Composite materials made by PlastiComp Inc. have been honored by the Frost & Sullivan consulting firm.
Winona, Minn.-based PlastiComp recently received the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation. The award went to PlastiComp's Complēt Hybrid line of long glass and carbon fiber-reinforced composites, which identify the need to reduce the cost and weight of products. The materials help auto companies adhere to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard.
PlastiComp uses a proprietary pultrusion compounding method to manufacture Complēt Hybrid composites. Integrating continuous glass and carbon fibers in the right proportion to obtain effective long fiber composites has been PlastiComp's key focus, company officials said in a news release.
“Part of PlastiComp's success must be attributed to its culture of innovation and excellence in addressing emerging industry requirements by gauging market trends and responding to them,” Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Soundarya Shankar said in the release.
“Overall, PlastiComp's comprehensive approach to strengthen its market position has enabled it to fortify customer relationships and brand image,” she added. “As things stand, the company is far ahead of the competition.”
The annual award goes to a company that has developed an innovative element in a product by leveraging leading-edge technologies.
PlastiComp operates two plants covering a total of 115,000 square feet in Winona. Its composites are available as standard and custom engineered formulations that combine long glass, carbon, and other specialty fiber reinforcement with thermoplastics ranging from polypropylene to PEEK.