Concord Plastics Corp. has gone the distance since 1982, when Gary and Sharon McCor-mick first started up their company with a measly $1,500 in cash and a lot more moxie. Last year the Muskegon, Mich., injection molder grew to 71,000 square feet of manufacturing space and added six Van Dorn Demag presses and 48 workers at its leased facility.
The injection molding ma-chines represent an investment of more than $1 million, the McCor-micks said recently by telephone. In 1995 the firm recorded sales of $5.03 million.
This year, if all goes as planned, they say Concord will increase its stable of 16 presses by bringing on three more, including a 700-tonner this fall when it takes on a couple projects for its second-biggest customer, Donnelly Corp. of Holland, Mich. Concord already is running samples for one of those Donnelly jobs, a nylon automotive window reinforcement, on tooling supplied by LS Mold Inc., also of Holland.
Concord uses its three 700-ton and one 500-ton machines mainly for auto parts and office furniture. Holland-based furniture maker Herman Miller Inc. is its largest single customer, Gary McCormick said. The company also does a little medical business, which is ``slow-going'' right now, he said. But it recently ran about 100,000 units of a plastic tube for encapsulating and disposing of used syringes. The product currently is being test-marketed by Amer-sham Medi+Physics of Arlington Heights, Ill.
McCormick, who has 34 years experience in injection molding, said it took him about four years to ``feel comfortable'' with running his own company. During that time, he worked a second job, while Sharon ran the shop, mainly taking in overflow from other custom molders, but also forging longtime relationships with steadies like Herman Miller.
Now he sees nothing but opportunity straight ahead: ``It's been a steady growth for us,'' he said. ``It never went backwards.''
His company has plenty of room to grow at its leased site, he said, with another 87,500 square feet at its disposal. Other capabilities include part design and light assembly. It also does structural foam molding, including plastic housings for fish finders and down riggers, he said.
Concord employs about 112.
