ST. CLAIR, MICH. (Oct. 22, 4:35 p.m. ET) — Auto injection molder Wright Plastics is adding more floor space to its St. Clair, Mich., facility which will provide a better functioning work floor for current production and room for future growth.
Wright Plastics — part of WPP LLC of Sheridan, Mich. — broke ground on the $1.2 million project Oct. 22, said Tom Arquette, director of operations, in a telephone interview. The company had previously squeezed new presses into the 15,000-square-foot operation by sacrificing warehouse space, but that interfered with lean production systems.
The additional 8,000 square feet will provide room for a smoother production flow while also allow for six to eight additional presses the company can bring in as it lands business.
The 35-employee company also expects to add 10 to 15 more workers.
Wright Plastics specializes in functional plastics, making fuel components, bobbins and with overmolding for bolts and other key parts. Much of its growth has come from “emergency takeover” business, which also taps into the company’s ability to bring in projects previously started by another company and launch it smoothly on its own lines, Arquette said.
Its last two business wins had the firm taking over the work on one production package with 15 tools in one deal and 20 tools on another. The lack of space and a lack of room to add more presses limited Wright’s ability to take on even more business, he said.
