Fledgling compounder Infinity already considering expansion

Carreno spent nearly 30 years with LNP Engineering Plastics before departing in 2004. Carroll left that same year after 15 years with Exton, Pa.-based LNP. At the time of their exits, Carreno was president of LNP Americas and Carroll was an end-use development specialist. Carreno worked briefly for compounder Polymer Resources Ltd. before starting Infinity.

Today, Carreno is Infinity's president, and Carroll is vice president of sales and marketing.

``I saw a great opportunity to serve medium to small customers in specialty-type materials,'' Carreno said in an Aug. 24 telephone interview. ``Maybe I should have done this 20 years ago, but I was very happy working with LNP.''

Infinity now is running one single-screw extrusion line and one twin-screw in a 57,000-square-foot, leased space in Logan Township, near Nortonville, N.J. The firm opened its doors in April and began production in June. Infinity has 10 employees, several of whom previously worked at LNP.

To date, Infinity has produced versions of high-end resins such as polyphenylene sulfone and polyetheretherketone - and more common ones such as polypropylene and polycarbonate - that are compounded with carbon fiber, stainless-steel fiber, fluoropolymers or silicon. Recent sales have targeted medical devices, industrial items such as pumps and consumer goods such as parts for printers and ATM machines.

``Our focus is on high-value-added specialty materials,'' Carreno said. ``We're not going after the automotive market or millions of pounds of glass-filled nylon.

``There are great opportunities in specialty resins. The business hasn't moved to China and it's not going to anytime soon. These are highly engineered products that require close work with the end user and molder.''

Infinity plans to install its third extrusion line in the first half of 2006, but officials have not decided if that line will be a single- or twin-screw. The firm expects to post sales of $5 million in 2006 and $10 million in 2007.

Carreno and Carroll own Infinity along with a few employees and an outside investor.