Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
News
March 06, 1995 01:00 AM

MEGAMOLDERS REPLACING FAMILY SHOPS: PIONEERS RETIRE, MBAS TAKE OVER

Clare Goldsberry
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print

    It's inevitable. As plastics processing matures from the small, experimental enterprise it was 50 years ago, to the larger, fast-paced business it is today, the hands-on entrepreneurs who grew the industry are retiring. In their place is the large, multiplant megamolder, with operations directed by people with master's degrees in business administration.

    ``My dad saw it starting to change about 10 years ago,'' said Rob Roth, who grew up in the industry under the tutelage of his father, plastics pioneer Merrill Roth.

    Merrill Roth was one of the founders of Grant & Roth in Portland, Ore., now part of SPM Inc. in Anaheim, Calif.

    ``We knew then that to be successful you'd have to be big enough to be important to both your customers and your suppliers,'' he said.

    Rob Roth now is marketing and sales manager for Quality Plastics Inc. in Newberg, Ore., formerly owned by Lee Dundas Sr. and now a division of Moll Plasticrafters, headquartered in La Vergne, Tenn.

    Merrill Roth has retired, but maintains an office at SPM and a machine shop in his garage where he invents and makes devices for use with robotics in molding applications. He has been involved with the plastics industry since 1928, when he went to work for a company that made dentures from celluloid with six hand-operated presses. He has seen many changes during that time.

    ``Today, molding is big business,'' Merrill Roth said in a recent telephone interview. ``Time was we didn't know anything about business. It was all just trial and error until we got a business going. We even built our own presses

    because we couldn't afford to buy them.''

    You most likely won't see George Votis up to his elbows in a molding press. Votis, chairman and chief executive officer of Moll Plasticrafters, represents the new breed of plastics company owners. Votis, who has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, oversees Moll's multiplant operations from his office in New York.

    Votis said the plastics entrepreneurs who built the industry now are selling the companies they built because they lack the capital to succeed in today's business environment.

    Small business owners ``perhaps are not inclined to take that next step, either because they don't have the money, or lack the different skill set required to manage it, or they've achieved a certain level of satisfaction where they're at and don't want to go to the next level,'' he said.

    George Freeborn, who sold his company, Textek Plastics Inc. in San Antonio, to Moll about two years ago, said that with the plastics industry's increasing sophistication and global competition, molders no longer can supply the entire United States from one location. There is also an increasing reluctance on the part of large original equipment manufacturers to deal with the small, entrepreneurial shop.

    ``[Customers] are afraid you have no depth in your organization,'' he said. ``They want to deal with the large shop - not only large dollarwise, but large in the depth of talent and serv-ices they offer.''

    Randall Barko, vice president of sales and marketing for Nypro Inc. in Clinton, Mass., said longevity in the business may bring reluctance to take risk.

    ``When you're younger and have your whole life ahead of you, it's much easier to risk it all and take the chance,'' Barko said. ``These entrepreneurs become less willing to risk what they've worked for all their life in order to grow the business to the next level.''

    Louis Buzzitta has worked on both sides of the molding industry. For 25 years he operated plants for large conglomerates, and from 1982 until his retirement in 1994, he owned Hughes Plastics Inc. of St. Joseph, Mich.

    During the 12 years he owned Hughes Plastics Inc. he took it from $4 million to $45 million to $25 million in annual sales, and Buzzitta said he had fun doing it. But he also knew times were changing.

    "If you're giong to do anything in this industry today, you can't do it as a small company," he said.

    He also realized that to expand to meet the requirements of his automotive customers world require a quantum leap.

    "I had to ask myself, do I want to do that? Will I tget in return what I put into it?" he said.

    He decided the risks wrer just too great.

    "Twenty years ago I'd spend a half-million dollars at a plant just on a handshake with a customer," buzzitta said. "In today's environment, I wouldn't do it under lieves any circumstances."

    Sometimes a big company comes along and makes you and an offer you just cannot refuse, she said Freevorn, "especially when you've had a bad week."

    "Molding used to be an art. ...Now, moldong is a science. [The industry] doesn't need artists anymore," Freeborn said.

    Instead, Freeborn said he believes the plastics industry needs corporate leaders like Voltis, with the managerial skills and business acumen to expand companies' capabilities.

    "Moll's done a credible job of improving and expanding Textek," said Freeborn.

    There are some sour grapes over industry changes, however.

    "It used to be a molder's philosophy that it's fun to make plastic parts and if you make money too, that's even better," said one man whose family has been in plastics 50 years. "Now make money, not plastic."

    That's probably a fair statement, said Nypro's Barko.

    Unlike some larter congloverates that may be involved in many industries, Barko said Nypro's "business is molding as a sideline."

    Hughes, he took it from $4 million to $25 million in annual sales, and Buzzitta said he had fun doing it. But he also knew times were changing.

    ``If you're going to do anything in this industry today, you can't do it as a small company,'' he said.

    He also realized that to expand to meet the requirments of his automotive customers would require a quantum leap.

    ``I had to ask myself, do I want to do that? Will I get in return what I put into it?''he said.

    He decided the risks were just too great.

    ``Twenty years ago I'd spend a half-million dollars at a plant just on a handshake with a customer,'' Buzzitta said. ``In today's environment, I wouldn't do it under any circumstances.''

    Sometimes a big company comes along and makes you an offer you just cannot refuse, said Freeborn, ``especially when you've had a bad week.''

    Like Roth, Freeborn watched the industry change radically during 30 years.

    ``Molding used to be an art. ... Now, molding is a science. [The industry] doesn't need artists anymore,'' Freeborn said.

    Instead, Freeborn said he believes the plastics industry needs corporate leaders like Votis, with the managerial skills and business acumen to expand companies' capabilities.

    ``Moll's done a credible job of improving and expanding Textek,'' said Freeborn.

    There are some sour grapes over industry changes, however.

    ``It used to be a molder's philosophy that it's fun to make plastic parts and if you make money too, that's even better,'' said one man whose family has been in plastics 50 years. ``Now the philosophy is, we're here to make money, not plastic.''

    That's probably a fair statement, said Nypro's Barko.

    Unlike some larger conglomerates that may be involved in many industries, Barko said Nypro's ``business is molding, not something else with molding as a sideline.''

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Berry sees growing health care demand in India; new plant to open soon
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    OSHA: Worker died at plastics firm after duct tape covered safety guards
    2
    Tornadoes, severe weather impact Texas resin plants
    3
    Plastics firms work to eliminate PFAS use as pressure mounts
    4
    Material Insights: Nasty weather knocks some chemical plants offline
    5
    MAPP survey shows ‘struggling' plastics processing sector
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified