Tax break helps Mich. molder expand
HUDSONVILLE, MICH. — Injection molder Royal Technologies Corp. will receive a tax break to help it finance the purchase of more molding and auxiliary equipment.
Local news reports said the city of Hudsonville, where Royal is based, will extend a 50 percent tax break on $3.4 million worth of equipment for the company. Officials from Royal did not respond to a request for comment.
Royal molds visual and functional parts for the office furniture, automotive and consumer products industries and has manufacturing in Michigan and Alabama.
Hudson Color buys Continental Polymer
LEOMINSTER, MASS. — For the second time in five months, Hudson Color Concentrates has made an acquisition within its hometown of Leominster.
This time, HCC has purchased compounder and recycler Continental Polymer Corp. for undisclosed terms. In July, HCC acquired additive concentrates maker Blen-Color Inc., also of Leominster.
In a Nov. 1 e-mail, HCC Vice President David Boudreau said his firm bought Continental because HCC “needed the capacity, and [the deal] also gave us a new product mix with compounding, grinding and reprocessing.”
He said HCC will retain ownership of Continental's facility and all of the firm's equipment. Further details were unavailable.
HCC operates plants in Leominster and in Niles, Ill. In late 2009, the company entered the resin distribution market with its Quality Resin Solutions business unit. HCC expects to post sales of at least $30 million this year.
Creative Foam adding wind-energy jobs
FENTON, MICH. — Creative Foam Corp. plans to invest $1.5 million and add 63 jobs in its hometown of Fenton, Mich., to expand into the wind-energy business.
The state of Michigan has provided $362,386 in tax credits to the firm to help finance the expansion, according to a news release from the city of Fenton.
“The automotive and medical industries continue to be a very important part of our business,” the company said. “However … the tax credits awarded mean that we can expand into new and exciting markets such as wind energy,” said CEO and President Wayne Blessing.
Creative Foam makes both cellular and non-cellular foams and plastics and has manufacturing in Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee and Colorado.
The new work is aimed at making high-tolerance composite foam cores for wind-turbine blades.
Rexam ups foam-pump production in US
LONDON — Rexam plc is investing in increased production of its F2 polypropylene foam pump at its Thomaston, Conn., plant.
According to a Nov. 1 news release from London-based Rexam, demand for the product has recently increased.
“On top of what some might consider surprisingly buoyant sales over the years, we see a huge increase in hair-care projects, from iconic multinational brands, as well as smaller, entrepreneurial brand owners,” said Casper Kleiman, Rexam personal-care product manager for foam.
The F2 pump first was introduced in 1997.
Officials at Rexam's booth at Pack Expo, held Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 in Chicago, said the growth was due in part to large orders from a U.S.-based personal-care manufacturer for its lines of premium-brand products.
Eastman, Mazzucchelli form JV in China
SHENZHEN, CHINA — Eastman Chemical Co. of Kingsport, Tenn., has established a joint venture with Mazzucchelli 1849 SpA to manufacture compounded cellulose diacetate in Shenzhen.
Terms of the joint venture arrangement were not disclosed.
Mazzucchelli of Castiglione Olona, Italy, makes CDA sheet for ophthalmic frames; it also can be used in tool handles.
The demand for cellulosic materials will continue to grow in both innovative segments — such as liquid-crystal displays — and traditional segments, according to Mark Costa, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for specialty polymers, coatings and adhesives. Eastman cellulosics are produced from 100 percent-renewable softwood materials.