U.S. custom injection molder Tessy Plastics Corp. is preparing to expand its operations with plans for a third plant, in Ireland.
Tessy plans to invest $6 million to $10 million to set up a plant of 20,000-40,000 square feet with two or three injection presses, said President Henry Beck.
Elbridge, N.Y.-based Tessy also is exploring the option of a partnership with an Irish molding company.
The firm is considering several partners while it seeks a suitable site for a molding plant.
Tessy's passport to big business in the Emerald Isle is the prospect of a linkup there with its major longtime customer, business machine giant Xerox Corp. of Stamford, Conn. The original equipment manufacturer is preparing to start production at a huge new complex in Dundalk, Ireland.
Initially, Tessy may get Xerox part production up and running through a deal with an Irish injection molder with whom it can share its technology and supply the volume component needs of Xerox and perhaps other clients, Beck said.
``We have over 20 years of working with Xerox and have developed parts for them. We want to be able to supply Xerox [in Ireland] by the end of the year,'' Beck said.
Tessy is interviewing candidates to be the company's general manager in Ireland.
Beck said his company, which employs 500 at plants at Elbridge and Lynchburg, Va., already serves other clients in Ireland.
Tessy, with 1998 injection molding sales of $43 million, is ready and capable of handling other high-volume, high-precision injection molding business in Ireland, Beck said. Its main markets to date are in the medical, automotive, business machine and consumer sectors.