Like other long-established companies across the nation, Crescent Manufacturing of Burlington, Conn., is confronted with an aging workforce nearing retirement.
That dilemma is compounded by the fact that the Burlington, Conn., maker of precision fasteners (think screws) for aerospace, defense, electronics and medical industries – among others – is growing. The 65-year-old company is undertaking a 20,000-square-foot, $3.5 million expansion of its manufacturing facility to increase capacity and better serve customers.
Crescent has grown from a small operation run out of the garage of a company founder to a thriving manufacturer that sells its precision fasteners through a worldwide network of distributors in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia.
“Over the past several years, our manufacturing workforce has been aging significantly, and the pool of trained operators has been shrinking,” explained Dan Bielefield, Vice President of Sales. “We expect to need to replace many of our retiring operators over the next 10 years while adding more trained operators as our business continues to grow.”
To bridge the skills gap it faces, the company began developing an in-house training program. But then officials heard about a new industry-specific, U.S. Department of Labor register apprenticeship program model developed by Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center’s (MAMC) Apprenticeship Works and the Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI), the industry’s leading trade association.
Company officials liked the apprenticeship model and signed on to the program. Its first apprentice occupations will be in forging: cold-headed operators.
MAMC’s Apprenticeship Works assists companies nationwide in developing and implementing DOL-registered apprenticeships in 23 high-demand advanced manufacturing occupations. MAMC provides on-site train-the-trainer services, related online instruction, assists with recordkeeping and serves as a liaison with the DOL. MAMC’s services are free to manufacturers because Apprenticeship Works is funded entirely through grants totaling $11,603,847 from the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship – Employment and Training Administration.
“One of the biggest challenges fastener manufacturers face today is hiring and retaining skilled workers to run the machines used to produce fasteners,” said Daniel Walker, Managing Director of IFI. “Although fasteners may appear to be simple, producing them requires high precision, quality control and a lot of technical skill.”
IFI and MAMC gathered input from a cross-section of fastener industry representatives to ensure the new two-year fastener technologist apprenticeship – which includes hot- and cold-heading occupations – aligns with industry needs and DOL standards.
“The advantage for companies is they get a common framework for how to train their next generation workforce,” said Walker. “The advantage for apprentices is they will be earning money to learn on the job and acquiring transferable skills. A structured apprenticeship program professionalizes this line of work. It raises the profile of the skilled people who choose to make a living working with their hands by helping them to apply the skills they learn and provide a living wage for life. Apprenticeships ultimately lead to a well-paid career and job security.”
Having IFI – which “oversee the entire fastener industry” – involved in the development of the new apprenticeship adds legitimacy, Bielefield said, adding it’s “huge” that IFI and MAMC created a model that provides consistency throughout the industry.
“The fact that IFI had input into his program will give manufacturers participating in the program confidence that industry experts were involved in creating the apprenticeship program,” Bielefield said. “This should go a long way in making this apprenticeship program a great success!
“This program allows us to continue meeting our customers’ needs even as our current operators approach retirement age, and, just as importantly, the apprentice program will enable Crescent to continue growing and increase capacity and capabilities.”
Heather Cooper, MAMC’s Apprenticeship Unit Director, said Crescent is just the latest fastener company to take advantage of the industry-specific apprenticeship. “The growing number of fastener manufacturers implementing our apprenticeship program demonstrates the need for a standardized model for developing the skilled workforce the industry requires. Apprenticeship is not only an effective tool for training new hires but ensuring that the vast skills and knowledge of veteran employees are transferred to less experienced workers.”
To learn more about MAMC’s Apprenticeship Works, visit www.mfg.marshall.edu/apprenticeships or contact Cooper at or 304-720-7741.
Dec. 18, 2025
