Fypon Ltd. to add cellular PVC profiles
ARCHBOLD, OHIO — Archbold-based Fypon Ltd., a urethane and vinyl moldings and millwork maker, has added cellular PVC trim profiles to its product line.
Fypon also manufacturers vinyl bead board, as well as corners, sheet and boards for various applications including corner trim, fascia and soffit, window and door casing and wainscoting.
``PVC trim profiles are superior to wood moldings in many ways,'' said Greg Wolf, Fypon marketing director, in a Dec. 18 news release. ``These products may be placed directly against masonry without fear of decay or water absorption … making them an ideal long-term product for the interior or exterior of any project.''
Fiber supplier takes new name: Finite Fiber
AKRON, OHIO — Finite Fiber is the new name of fiber supplier Victor Gelb Inc.
``Our former name was the name of the former owner,'' said Finite Fiber President Keith Kleve. ``It didn't aptly describe the business.''
Victor Gelb sold the business to Dowco LLC of Akron in early 2006. The name change was effective in mid-October.
Akron-based Finite Fiber supplies a range of fibers to plastics, rubber and other polymer industries. Its product line includes textile fibers, fiber bundles, industrial-grade nylon and polyester textile fibers, cotton fibers, carbon fibers and 1- to 2-millimeter Aramid pulp.
The firm was founded in 1923. It is ISO 9001-2000 certified.
Chemque gasket unit purchased by Rampf
GRAFENBERG, GERMANY — Rampf Holding GmbH & Co. KG acquired the form-in-place gasketing division of Chemque Inc. on Dec. 1, as part of an effort to establish global market leadership in foam gaskets.
Rampf gained Chemque formulations and retained the division's sales manager, Lance Ewert. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Subsidiary Rampf Group Inc. in Wixom, Mich., operates two 2,640-pound-capacity polyurethane mixers, and, as a result, Rampf did not need to acquire any equipment from the Chemque facility in Rexdale, Ontario.
Grafenberg-based parent firm Rampf Holding established the subsidiary in Holland, Ohio, in 2003 and moved it to the rented, 30,000-square-foot Wixom location in 2006.
Rampf invested about $1 million to equip the site for specialized PU production, which began in February 2008. Customers use two-component dispensing equipment in forming gaskets for door modules, boxes, filter housings or anything that needs to be sealed for automotive or other applications.
Now employing 20, the Wixom site has capacity to deliver material for dispensing PU into more than 1 million parts per year.
Beginning in 2006, a Rampf plant in Grafenberg supplied PU for as many as 400,000 form-in-place door modules per year for the Jeep Wrangler sport utility vehicle from Chrysler LLC.
In 2005, Rampf partnered with Curbell Plastics Inc. of Orchard Park, N.Y., for distribution of German-made Rampf epoxy and PU composite tooling products in the U.S. In April 2007, Rampf linked with TEC Automation Inc. of Canton, Ga., for distribution of PU resins and German-made Rampf dispensing systems in the southeast United States.
Ongoing Chemque divisions focus on specialty graphics, construction and telecommunications markets.
Parker Plastics Inc. expands Md. facility
HAGERSTOWN, MD. — Custom blow molder Parker Plastics Inc. recently expanded its Hagerstown plant from 40,000 to 70,000 square feet, to meet increased demand for plastic bottles.
The expansion took place during the past year as the facility increased its workforce from 26 to about 45 employees, President Jim Parker said during a Dec. 15 telephone interview.
``We're doing well,'' he said. ``We just ran out of room there.''
Parker Plastics — which turns 20 years old in 2009 — has its headquarters at a 100,000-square-foot campus in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. It also operates a 75,000-square-foot plant in Sand Springs, Okla.
Hagerstown plant manager Jim Brown said in a Dec. 10 telephone interview that the facility, which makes the firm's signature honey-bear PET bottle as well as sauce bottles, will start making 5-gallon water containers in early 2009.
``The majority of the people we hired will be put to work on that line,'' he said.
Parker would not disclose the client for the project, but said the work also will be done in Sand Springs.
Both officials said demand for food packaging has remained consistent in 2008, despite the ups and downs of the U.S. economy.
``We're holding our own at this point,'' Brown said.
Parker said his company's growth ``hinges on adding new products,'' and that the three plants house 25 different production lines. He said Parker Plastics' sales are about $35 million annually. The blow molder employs about 200.