Lindar Corp. said it will invest as much as $3 million this year on expansion. The Baxter, Minn., thermoformer bought a toolmaker at the start of the year and is adding floor space and machinery, President Tom Haglin said by telephone.
Lindar acquired Moving Technology Inc. of Baxter, the company's main tool builder, for undisclosed terms. Haglin said Lindar is building a plant next door to its current one to house Moving Technology, which Lindar will relocate by late spring.
Moving Technology built thermoforming tools and molds for injection molding and rubber, and Lindar will continue those businesses for the operation, a new division of Lindar.
Haglin said his company plans to add 25,000 square feet of space, including a new facility for the tooling operation and an addition for more manufacturing, warehouse and office space in its current building. He expects the building addition to be finished by late summer or early fall.
Lindar plans to add two more roll-fed thermoformers this year to keep up with growth in food packaging — its fastest-growing market as Lindar captures business among food processors. Haglin said his company also may make a proprietary line of delicatessen containers.
Lindar recorded sales of $3.1 million for 1999, up about 10 percent from 1998.
Industrial, heavy-gauge trays are its main business, but food packaging accounts for nearly a third of its sales. It runs seven thermoforming lines at its 32-person plant. Last year it processed about 1.5 million pounds of polyethylene, styrenics, PET and PVC.