Heinke Technology expands in Nebraska
LINCOLN, NEB. — Heinke Technology Inc. expanded its injection molding and toolroom areas and added a clean room in March.
It did not disclose details about the size and cost of the expansion.
HTI makes pharmaceutical products, including medicinal applicators, bolus dispensing guns and nasal inoculation tips.
HTI received ISO 9001 certification in February. Also, it was named an outstanding supplier of the year for 1998 by Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc.
HTI employs 60 at its 48,000-square-foot plant. It operates 17 presses with 20-400 tons of clamping force. HTI is a subsidiary of Plastic Co. Enterprises, and both are based in Lincoln.
HTI provides on-site tool building and maintenance for custom molds and part design. HTI also makes commercial washers, encapsulated bolts, food packaging products and custom plastic products.
Swedish firm opening factory in Estonia
TOREKOV, SWEDEN — Aiming to lower production costs, Sweden's Nolato AB is establishing a plant in Tallinn, Estonia, to injection mold plastic components for mobile telephones.
``We expect to start production by January 2000, and project sales of 60 million Swedish kronor ($7.4 million) in the first year,'' Tomas Sjolin, chief executive officer, said in a news release. Notalo intends initially to invest about SKr25 million ($3.1 million) in the Estonia project.
Nolato supplies components to major mobile-telephone makers from Swedish plants in Kristianstad, Lomma and Hallsberg and, since early January, a new facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The Estonia plant will not reduce production at the other sites.
Customers include units of Telefonaktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson, Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG.
Torekov-based Nolato employs 1,800 and reported 1998 sales of SKr1.89 billion ($232.3 million) from plastic and rubber products for telecommunications, automotive and medical applications.
Textron Automotive names new executive
TROY, MICH. — Supplier Textron Automotive Co. has named Sam Licavoli its new chairman, president and chief executive officer. Licavoli takes over his new duties immediately.
Licavoli, who joined Textron in 1996, had been president of the Troy, Mich.-based automotive supplier's Trim Division. The division injection molds a variety of interior and exterior parts, including instrument panel systems and signal lighting.
Licavoli had been senior vice president-international with manufacturer A.O. Smith Corp. of Milwaukee before joining Textron.
The move was made after former Textron Automotive Chairman John Janitz was promoted in March. Janitz, who stayed at Textron Automotive until a successor was announced, was named president and chief operating officer of Textron Inc., the parent company of Textron Automotive.
Textron Inc. is based in Providence, R.I. Textron Automotive recorded $2.4 billion in sales last year, about a quarter of the parent company's sales.
Nordon Tool & Mold establishes ESOP
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Nordon Tool & Mold Inc.'s employees bought the company through an employee stock ownership plan effective March 26.
Nordon's previous majority owner, Ernst Timm, is semiretired and put the firm up for sale, but couldn't find a suitable buyer, said spokeswoman Sarah Bruzda. The deal's terms were undisclosed.
Nordon has invested about $5 million in the past three years to upgrade and expand its buildings in Rochester and double injection molding capacity. It now has 49 presses ranging from 20-500 tons.
Nordon's main markets include office equipment, sporting goods, food-storage containers, medical, auto, and photographic equipment. Its total sales last year were about $14 million, including $13 million from injection molding. It employs about 150.