When a group of Michigan investors opened an injection molding company late last summer, they timed their production launch to coincide with the first signs of a reinvigorated economy.
Then came the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, which stalled the recovery and manufacturing as a whole.
But the operators of r3 Plastics in Three Rivers figure they still are in a solid position for growth, with the economy expected to improve this year.
``I see a turnaround coming again, and if you're in the right situation you can persevere,'' Brian Borowiak, executive vice president, said in a Jan. 21 telephone interview.
R3 opened in August with financial backing from DMA Holdings Inc., a group of investors in nearby Kalamazoo, Mich. R3 has eight employees, and three presses with clamping forces of 22-500 tons. While situated close to the heart of Michigan's automotive industry, the firm plans to focus more on the medical and consumer electronics fields.
``We still feel like that's going to be a huge growth area,'' he said. ``This is something that we see is just going to explode.''
The firm also has parts in production for the food industry and consumer-goods markets.