BATAVIA – Suncast Corporation in Batavia announced it will hire 40 previously unemployed adults on the autism spectrum by the second quarter of next year.

Suncast makes resin products such as outdoor sheds, deck boxes, hose reels, rakes, shovels and storage cabinets. Its initiative to hire workers on the autism spectrum is in partnership with AutonomyWorks, a Downers Grove-based organization that creates jobs for people with autism and other disabilities.

Suncast is the first AutonomyWorks partner to employ adults with autism in a manufacturing role, the company announced in a news release.

Beginning this month, the new employees will be working at Suncast’s Batavia facility, packing parts boxes.

“At Suncast, it’s our people that make everything possible,”President and CEO of Suncast Corporation Jim Ahlborn stated in the release. “This partnership will not only continue to broaden the diversity of our workplace, but we will also be helping those within our community while addressing a critical customer service and manufacturing labor need. It’s a win/win/win.”

In the United States, 80% of autistic adults are underemployed or unemployed, with no avenues for employment available to them.

AutonomyWorks partners with companies to create jobs that leverage the unique talents of individuals on the autism spectrum.

“Adults with autism have many skills that are highly valuable in the workplace, such as excellent focus or attention to detail,” CEO of AutonomyWorks Dave Friedman stated in the release. “Companies like Suncast are tapping into this potential and enabling people on the spectrum to build independent lives — something we all deserve.”

More information about AutonomyWorks is available by visiting www.autonomy.works.