Materials maker Techmer PM has opened its new specialty compounding plant in New Castle, Del.
The site opened Sept. 15 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour attended by Delaware governor Jack Markell. The plant employs 60 and will add another 40 jobs in the next five years, officials said in a news release.
The new facility covers 88,000 square feet and can be expanded to 122,000 square feet if needed. In October 2015, Techmer announced it would be closing its plant in Aston, Pa. — about 20 miles north of New Castle — and moving production to the new plant.
The new site has 50 percent more production capacity than the previous location, officials said, and will allow for Techmer's expansion into areas such as additive manufacturing and 3-D printing.
“We're very pleased that Techmer chose Delaware as the strategic place to consolidate and expand its high-tech manufacturing operations,” Markell said in the release.
The opening of the new plant “highlights ongoing investments that help us provide advanced materials in existing markets,” Tom Drye, Techmer engineering solutions managing director, said in the release. “We put a lot of attention into the building of this facility to ensure that we've integrated meaningful workflow and sustainability features.”
At the site, Techmer is using closed-loop utilities, cooling, and vacuum systems, all of which rely on recycled water. The firm also put in place a water filtration system, odor control system, and various recycling initiatives that reduce waste to landfill, officials said.
Products made by Clinton, Tenn.-based Techmer at the new site will include filled, impact-modified and colored compounds based on a wide variety of resins. These compounds are sold into military applications, business machines, transportation and other markets. Techmer acquired the business when it bought specialty compounder TP Composites Inc. in 2013.
Techmer ranks as one of North America's 30 largest compounders and concentrate makers. The firm has annual sales of more than $200 million and was named as one of Plastics News' Best Places To Work in 2014 and 2016.
