Machinery, tools stolen from N.Y. plant

AUBURN, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 4:05 p.m. ET) -- A shuttered custom injection molding facility in Auburn was burglarized recently by thieves who apparently backed up a large truck into the plant, and made off with -- literally -- tons of manufacturing equipment.

Three skids of molds, 13 reclaimed material grinders, 15 temperature-control units, and various other tools and objects totaling more than $200,000 at the time of purchase, were taken from the 12,000-square-foot Autech Plastics facility sometime between the Friday and Monday before Thanksgiving, said Charles Beck, the company’s president, in a Nov. 30 telephone interview.

Autech Plastics, owned by Beck Plastics Inc., shut down in May, after Beck had been running the business since 1993. The diversified custom molder made parts for several industries, including automotive and medical, he said.

Honeoye, N.Y.-based Cy Plastics Works Inc. bought much of Autech’s equipment and took over its customer list after the May closing, but did not acquire the business or real estate.

Auburn Police are investigating the burglary and theorize that the equipment might have been stolen to be sold as scrap metal, Beck said.

“They are checking with people that buy scrap metal and are trying to find the equipment that way,” he said.

The Auburn Police detective in charge of the investigation could not be reached for comment.

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