Resin distributor Chase Plastics posted sales growth of 9 percent in 2014, and officials expect that growth rate to surpass 10 percent this year.
“We take a lot of pride in the fact that we're growing with our customers in emerging markets — particularly in the automotive segment,” said Alan Arduini, sales vice president, in a Jan. 7 news release. “We look forward to continued shared success in 2015 and beyond.”
Officials with Clarkston, Mich.-based Chase said that 2014 sales hit $217 million, with 2015 sales expected to be more than $240 million. They cited growth in Canada as one reason for the firm's $217 million sales total for 2014. Sales in that country grew 21 percent for the year, including growth of 67 percent in the province of Quebec and 12 percent in Ontario.
The firm recently hired a bilingual customer-service rep for French-speaking customers in those regions. Sales in Quebec are expected to grow 65 percent in 2015, with 25 percent growth anticipated in Ontario.
Also in Mexico, Chase recently signed an agreement with DSM Engineering Plastics to distribute high-performance materials there to customers in automotive, electronics and other industries.
In the last two years, Chase has hired four sales professionals with technical skills, as well as six new members for its administrative support team. “We put tremendous effort into attracting and retaining high-quality professionals to help our customers reach their business goals,” President Kevin Chase said in the release.
In November, Chase Plastics announced it would spend $5.4 million to build a new distribution center in South Bend, Ind. The 125,000 square-foot facility will create 13 new jobs.
Chase Plastics was founded in 1992. The firm now distributes more than 6,400 grades of resins and compounds from more than 30 suppliers.