LINDSTROM, MINN.-Plastic Products Co. Inc. of Lindstrom plans to establish a custom injection molding facility in Greenfield, Tenn., to be close to major customers in the state. The firm has bought a 30,000-square-foot building in Greenfield and hired Greenfield Lumber Co. to complete work on the facility. It plans to begin production in April with 75 employees and eventually will double the staff.
Plastic Products said Maytag Corp.'s Jackson, Tenn., plant is its largest customer in the Greenfield area. Plastic Products also has plants in Lindstrom, Princeton, Minn., and Lebanon, Ky.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Dec. 31 that Plastic Products will install seven to 10 injection molding presses in Greenfield. Plastic Products operations manager Dan Houck declined comment.
Plastic Products had 1993 sales of $42.3 million, making it the 76th-largest molder in Plastics News' ranking of North American custom injection molders.
PUGET CORP. AGREES TO BE PURCHASED
TACOMA, WASH. - Puget Corp. has agreed to be purchased by another company, but Puget officials declined to provide details about the new owner.
An official with Puget, a Tacoma-based custom injection molder and manufacturer of aluminum castings, confirmed in December that the firm was finalizing the sale. However, he declined to say why the sale took place, the terms of the deal, or whether the new owner planned any changes.
Puget Corp. was formed in 1988 to merge what are now the Cast Products Division in Tacoma and the Plastic Products Division in Portland, Ore. The Cast Products Division has been in operation since 1946 producing aluminum castings for the computer, transportation and electronics industries.
The Plastic Products Division has operated since 1968 and serves the electronics, business equipment, computer, aerospace, automotive and medical industries in the western United States and overseas. It operates in a 128,000-square-foot facility with 66 injection molding presses with clamping forces of 40-950 tons.
Plastics News' custom injection molders ranking in April put Puget at No. 53, with $58 million in annual sales.
Earthwinds grounded after fourth try
RENO, NEV.-The Earthwinds balloon and its crew lifted off from Reno's Stead Airport Dec. 31, but stayed afloat only three hours in its fourth failed attempt to fly nonstop around the world.
The hourglass-shaped Earthwinds - two polyethylene film balloons, one on top, one on the bottom to provide ballast and stabilize the craft-flew for three hours and 15 minutes before landing east of Fallon, Nev., about 100 miles from its starting point. None of the crew members was injured.
Published reports indicated the lower balloon did not function properly, but an Earthwinds spokeswoman said last week that crew members and technicians would not know the exact problem for several weeks. They have not decided whether to try again, she said.
It was Earthwinds' fourth attempt to fly around the world nonstop, something that has never been accomplished in more than 200 years of aviation history.
Constar appoints plastice executives
PHILADELPHIA - Crown Cork & Seal Co. Inc. of Philadelphia has appointed three executives for its plastics operations.
Henry Carter was named president of bottle manufacturer Constar International Inc. (North America), which is part of Crown Cork's plastics division. Stephen Cornell was named vice president, plastic technologies, within the corporate technologies group. Alan Silverman was named director, new technology-plastics.
Carter has been with Constar since 1978 and was named senior vice president of sales and marketing in 1990. He will be responsible for Constar's North American activities.
Cornell joined Crown from Silgan Plastics Corp., where he was vice president-technology, and has worked for Continental Packaging, American National Can Co. and Union Carbide Corp.
Silverman most recently was president of PSM Technologies and has worked for the former American Can and for the CarnaudMetalbox-Aluminum Co. of America packaging joint venture, Genesis Packaging Systems.
