to set goals to surpass my trainers and move past stereotypes of what women can’t do. Anyone can be successful here when they show up with a good attitude and the willingness to learn something new,” she said.

Single mom derives motivation from her kids

Her primary motivation, however, comes from her children. Melendez is a single mother of three. She loves the overnight shift because it allows her the flexibility to maintain a successful work-life balance.

“Third shift is perfect for me as a single parent. I spend time with my kids and get them ready for bed at their grandma’s or their dad’s before I head to work and then I’m home in the morning to get them ready for school. While they’re in school, I nap and then we do it all over again,” said Melendez.

Family is a part of the core values at Pennex, she described.

“The atmosphere here is like one big family. They’re also very flexible when it comes to sick kids and doctor appointments,” she added.

melendez working
In less than 2 years, Melendez has already advanced multiple times at Pennex, currently working in the shipping department on the 3rd shift.

In addition to schedule flexibility and a welcoming workforce, Melendez, of Youngstown, said Pennex Aluminum also offers a safe and clean work environment.

“I just came off of a 10-hour shift and I’m still clean. I can rock my nails and I’ve never broken one. This is not a dirty, dusty place. It is a clean and healthy place to work,” said Melendez.

Pennex Aluminum is a member of Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition.

Pennex and many other local manufacturers are currently looking for dedicated individuals to join their teams. On-the-job training is available and no experience is required. Interested applicants for Pennex can explore openings here.