Company’s Iola plant opened in 1980
By Holly Neumann
Grayhill, located at 165 Depot St, in Iola, has been designing and manufacturing intuitive human interface solutions for 75 years.
Standard products include optical encoders, rotary switches, keypads, joysticks and pushbuttons.
The company, originally called Hill and Gray, started in La Grange, Illinois, in 1943 by partners Ralph Hill and Gordon E. Gray, Sr.
The Iola plant started operations in 1980.
Grayhill employs about 750 people, with just over 50 in Iola plant.
“The Iola plant injection molds precision plastic components for these switches with small parts that are smaller than a grain of rice and large parts that are similar in size to a computer mouse,” said Jack Vater, plant operations leader. “The precision nature of the parts we manufacture requires that the facility be clean and climate controlled.”
Although Vater has only been with Grayhill a short time, he is impressed with the team of workers in Iola.
“They are hard-working, dedicated, and very capable and the operation runs well because of them,” he said. “They have been welcoming and supportive, and I am fortunate to be working with such a fine group of people.”
Demand for Grayhill products and solutions continues to grow.
“We would like to grow our team to meet that demand,” said Vater. “We have open positions and provide on-the-job training. The right candidates can become certified injection molding technicians through NWTC while being trained in our plant on our machines. I think that is something few employers can offer.”
He takes pride in working for a company that has been so successful.
“I am proud to work for a company that has such a long history and continues to add new robust and high-tech products,” Vater said. “It is reassuring to be a part of a stable company that is planning for the future and will be around for a long time.”