BCI Partners with Warren County Agency to Meet Capacity, Increase Opportunities

Boone Center, Inc. (BCI)—a nonprofit that improves the lives of adults with disabilities through employment opportunities—has partnered with Warren County Sheltered Workshop, Inc. (WCSW) in Truesdale, Mo. to expand job opportunities and production capacity for both organizations.

“We are proud to be seen as a center of excellence in both packaging and disability employment services, but it’s been a challenge to meet the growing demands of our packaging enterprise that supports our organizational employment program,” said BCI CEO Troy Compardo.

Headquartered in St. Peters, Mo., BCI is one of the largest contract packagers in the country and one of the largest employers of adults with developmental disabilities in the state.

The idea to add partners came out of BCI’s strategic planning process in 2021. By engaging other agencies who also employ adults with disabilities, they hoped to increase capacity and capabilities while serving everyone’s greater mission.

“Our ultimate goal is to share sustainable, meaningful work with other organizations and create more jobs for people with disabilities throughout the region,” said BCI Chief Operations Officer Jack Guthrie. “It’s a solution that helps everyone.”

BCI’s partnership with WCSW began in October and works well due to the organizations’ relatively close proximity. Located in neighboring Warren County, WCSW serves a different geographic region of adults with disabilities. However, the distance of just 27 miles between the two facilities provides seamless logistics for the supply chain.

When BCI approached WCSW Executive Director Jami Washburn with the idea, she had a list of 20 individuals with disabilities waiting to start work. The ISO-certified organization just needed the right mix of work to employ them.

Through discussion and analysis of WCSW’s capacity and future capabilities, BCI was able to bring on a new customer that matched the skills and capabilities of their new partner.

“Warren County Sheltered Workshop has been working with BCI as an outsource location for a while now,” said Washburn. “The partnership is important to our shared mission to inspire and support people with disabilities. We help people with disabilities to be successful and perform quality work for our customers.”

In addition to sharing production work, BCI also offers provides its partners with specialized training and services. Under the partnership agreement, all partners must use Nulogy, a supply chain and resource-planning platform, to manage estimates, orders, inventory and scheduling. Because of this requirement, BCI provides the license and training so that their packaging customers have full visibility into the extended supply chain. Also under the agreement, BCI commits to purchase or lease equipment as well as provide maintenance support to enhance a partner’s capabilities or throughput.

Outside of production, BCI also provides four hours of social services support each month. Together, the agencies can work together to tackle new employment processes, procedures or training for the partner’s adults with disabilities.

“As an agency accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, we have met internationally recognized standards for program quality,” added Compardo. “We believe it is important to share these practices in order to elevate and expand employment services for people with disabilities across Missouri. That’s really something to be excited about.”

About Warren County Sheltered Workshop, Inc. (WCSW)

Founded in 1978, Warren County Sheltered Workshop’s mission is to attain the highest level of employment for area citizens with disabilities through diversified employment opportunities that compliment or fairly compete with the local business community. Located at 1760 Daniel Boone Industrial Parkway in Truesdale, Mo., WCSW currently employs more than 70 adults with disabilities at its 20,000-sq.-ft., ISO 9001:2008-certified packaging plant. For more information, call (636) 456-4800 or visit https://warren-county-sheltered-workshop-inc.business.site/.