Quincy Polymers Inc. is considering expansion into polyolefin foam shape molding and expanded polystyrene foam molding.
The Quincy, Ill., firm recently marked its first year in business as a polyolefin foam block molder. President Kevin McGinnis said he is looking at ways to diversify in foam, which his company now mainly sells to fabricators and distributors.
Quincy Polymers began production in May 2005 with a large foam molding machine for polyethylene and polypropylene. The machine can make blocks measuring 8 inches by 4 feet by 9 feet at densities of 1.3 to 8 pounds per cubic foot. McGinnis estimates he invested about $1 million to buy a building in Quincy and equip it with the machine and other equipment. If the firm ventures into EPS molding, it will buy another molding machine because EPS molding requires lower temperatures and pressures than those used for PE and PP, McGinnis said. He gave no timetable for deciding on such a move.
McGinnis bought a building formerly owned by Foam Products Corp. of St. Louis. McGinnis used to work in cushion packaging at Foam Products, a company owned by his father, Hal McGinnis. Foam Products is a diverse plastic foam producer and fabricator. McGinnis and his wife, Debra, own Quincy Polymers.
Quincy City Council recently awarded a contract to extend a water main to the area where Quincy Polymers operates. McGinnis said his business does not really need the extension, but it could attract other businesses to the area.