New CEO Kate Bashir Leads EVCO Plastics to Earn Prestigious National Certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise

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12:30 PM on Monday, September 22

The Associated Press

DEFOREST, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 22, 2025--

EVCO Plastics, a leading custom plastics and contract manufacturer, is proud to announce its national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)—the most widely recognized and respected certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S.

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EVCO Employees posing for photo in Headquarters.

Considered the gold standard for women-owned business certification in the United States, WBENC affirms that EVCO is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated and managed by women and has appropriate structure and strategic business planning and implementation in place. It also marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to leadership, innovation and inclusion in the manufacturing industry.

“Securing WBENC certification is an incredibly meaningful moment for EVCO,” said Kate Bashir, CEO of EVCO Plastics. “It reflects the values we’ve long held as a female-forward company and opens new doors for our team and our customers. We’re excited to continue pushing boundaries for women in plastics and manufacturing.”

In 2024, Bashir was approved by the Board of Directors as the new CEO of EVCO Plastics, marking two significant milestones: she’s the first woman CEO in the company’s history, succeeding her grandfather Don Evans and father Dale Evans, and she marks the third generation of the Evans family to lead the business.

As CEO, Bashir joined EVCO’s Board of Directors, along with Anna Evans Bartz, vice president of communications, and Emily Evans, purchasing agent. Currently, EVCO is majority female-owned, where the women in leadership are expertly moving the needle in a predominantly male-led industry.

The WBENC certification will amplify EVCO’s progress, connecting the company to a national network of support, including access to supplier diversity programs, educational resources and strategic partnerships with hundreds of major U.S. corporations and public-sector entities. For customers with supplier diversity goals, EVCO now qualifies as a certified partner.

With Bashir at the helm, EVCO is poised for continued growth well into the future, smartly pushing the company where needed. She’ll also continue to advocate for women in leadership and maintain the support that customers have come to expect from EVCO as a business and as their manufacturing partner.

To learn more about EVCO Plastics and its capabilities, visit www.evcoplastics.com.

About EVCO Plastics

EVCO Plastics is a leading plastics manufacturing company with 13 manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout the world. With an emphasis on design for manufacturability, strategic engineering and innovative technology, EVCO is recognized as a global leader in custom plastic injection molding. EVCO was founded in 1964, employs over 2,000 people and operates 270 injection molding machines, ranging from 28 to 4,400 tons. For more information about EVCO, visit www.evcoplastics.com, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

About WBENC:

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the nation’s leader in women’s business development and the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with more than 18,000 certified Women’s Business Enterprises, 14 national Regional Partner Organizations, and more than 500 Corporate Members, most of which are Fortune 500. Thousands of corporations representing America’s most prestigious brands, as well as many states, cities, and other entities, look for and accept WBENC Certification. Through the Women Owned initiative, WBENC also is a leader in supporting consumer-oriented female entrepreneurs and those who do business with them by raising awareness for why, where and how to buy Women Owned. For more information, visit www.wbenc.org and www.buywomenowned.com.

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CONTACT: Media Contacts:

EVCO Plastics

Anna Bartz

(608) 217-4809

[email protected]

Lauren Smith

(608) 256-6357

[email protected]

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA WISCONSIN

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: WOMEN OTHER MANUFACTURING GENERAL HEALTH HEALTH PACKAGING CHEMICALS/PLASTICS CONSUMER MANUFACTURING

SOURCE: EVCO Plastics