CALGARY, ALBERTA — Petco Manufacturing Inc. plans to start container molding in Calgary this month, according to its parent company, Vivant Group Inc., also of Calgary.
Petco will start on a smaller scale than earlier planned. It recently bought an injection press to make PET preforms and a blow molding machine. The company paid about US$300,000 for the used Cincinnati Milacron equipment, according to Vivant President Randy Shima.
Last summer Petco's former president, Dan Keeley, said the operation would use four 500-ton injection presses to make large preforms, and a smaller press to injection mold inverted beverage container holders.
It planned to expand into blow molding later. Shima did not disclose why Petco changed its production strategy.
Keeley, who lives in Calgary, said he resigned from Petco in October because of a conflict with Vivant management. He declined to provide more detail.
Shima would only say that Keeley was not replaced as Petco's president. Keeley and a silent investor established Petco last year. Keeley said he is ``pursuing other things'' in blow molding.
Vivant said in a recent news release that Petco's bottle-making capabilities can help Vivant cut its costs.
Shima said Petco also will pursue custom preform and bottle markets.
Shima was former plant manager of Mission Plastics Ltd., a company Keeley founded in 1981 and sold in 1992.