Keene buys 3D filament maker Village Plastics

The Keene Family of Cos. has purchased Village Plastics Co., a maker of 3D filament that had been facing closure, and changed the name to Keene Village Plastics.

Terms of the deal, which was completed in June, were not disclosed. A new Keene Village logo launched last month.

Keene Village started out 10 years ago as Village Plastics Co. in Barberton, Ohio, making welding rods used to assembly large plastic tanks. It later added 3D filament, along with some big customers, including Maker Bot and 3D Systems Corp.

Then, in 2013, 3D Systems bought the company, bringing plastic filament production in house. But then Rock Hill, S.C.,-based 3D Systems began withdrawing from the consumer market, and there was talk about closing Village Plastics.

Barberton is about 45 miles from the Keene Family headquarters in Mayfield, Ohio. The businesses had a common material vendor and word about Village's uncertain future got to Keene officials. They were interested.

"We were lucky enough to find a buyer so they [3D Systems Corp.] were receptive to the idea of somebody coming in and purchasing us," Plant Manager John Hosbach said in a phone interview.

Village has a 30,000-square-foot facility with 15 employees, 15 extrusion lines and extra capacity.

"We're glad to keep the doors open, and everyone is still working," Hosbach said. The plant has customized extrusion lines and in-house tooling capabilities.

The Keene portfolio already included Keene Building Products, where construction began Sept. 27 on a 25,000-square-foot, steel manufacturing facility in Euclid, Ohio; Dependable LLC, which makes floor preparation products, including synthetic underlayments, in Rocky River, Ohio; and Continental Products Ltd., a manufacturer of specialty coatings like Puttylastic, that also is in Euclid.

The acquisition of Village "allows for brand expansion," gives the Keene companies a chance to grow locally and nationally, and adds to the business's understanding of filament production as it develops further profiling capabilities.

CEO Jim Keene alluded to adding jobs in a Sept. 28 news release about the Euclid expansion, although the company declined to comment on how many positions would be created.

"I've lived in this general neighborhood in Euclid since I was born, so seeing that the past few years haven't been great for jobs has been difficult," Keene said. "There is a lot of pride in bringing jobs back to the area, so I am grateful that I have a chance to make a difference with this expansion, and there is no better place to do that than a place I can call home."

Under Keene, the Village Plastics business will offer 3D filament to retail customers for the first time, Hosbach said. That should have wide appeal in numerous markets, including hobbyist, medical, military, architecture, education and jewelry.

"We were growing pretty well as Village Plastics. 3D Systems bought us as a strategic asset but there no growth plan, no advertising, no sales force," Hosbach said. "As Keene, we're trying to get back the growth pattern that we saw before.

"We will launch a website and allow people to purchase directly from us, which is exciting," Hosbach said, noting some private-label business will continue.

"As Village Plastics, we were the people being chased, and as 3D Systems we got passed. Now it's our opportunity to do things differently. We have to play some catch up. But even though we haven't sold into the market for four years or so, the brand recognition is still pretty good. People knew before if you wanted to buy Village Plastics filament, you would buy it from Maker Bot or somebody else. They knew that because of how tight knit the industry is. I think playing off that and saying we're back and now available retail will help us."

Hosbach said 3D printing is projected to become an $18 billion industry by 2025. Currently, it's just over $4 billion, he added.

"If we do the right things, we'll be in great shape," Hosbach said.