Infinity Plastics finds its niche

Mount Vernon, Ind. — Before Robert Carpenter arrived at Infinity Plastics Group, the company did not regularly share information with employees.

Carpenter, however, changed the culture at this injection molder when he arrived in 2005 as president and CEO. Now, monthly staff meetings for all are the norm. And workers who participate in a company profit-sharing plan can easily view bulletin boards in the lunchroom that track progress on finances, safety, scrap parts and more.

In fact, Carpenter says the folks on the shop floor have access to a lot of the information his six-member board of directors sees at the privately owned company.

“It's not just technical information [at the monthly meetings],” Carpenter said. “They kind of get to know the people [on Infinity's executive team].”

Mount Vernon sits just west of Evansville in what locals argue is the heart of the U.S. plastics industry. Larger players in this sector dot the landscape. But Infinity, led by Carpenter's team, has carved out what he calls a middle niche serving mostly automotive customers.

“We'll take the jobs on that are small, but maybe highly technical. ... That's what we look for,” said Carpenter who served as president of Guardian Automotive Trim — now part of SRG Global —and then as vice president of Guardian Automotive's engineering and manufacturing division before joining Infinity.

Revenue at Infinity should reach $16.5 million this year. Carpenter believes $20 million is attainable in five years as Infinity pushes more medical business into its clean room and possibly grows its foothold in the furniture industry. Both the main building and second one built in 2009 to make medical parts were built to expand. Infinity owns enough of the surrounding land, too, to make this feasible.

But Carpenter will be comfortably retired when/if Infinity sees that growth. The 66-year-old is hanging up his CEO shoes at the end of this year although he plans to stay in the area. Two of his vice presidents — Sondra Ash and Scott Titzer — are the future of the company, he said.

“They will definitely be leading the company in some form. The exact structure, right now, is up to the board,” he said.

Whoever gets the job will be faced with the workforce issue that comes in a region with 3.6 percent unemployment and a company running three shifts five days per week.

Carpenter's advice to his successor?

“As far as the people, I would tell them, this is probably the best team of people we've had since I've been here. You're very fortunate to have the level of talent you have. But your next piece is you've got to bring in the next generation.”

Carpenter's greatest source of pride during his time at Infinity is how the team weathered the Great Recession. There were pay cuts, leaves of absence and reduction of the work force from 100 to 50.

“I was really proud of our entire team, both hourly and salary. In some ways, I think that was one of the best management years we had. We all got to know each other really well, too. We mowed grass. We soldered parts. We made parts. Assembled components. Everything. A company this size, you don't have another layer you can just say, ‘You guys need to start this.'”

December is just around the corner. Perhaps those long nights that a CEO experiences will come to end for Carpenter. For now, though, he still has concerns familiar to many manufacturing executives. What keeps him up?

“The development of the next generation. I am concerned that we're able to develop an appreciation for manufacturing, an understanding of what it means to the country and that we get some of the best and brightest into the industry,” Carpenter said.