Lighthouse Plastics Inc. has begun business as a custom injection molder in Knoxville, Tenn. The company began working on orders for consumer products and point-of-purchase items early this month and is ready to take on more work, according to President Rick Owens.
Lighthouse has 12 injection presses with clamping forces of 60-450 tons in its leased, 15,000-square-foot operation. Owens said it also offers tool repair, decorating, assembly and packaging services, and can work with tooling companies in the Knoxville area.
Owens, his wife and their partners established the company late last year. Owens was vice president and general manager of Moll Industries Inc.'s point-of-purchase business until he left last April.
He had been with Moll, and with Anchor Advanced Products Inc., which was purchased by Moll in 1998, for more than eight years, Owens said in a telephone interview.
"I always wanted to own a company," he said.
A native of east Tennessee, Owens decided to locate the new company near home ground. He named the company Lighthouse to symbolize a beacon for companies needing molding services and because he and his wife are avid ocean fishers.
Lighthouse starts out with six employees but expects to double that within a month as business grows, Owens said. The company emphasizes just-in-time delivery to most of the eastern United States.
Owens said the operation plans to get ISO 9002 accreditation in 2001 and is developing some of its own consumer products, which it expects to introduce this year.