Custom injection molder Ameri-Tool Industries Inc. is pursuing two new growth strategies under new ownership.
The Albany, Ore., company is working towards obtaining ISO9001:2015 certification to boost its chances of gaining more work in defense industries and promoting the firm's toolmaking expertise to grow that part of the business, explained Todd Piller, the new owner of Ameri-Tool in a phone interview.
Piller said Ameri-Tool would be able to bid on more jobs with ISO certification. He will use a $50,000 infusion from the city of Albany's economic development fund to cover costs of getting certified. Albany offered Ameri-Tool the incentive to keep the business in the city for 10 years. Piller chose to accept the offer, beating out Redmond, Ore.'s enticements to relocate the business there. Piller told Plastics News that he expects ISO certification by autumn 2017.
Meanwhile, Ameri-Tool will inject new life into the tool and die part of its business.
“Ameri-Tool has a good reputation, good people and good machinery,” Piller noted.
The company started out as a mold builder about 30 years ago and at its peak was building more than 200 molds a year with a staff of 75. As China lured many molding contracts away from U.S. tool shops, Ameri-Tool shrank its toolbuilding operations. Piller sees opportunity to capitalize on Ameri-Tool's toolmaking expertise and late-model equipment to regain its prominence in the mold building sector.
Ameri-Tool's current staff of 25 runs 11 injection presses with clamps from 55 to 300 tons to churn out goods for healthcare, sports and recreation, electronics and consumer products clients. The firm also has a proprietary line of retail display fixtures. Piller thinks Ameri-Tool could create 50 new jobs under its new strategies.
Piller has 25 years of plastics and injection molding experience when he bought Ameri-Tool. He acquired the private company from its previous owner Steve Edwards. The purchase occurred in stages from November to its completion in early January
“I decided to do something on my own,” Piller said.
Ameri-Tool's other capabilities include insert molding, design and prototyping and assembly.