Medical helps drive growth at Trademark

Riverside, Calif. — Trademark Plastics Inc. has added a TPCG Inc. division in Moreno Valley, Calif., is boosting capabilities in Riverside and is ramping up in Tijuana, Mexico.

The custom injection molder is experiencing growing demand from its medical device and consumer product customers.

In October, Trademark appointed industry veteran Phil Estrada as operations executive in Riverside and longtime Trademark employee Bryan Barrera as vice president of sales for the Riverside and Tijuana facilities.

Estrada joined Trademark in December 2015 as vice president of engineering. Previously, he was with Prestige Mold Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for five years during which he helped set up the sister Pres-Tek Plastics molding operation. Earlier, he was a key executive at Tech Mold Inc. in Tempe, Ariz.

Estrada describes Trademark as “an engineering company that does all other functions from product design to shipping to packaging.”

Automation is his mantra.

In Riverside, “we are at 20 percent now, but by the end of 2017 we will be at 90 percent with robotic work cells incorporating Wittmann and Toshiba equipment,” he said. “We project using the least amount of labor for molding, assembly and secondary operations such as laser welding.”

He added, “By the end of 2017, we will have six fully automated cells” that utilize monitoring technologies and systems from RJG Inc. and Priamus Systems Technologies AG.

For various functions, Trademark employees obtain training at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, the University of California's Riverside campus and Norco College in Norco.

“We are investing in people who want to succeed,” Estrada said. “We will have less people but more capabilities.”

Estrada plans to start a training program for apprentices to learn skills in tool building including techniques with computer-numerical-control mills, polishing and design. Estrada oversaw such a program during his tenure at Tech Mold.

Trademark revamped its tool room in Riverside installing a high-efficiency-particulate-air filtration system in the mold polishing area. In addition, a new micro abrasive processing machine from Crystal Mark Inc. of Glendale, Calif., allows Trademark to obtain different release finishes on molds.

Trademark utilizes the services of eight U.S. toolmakers and does not procure molds from outside the U.S. Trademark picks toolmakers that have access to capable design groups.

For internal part design work, Trademark employs two persons and is hiring a third designer.

Trademark in California employs 20 permanent employees who are deaf. These workers serve as material handlers, machine operators and quality inspectors, Barrera said.

Trademark has a working relationship with the Riverside campus of the California School for the Deaf. The facility was established in 1953 and has about 400 students from kindergarten through high school levels coming from 11 California counties.

Trademark plans on hiring other deaf individuals to work in the Tijuana plant and is connecting with a program in Ensenada, Mexico.

During 2017, Trademark plans to convert a Riverside white room to a Class 100,000 clean room. After the conversion, all operations in Riverside will function as Class 10,000 or Class 100,000 spaces.

In another development, Trademark is contemplating the early 2017 establishment of a technology center in Riverside for liquid-silicone-rubber processing. Plans call for setting up a separate physical location for commercial LSR processing by the end of 2017.

In the Riverside facility, Trademark employs 226 of whom 147 are in permanent positions, operates injection molding machines of 5-500 tons and occupies 100,000 square feet on 5.5 acres. Medical device components account for about 85 percent of Trademark's business.

In November 2015, Trademark created the division to focus on consumer goods and incorporated the entity known as TPCG. The Moreno Valley site is about 10 miles from Trademark's headquarters operation in Riverside.

Guiding the division are TPCG CEO John Taylor, Chief Operating Officer Chris Taylor (John's nephew), Sales Manager Ricardo Ruelas and Plant Manager Amador Gaytan.

During a plant visit, Ruelas recalled how the original business started 10 years ago as THT Plastics Inc. in Santa Ana, Calif., custom molding plastic components and systems for the irrigation, consumer goods and water measurement markets.

Trademark acquired the THT assets and moved the operation to a vacant Moreno Valley facility of almost 17,000 square feet in November 2015. No infrastructure existed in the building, and TPCG faced challenges in getting permits and utility services.

TPCG employs 20, operates 15 injection molding presses of 40-500 tons and had 2016 sales of about $2 million. “We project 25 percent higher in 2017,” Ruelas said. Target markets include pet supplies, electronics, food industry and irrigation.

The THT site provided 12 presses. Two presses of 385 and 500 tons came from Trademark in Riverside.

The remaining press — a new 175-ton Excel-brand hydraulic press from equipment distributor L.K. Systems Inc. of Ladera Ranch, Calif. — went into operation in October.

In time, TPCG may replace some of the older injection molding presses and may use some robots as needs and consumer goods projects evolve.

Trademark encountered difficulties in launching its Tijuana operations. The original plan called for leasing 33,000 square feet and beginning operations in October 2015. That did not happen.

“Now, we have letters of intent from customers,” Barrera said.

Trademark is leasing 60,000 square feet with first right of refusal on the remainder of the 180,000-square-foot facility building. The operation is starting with 12 injection molding presses, initially up to 350 tons.

Trademark is installing a Class 100,000 clean room of at least 20,000 square feet.

Administrative services firm Co-Production International Inc. of Chula Vista, Calif., and Tecate, Mexico, managed plant improvements and construction for Trademark under a contract.

Trademark hopes to build volume and move toward second and third phases in Tijuana with machine clamping forces up to 500 tons.

Co-Production International operates the site for Trademark under Mexico's shelter program. Trademark is exploring designation of the operation under Mexico's maquiladora program.

Jerry Carty founded Trademark Plastics in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in 1989 and moved the business to Riverside in 2002. He died in 2005, but his two daughters continues to own Trademark.

Erin Carty is CEO, and daughter Kristin Carty is corporate secretary of the certified women's business enterprise.

Carty's widow, Carolyn, was serving as president prior to her death on July 9.

Trademark had 2016 sales of $25 million for Riverside and Moreno Valley facilities and projects 2017 sales of $30 million for Riverside, Moreno Valley and Tijuana, Barrera said.

Trademark invested more than $3 million for capital equipment and improvements during 2016 and projects expending more than $4 million during 2017, said David Carty, Trademark chief operating officer.

Bryan Graves left Trademark on Nov. 23 after seven years as chief financial officer. He continues as a partial owner of the TPCG division.

Without a CFO, Trademark is using in-house talent and an outside accounting firm for its financial functions.