Cortland Plastics International LLC is expanding and upgrading its blow molding plant in Cortland, N.Y.
Cortland Plastics controller Kay Breed said her firm is buying a new Rocheleau continuous shuttle blow molder for delivery in the third quarter. This will be the second blow molder the company is installing this year in a $500,000 expansion program.
As part of its continuous drive to attain zero defects, Cortland also is installing online inspection equipment to detect black specks and inclusions.
"We have implemented it on one machine so far to review the accuracy," Breed told Plastics News. She declined to identify the supplier or cost. The new detection systems will complement Cortland's existing vision inspection technology for critical container neck inspections and leak detection systems installed on all the blow molders.
"New products are coming to us," Breed said in a telephone interview.
"Our growth is out-ramping us."
Lawn and garden, pool and spas and hotel amenities are among Cortland's growing markets, according to Breed. She estimates sales will reach $12 million this year through rapid growth after the company was established in 2006.
Breed said Rocheleau Tool & Die Co. Inc. of Fitchburg, Mass., custom designed the upcoming blow molder for Cortland. Nymar Precision Products LLC of Randolph, N.J., is designing and building extrusion and calibration tooling for the new Rocheleau machine.
Cortland's expansion has led to the hiring of 10 employees, bumping up its staff level to 70. The firm's operators run 14 blow molding lines. Breed expects to hire more personnel as Cortland capitalizes on new orders.
Cortland blow molds a range of polyethylene, polypropylene and glycol-modified PET resins into bottles ranging in size from a half ounce to 5 liters.