LEXINGTON, KY. — Blue Star Plastics Inc. expects to invest about $1 million this year for more space and additional injection molding machines. The Lexington-based firm seeks to consolidate and reconfigure its operations for better efficiency, General Manager Roger Storch said in a telephone interview.
Blue Star plans to break ground in May for a 12,800-square-foot warehouse addition to an existing 46,300-square-foot plant. Construction is scheduled for completion in September.
The high-ceiling warehouse will have a modern stacking system and make space available for molding equipment and assembly operations. Storch anticipates buying three new presses with clamping forces of 210, 220 or 270 tons.
Blue Star operates 12 presses of 75-500 tons, evenly split between HPMs and Mitsubishis. Blue Star eventually will have room for 20-22 machines.
A few blocks away, Blue Star has another 8,000 square feet for other assembly operations.
The firm provides contract manufacturing and injection molding services for towel and tissue dispensers, electronic components and Tier 2 automotive parts.
Blue Star employs 140 and had injection molding sales of $14.5 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, up from $9.5 million in the previous year. Storch projected sales increasing 10-15 percent in the current fiscal year.