You can buy pre-laminated panels on the outside or I'll be glad to show you how to laminate your own with real simple equipment. Forget the money for a minute. Continuing the large-scale use of contact cement is a loser. The hazards of flammable or chlorinated solvents are well known. The track record of water borne is better but its performance still leaves a lot to be desired. With all these products you end up paying more for an inferior product that is likely to delaminate. So: Why do it?

A clean and simple approach for short runs is dry foil laminating. It produces an instant bond - stronger than contact cement. Although equipment investment is relatively low, the adhesive cost is as high as contact cement. You gain a cleaner working area and the elimination of hazardous solvents. It won’t work for assembled fixtures but it will save labor on full sheet lamination.

There are other options but the best adhesive if you have any volume is white glue (PVA). Sure, it’s messy, but think of those $5 bills. It will eliminate callbacks due to delamination and because it’s "environmentally friendly" keeps the government from your door. You’ll need a panel cleaner and glue spreader. Volume will dictate whether you use a pinch roll laminator (great for a mix of odd size panels) or a press. Hot pressing gives you the flexibility of the pinch roll laminator but for real volume (and to produce the highest quality panels) the only way to go is cold pressing.

Analyze your overall volume and product mix to determine the most cost-effective equipment, keeping in mind that your need for contact cement won’t completely disappear. There will always be some special casework and the "emergencies" (which reek of poor planning) so prepare to build a proper contact cement booth (safe, with proper exhaust and lighting) which meets code to create a work environment that inspires high quality workmanship.

So here you have this smooth running fiefdom where the prince controls change by not sharing information and keeping his staff dumb and happy. Could be his way is right and you shouldn't change. You'll have fewer worries in the short term. You may soon be able to vacation 365 days a year, that is, if you're content to live in a village without hot water and ride in a donkey cart. I'm not putting down the supervisor. (You Peter principled him and in his own mind he is just doing what comes naturally.) You have to choose between manipulating (working around this type of behavior) and managing (changing it).

Good help is hard to get so you must recycle what you have. .As your company grows new players will bring different abilities to the table, but you have to realize that they may have different or hidden agendas. It's your function as the boss to meld individual abilities to make a cohesive team. (The buzz-phrase is managing diversity.) Team players don't have to love one another, but they must interact rationally. You must lead, coach, and referee; all at the same time! We’ve talked about group dynamics and the need for regular meetings – just do it! Remember always keep the group’s focus on the real goals and keep the "egos" under control.

This is a place of business, not a prison or a summer camp, and gaining control of the trustees or counselors isn’t the goal. Helping people grow into mature trustworthy managers who can move the company forward (buzzword -empower) is the objective. When you add to the team don’t look for clones – you are not hiring new managers to run today’s company but to run the one you must create!