Custom injection molder Patrick Industries Inc., part of a global electronic manufacturing services company, is expanding in Markham, Ontario, and is preparing to enter thermoforming next year.
Patrick has moved to a larger facility within Markham and plans to add two to four new injection molding presses, according to the firm's general manager Linda Young.
“The move is for expansion in the next few years,” Young said in a phone interview. The new location, with 59,000 square feet, is about double what Patrick had been using, she estimated. The operation sits on a 4.3-acre site with room for further expansion.
Patrick now has 16 injection presses with clamping forces ranging from 55 to 600 tons. Much of its custom work is molding auto parts for Tier 1 and 2 manufacturers.
“We need extra capacity for anticipated growth,” Young said. The company has certifications to bolster its business in medical, auto and aerospace markets. In addition to custom molding, the business has specialized in production of carbon monoxide alarms for U.S. government agencies. It also does other electromechanical systems assembly.
Patrick is part of Season Group, a vertically integrated electronics manufacturer founded in 1975. Patrick is Season's only injection molding operation in North America. Season's headquarters plant in Donguang, China, also does injection molding.
Season's home plant and other Season affiliates provide design, manufacturing and aftermarket services to electronics OEMs and other industries. Other affiliates are located in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom. All have at least ISO 9001 certifications and most carry TS 16949, AS 9100 and or ISO 13485 certifications.
In total, Season Group employs more than 1,800.
Young said Patrick now employs about 80 and that figure should rise with expansion. The operation also has its own tool shop and offers secondary services and packaging capability. Since 1983 Patrick has been located in the Toronto area. Young said her company intends to enter thermoforming next year.
“The achievement of AS 9100 approval at [Markham] has resulted in significant interest from the aerospace sector and we needed to increase capacity to cope with this anticipated growth,” noted Season President and CEO Carl Hung in a news release.
Young indicated Season spent a lot of time checking out sites for expansion and chose Markham because it is a high technology region and among the 16 largest cities in Canada, with good transportation infrastructure. The surrounding area can support services in injection molding and electronic assembly.