Mack Molding plans $5.4 million in upgrades

Injection molder and contract manufacturer Mack Molding Inc. is investing $5.4 million into its North Carolina and Vermont facilities in response to increased demand and favorable tax changes.

The expansion and upgrade plans of the company founded in 1920 will create about 100 new jobs in the two states.

The bulk of the investment, about $4.4 million, is going to Statesville, N.C., to bolster capabilities for large-part production, while the balance will go to three sites in Vermont: in Arlington, where the company is headquartered, East Arlington and Cavendish.

Mack operates 11 sites worldwide to serve medical, industrial, transportation, energy, consumer and computer and business equipment markets.

The major end markets for the Statesville site are heavy-duty trucks, golf carts, all-terrain vehicles, and lawn and garden equipment. The Arlington site serves medical and other markets. Mack's investment there will be used for orthopedic, case and tray work, a company spokesman told Plastics News in an email.

“The resurgence of manufacturing in the United States is strong, and Mack has been aggressive in ensuring we are well-positioned to seize the opportunity presented to us,” President Jeff Somple said in a news release: “From attracting new, exciting programs in the areas of robotics and 3D printing, to planning ahead for executing on infrastructure and equipment needs upon the passage of tax reform, we continue the company's long-standing tradition of collectively moving us and our customers forward together.”

Mack announced in February that its Statesville site will get two Milacron hydraulic molding machines, 54,000 square feet of warehouse space, eight press bays, and a 12,000-square-foot room for paint mixing, tool room storage and finishing work. Three new sections are being built onto the existing 125,000-square-foot facility. The new warehouse will be constructed adjacent to it.

Mack expects to hire about 50 people for tooling, engineering, processing and support functions in Statesville, which currently employs about 250.

The Vermont upgrades are centered around new equipment and daily operations. A fully automated laser for sheet metal fabrication and two computerized machining centers were recently delivered to Arlington, where the company has been expanding capabilities to handle specialty materials and thickness of gauges while increasing capacity for milling and turning.

In Cavendish and East Arlington, Mack added an automated work cell and resin drying system and made forklift and crane upgrades.

The three Vermont facilities are also seeing the benefits from environmental initiatives undertaken since 2017. The sites reduced energy costs by $115,000 with new LED lighting, boiler and compressor upgrades, a right-sized transformer, and ceramic heater bands put on molding presses.

Mack took steps to reduce its impact by switching to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and bulk concentrates in reusable bottles instead of single-use bottles. The company installed water fountains with automatic bottle fillers, which it says have already kept 85,000 water bottles out of the waste stream.

In addition, Mack is now recycling more than 1 million zip ties that it uses each year, reducing nylon waste by more than 2,000 pounds annually.

Making up the company's north division, the facilities in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut employ about 600 people, with 100 positions added in 2017. Mack expects to hire another 50 people throughout 2018.

“The energy at Mack has reached new levels,” Somple said. “Between new work, new equipment and new faces, there is palpable excitement among the teams.”

Another 30 employees “graduated” from Mack U, a two-year-old training program for advanced manufacturing developed by the company. Veteran Mack employees helped them achieve certification to be electromechanical operators after 21 hours of classroom time and hands-on training in 14 courses.

The internal training program eases recruitment challenges for experienced assemblers, technicians and machine operators and helps employees keep pace with changes.

“We're anticipating a 25 percent increase in staffing across our three Vermont facilities — approximately 50 positions — due to current, as well as anticipated growth,” Arlington Plant Manager Rich Hornby said in a news release. “To meet this demand, however, we also must advance our team. We developed Mack U to do exactly that.”

In all, the company expects 175 employees to take advantage of the training program.

“While our roots are in custom injection molding, Mack Molding today is a leading supplier of contract manufacturing services in a diverse range of industries because we have been able to adapt to the changing markets,” Hornby said. “The great thing about Mack is its people. Through their dedication and expertise, our employees continue to prove they are our greatest assets, and offering world-class training programs will be key continuing that tradition of success.”