To celebrate our 75th anniversary, we’d like to honor our roots and tell the story of our history.
Our company started in 1949 as a machined plastic arts studio founded by a WWII vet. Today, we are a leading plastic parts supplier with over 20 employees. We’ve seen and experienced fantastic development in industrial arts because we constantly push ourselves to grow and learn.
Our core values remain intact after all these years.
We still believe in the importance of helping people live better lives through our work.
We still focus on creating precise and efficient processes to make our work better and easier.
We still produce parts of the highest possible quality.
By sticking to these three tenets of professional integrity, we will continue serving our staff and customers for another 75 years.
The Early Years
Our founder, Robert Eck, Sr., was a marine who served in WWII. After returning home, he began machining art pieces from plastic blocks. It was a modest but successful business.
His son, Robert “Bob” Eck Jr., saw the potential to grow beyond decorative plastic pieces and began establishing the business’s industrial portion. The shift proved to be a wise choice, and Eck Plastic Arts continued to grow under Bob’s leadership. He also offered more services as the needs of his clients grew.
Mold Building and Design
Vacuum Forming
Assembly
Fabrication
All the expansion led Eck to find our permanent home at 87 Prospect Ave in Downtown Binghamton, NY.
New Owners, Old Values
Eventually, Bob sought to retire, but he knew his staff depended on their jobs to provide for their families.
In 2016, the Pennefeather family purchased Eck Plastic Arts from Bob, and their son, Brett, took over as the company President. Rather than come into the business full of “new ideas” and “big plans,” the Pennefeathers came in ready to learn the ropes of the industry from a trusted and experienced staff. After establishing their intentions and proving their commitment to the company’s growth and sustainability, the Pennefeathers drove the company forward with their core staff intact, a rarity in leadership transitions.
The company is twice the size it was when Brett came on board. Nevertheless, in an interview for our 75th Anniversary Celebration, he acknowledged “a sense of responsibility to the twenty people here whose families rely on them being able to come to work. So the decisions we make as a business need to account for that fact, and I don’t take that lightly.”
Brett’s commitment to the Eck team is why the first part of our Partnership Promise is “Hire and Train Great PEOPLE.” We continually invest in people because they are the ones who allow us to be successful and grow. Eck Plastic Arts has a 75-year history and reputation because every part of our story starts with People, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Looking Back at 2024
2024 was a busy year for Eck. We added some new people and equipment to our processes. And BAE honored us with their most prestigious award.
We’ve also been active in our community.
Our Chenango Valley Little League Girls’ Softball Team Softball team had another great season.
The hole we sponsored at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of America 40th Annual Captain & Crew Golf Tournament helped them to reach their fundraising goals.
So did the hole we sponsored at the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier’s first-ever tournament at the En-Joie Golf Club in Vestal, NY, where our own Sean Reardon’s team scored a respectable 8-under-par for the day.
Our sponsorship of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce’s lunch series gave local business owners a chance to sit down with the Lt Gov.
Our presentation at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator was a chance to support our fellow small-business owners with manufacturing needs.
As a company, we continue to grow because we always focus on building strong relationships. We visit our clients’ facilities as often as possible. We also spend a lot of time networking and pitching at Conferences and Tradeshows all over the country.
Celebrating the Future
To celebrate our 75th Anniversary, we hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour in cooperation with the Greater Binghamton Chamber.
We are not the same company we were 75, 55, or even 5 years ago. Our growth and development as a business and a leader in the plastics manufacturing industry is a long way from our humble beginnings. Therefore, we are cutting the ribbon on a new era at Eck Plastic Arts.
On Tuesday, January 21st, Eck’s Leadership Team, members of the Government Affairs Committee, and other Chamber staff – along with Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Binghamton Mayor Jared Karham, and representatives from the Office of US Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Josh Riley, NYS Senator Lea Webb, and NYS Assemblywoman Donna Luparo – gathered at our facility to recognize our past, witness our present, and establish our commitment to the future with a short ceremony and tour of our building.
Continuous evaluation and innovation is how Eck will be around to celebrate another 75 years.
What’s Next?
In 2025, we are looking forward to another great year of being a top-quality plastic parts manufacturer. Keep an eye on our What’s New page because we are going to peek in on the shop floor to share a little more about our Processes. Also, make sure to check out all of our social media pages so you can stay up-to-date on all of our activities.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone on the Eck Team, our clients, followers, family, and friends. Without you, Eck Plastic Arts is just a name. You are what makes us a successful business!!
