Southampton Cutting Industry, Inc. started their business in 1938 serving restaurant customers in the Norfolk, Virginia area. SCI grew steadily expanding its' professional sharpening service to Restaurants throughout the state of Virginia.

In the early 80's SCI recognized a need in the poultry industry for professional sharpening services to processing plants. SCI developed a sharpening system for plants that gained them recognition throughout the Southeast for their ability to deliver top quality service. The company now provides their Total System Sharpening Service to over 20 poultry processing plants in 5 states.

In the late 80's SCI recognized another need in the food processing industry and that need was for ergonomic cutting tools. SCI was one of the first companies to design and build knives and scissors that would specifically address hand and wrist problems associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. These tools under the trademark brand name of Ergo Sharp® and Comforshear® are sold throughout the United States and Canada by a network of distributers.

The mission for SCI when it started in 1938 and it's mission now are the same and that is to offer the best service and best quality cutting tools available to the food processing industry.

SCI Total System Sharpening Service

Benefits:

• Knives and scissors when professionally sharpened and used properly creates a better yield, increases tool life, reduces hand and wrist problems, and most importantly gives you a happier employee thereby reducing turnover.
  
• Cost savings with SCI system versus in house sharpening, assuming all cost associated with sharpening are included.
  
• Cost savings with knives and scissors from our Plant Price List when incorporated with SCI sharpening service.
  
• Cost savings obtained by eliminating the cost of purchasing and maintaining sharpening equipment.
  
• Cost savings by reducing time spent by plant staff on sharpening problems that could be used more productively.
• Cost savings from SCI Train the Trainer program which teaches line associates the proper way to maintain their knives and scissors.
• Cost savings associated with personnel and the space requirements of in house sharpening.

SCI Service Includes:

• Pick-up and delivery each week of knives, scissors, and blades.
• Control of tools in all departments with losses provided each month.
• A system for tracking purposes which numbers tools in each department.
• Train the Trainer program which works with a team developed in each plant to teach new associates proper sharpening techniques. The service also provides a certificate to associates who have completed the Train the Trainer program.

Plant Requirements:

• 1 person in charge (part time) to manage storage, distribution, and notification to SCI as to when tools should be replaced. Also this person would be required to count, clean and have tools ready for pick up.
• A storage cabinet for knife and scissor totes.
• A set of totes, which are available through SCI at cost.
• An extra set of knives, scissors, and blades are required (one time cost) due to one set will be in use while the other set is being sharpened.