based blow molder Mergon Corp. has expanded its processing abilities with the addition of six injection molding machines.
``A lot of our customers are interested in blow molding and injection molding of their parts,'' General Manager Allan Hinchliffe said by phone.
He said the company has concentrated on blow molding during its 10-year history and used to outsource injection molding.
However, Mergon in July added one Arburg and five Nissei presses with clamping forces of 40-300 tons. The project, which cost more than $1 million, was in response to a number of contracts to supply an undisclosed company with business equipment parts.
Mergon expanded its production area by taking over space that had been used for warehousing.
``It was something that just made sense,'' Hinchliffe said, noting that the company sees opportunities to grow with existing customers in the U.S. and Europe.
Hinchliffe said he has significant injection molding experience from work he did in Switzerland. Mergon also added two experienced employees to help with the new machines. Overall, the company has added 12 to its 140-member workforce. Mergon also can offer in-house part and mold design.
Hinchliffe said the expansion was fueled by a commitment to build long-term supply partnerships with customers. By bringing all of the injection molding in-house, Mergon cuts time and has better control over the finished products, he added.
Mergon Corp. opened in South Carolina in 1998 and supplies blow molded components to original equipment manufacturers in the business equipment, automobile and industrial markets.
The company is part of Mergon Group of Castlepollard, Ireland. Hinchliffe said the entire organization is looking to add more injection molding. The group has one machine in its Ireland facility and plans to add machines at a plant in Brno, Czech Republic.
