WORCESTER, MASS. (Aug. 8, 3 p.m. ET) — Custom compounder ECM Plastics Inc. is expanding with a new twin-screw extruder, and the Worcester-based firm is redesigning its footprint by moving some warehousing to nearby Clinton, Mass.
“We're in the process of installing a Leistritz 75 millimeter twin-screw that will probably give us another 15 percent extra capacity and because of that, we're adding some outside warehousing,” said President Wayne Marquis, in a telephone interview.
He said the new twin-screw should be in full operation by September. It will be the company's 10th twin-screw extruder and its second 75 millimeter.
Overall, the production extruders range from 40-75 millimeters. It also has some extruders that it uses for laboratory purposes.
The company operates out of 120,000 square foot facility in Worcester that it bought in 2000.Marquis said ECM has no plans to move out of the city.
Marquis said that in recent years, ECM has added new machinery every year. The company has 140 employees and expects to add about 10 percent more as the machinery comes on line.
Marquis said the expansion is “really a combination of some customers growing and the addition of new customers. In the last few years, we beefed up our development staff.”
He said ECM has added R&D as the large companies have cut back and that has allowed the firm to “co-develop work with our customers.”
ECM does custom color matching, specialty additive formulations as well as compounding.
Marquis said ECM has leased 48,000 square feet of space in Clinton, which will be used primarily for warehousing. But the company may do some blending or pulverizing at the site in the future.
The company also uses 40,000 square feet of warehouse space across the street from its Worcester site.
