Nypro Inc. confirmed plans to open a custom injection molding plant in the Dominican Republic, its 23rd facility around the world.
The Clinton, Mass., firm will set up 10 injection presses in a 55,000-square-foot building in Piisa Industrial Park near the country's capital, Santo Domingo, said Sam Landol, Nypro vice president responsible for Latin America. Nypro will begin leasing the facility from a local builder in July and expects to begin molding about that time. Landol spoke Oct. 23, a day after Nypro's board approved the Santo Domingo project, while he was traveling in the Caribbean region.
Landol said Nypro plans to invest about $5 million in injection machinery over the first five years of the Santo Domingo operation. Officials have not chosen machinery suppliers yet, but the leading candidates are Nypro's current main suppliers, Netstal-Maschinen AG, Engel Machinery Inc. and Cincinnati Milacron, for presses with clamping forces of 100-250 tons. The facility eventually will house 24 presses.
Nypro Santo Domingo will do clean room molding and assembly for local medical manufacturers such as Baxter Corp. as well as a variety of industrial customers, many of which are already located in the Piisa park, Landol explained.
``Our philosophy is to go where the customers want us,'' Landol said.
Landol said he sees growth potential in the Dominican Republic as low labor rates attract more industry to the nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. He also hinted Nypro has plans to set up other plants in Latin America and in Mexico but he provided no further details.
Nypro will wholly own the Santo Domingo facility, which Landol predicts will employ about 75 within six months of operation.
Nypro won Plastics News' Processor of the Year Award for 1997.
