Noble Plastics Inc. plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities with the purchase of a former Yoo-hoo bottling plant in Opelousas, La., eight miles away from its current facility.
The company has ambitious plans for expansion, according to its President Missy Rogers, and will outfit the 77,000-square-foot building with three injection molding cells by the end of the year. They are also looking to add rotational molding capability next year.
Rogers said in a telephone interview that the company is working with existing customers to make sure that they can provide all the necessary services that they need.
“We want to be their first choice,” she said.
Noble completed the purchase of the building about a month ago, have ordered presses from Arburg and Engel, robotics from Fanuc, and expect to have them running by the end of December.
Rogers said a portion of the facility is segmented and Noble will be able to use the space for clean rooms, if they are required. The company is adding silos and extending rail access to the building.
Noble was started in October 2000 by Missy and husband Scott Rogers in Lafayette, La. It moved north in 2006 to a 32,000-square-foot building in Grand Coteau, its current home. The company runs eight injection molding machines 24 hours a day, seven days week. It has presses ranging from 35-730 tons. All run in manufacturing cells and include robotics and auxiliary equipment.
She said Noble will continue operations in Grand Coteau, which will become a center for engineering, small-tonnage molding and assembly
“We can provide all our services in-house so there is a consistency from the hand-off to the design, to the manufacturing, packaging and fulfillment,” Rogers said.
She said the company works with a variety of industries, including inventors looking to come up with the perfect product.
The company also became an integrator for Fanuc America Corp. in 2014 and was featured in a recent YouTube video released by the company. Rogers said robotics and automation are key factors to keep Noble competitive worldwide. They also allow the company to run a lights-out third shift.
