Airlite Plastics Co. has expanded into extrusion with the April 1 acquisition of S&L Plastics Inc. of Nazareth, Pa.
Airlite is a major injection molded packaging producer and expanded polystyrene foam processor in Omaha, Neb. The company did not disclose terms of the deal.
“We are excited to add the products, plastic processing capabilities and skilled employees from S&L Plastics,” Airlite President and CEO Brad Crosby said in a news release. “The addition of this facility provides us with new capabilities, markets and an eastern location allowing for future growth opportunities.”
S&L is also a stock and custom molder. Its stock products include Measurex plastic scoops for food, beverage, chemical and nutritional products. Its custom molding encompasses a range of industries, from automotive to medical. Its injection molding sales are about $4 million per year, according to the Plastics News injection molders survey. Total sales were estimated at $11 million.
S&L extrudes Nylaflow tubing, Nylatron profiles used in such applications as wear surfaces, guide rails and edge protectors, and Orthoform sheet extrusion for orthopedic and prosthetic applications.
“We eventually will move some machinery to Pennsylvania and also invest in the operation,” Crosby said in a telephone interview. The Nazareth operation will continue with products and trade names remaining the same.
Crosby did not disclose Airlite's sales but said his company is about 10 times larger than S&L. S&L eventually will be renamed Airlite.
Airlite now employs about 800. In Omaha it runs about 70 injection presses.
S&L, which was privately owned, had 13 injection presses and about 45 employees.
Family-owned Airlite was established in 1946. The company opened a new 80,000-square-foot EPS molding plant in Omaha in 2003. It now occupies more than half a million square feet among its two production plants and warehouse.
Airlite's packaging includes stock and custom containers from 2 ounces to 4 gallons. It uses advanced printing and label technology, including in-mold labeling, shrink sleeves and pressure-sensitive labels.
Other packaging-related products include drink cups and lids. Its EPS line is diverse, comprising insulating concrete forms, packaging and coolers. It claims to be the first company to develop a four-layer stack mold for injection molding.
Airlite achieved national news coverage in May 2003 when President George W. Bush gave a speech to employees about his economic recovery plan in the company's recently completed EPS plant.
