Spaulding Composites Inc. has diversified into thermoplastic injection molding by acquiring another company in its home state of New Hampshire.
Spaulding said Aug. 25 that it bought Burbak Plastics of Wilton, N.H., which is about 65 miles from Spaulding's headquarters in Rochester, N.H. The companies did not disclose terms of the deal.
"They are a great add-on," Spaulding President and CEO Kenneth Otto told Plastics News by phone. "We will be able to offer a more complete product portfolio."
Burbak operates 30 injection presses with clamping forces up to 300 tons in Wilton. Much of its work is in high-heat plastics for components used in the medical, firearms and defense industries. It also runs a full tool shop that offers design services as well as mold manufacturing. Among its secondary services is white room injection molding to meet medical standards for cleanliness and conformance.
Spaulding is a vertically integrated thermoset composite parts producer. Its operations start with creation of pre-pregs from raw materials, going on to production of fiberglass-reinforced laminates, plastic sheet, tubes and other stock shapes and into fabricated parts for diverse industries. Gun grips, heavy equipment parts and components for cryogenic systems are examples of what it does with thermoset composites.
Spaulding employed about 80, about the same number as Burbak. Spaulding also manages an operation in China that supplies FRP materials to the Rochester facility as well as fabricated parts for the Chinese market. Otto stressed that no U.S. molding and fabrication jobs will be shifted to China as a result of the acquisition.
Rochester's floor space at 100,000 square feet is more than double the space in Wilton. Otto said Spaulding intends to keep both plants open. There isn't much customer overlap between the two businesses, he said.
"We expect Burbak Plastics to be an excellent complement to our existing thermoset composites business," Otto said. "This acquisition will expand our runway for growth into all of our current markets."
Otto said the majority of Spaulding's customer base already uses thermoplastic components, which makes it easier for them to choose the best plastic process Spaulding can use to make a part.
Burbak's former owner Jerry Green will continue with the business as a technical consultant.