A big year for blow molding

This week, Plastics News publishes its annual ranking of North American blow molders. Here is a look at some of the numbers behind the ranking: 125 firms are listed with total combined sales of $18 billion. Roughly 72 percent, or $13 billion, was for bottles, and 28 percent for industrial sales. Interestingly both segments, when reporting growth, had increases, on average of 15 percent.

Here are the top bottle molders, in order:

• Amcor Rigid Plastics.

• Graham Packaging Co. LP.

• Plastipak Packaging Inc.

• Alpla Inc.

• Consolidated Container Co. LLC.

• Silgan Plastics LLC.

• Southeastern Container Inc.

• Berry Global Inc.

• CKS Packaging Inc.

• Pretium Packaging LLC.

Here are the top industrial molders:

• Plastic Omnium Auto Inergy Division.

• ABC Group Inc.

• Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG.

• Mauser Packaging Solutions.

• TI Automotive Ltd.

• Custom-Pak Inc.

• Flambeau Inc.

• Greif Inc.

• Toledo Molding & Die Inc.

• Lifetime Products Inc.

The biggest news of the ranking is the combined listing for Mauser Packaging Solutions, coming in at No. 12. Previously ranked separately, Mauser USA LLC and BWay Corp., were united by investment firm Stone Canyon Industries LLC. See our coverage from October 7th here.

Congratulations to Quebec-based container maker, Plastique Micron Inc., with the largest percent gain in sales of 46.2 percent, following its acquisition Les Produits de Plastique Action.

Here is a list of the top movers in our ranking this year:

Goright Plastics, Printing & Logistics LLC of Aurora, Colo., moved up 44 spaces to No. 82.

California Plastic Containers Inc. of Long Beach, Calif., moved up 22 spaces to No. 60.

Plastique Micron Inc. of St. Claire, Quebec, moved up 9 spaces to No. 42.

Resilux America LLC of Pendergrass, Ga., moved up 8 spaces to No. 27.

Cortland Plastics International LLC of Cortland, N.Y., moved up 8 spaces to No. 74.

Welcome to the ranking, Aaron Packaging Inc. of Sumner, Wash., a manufacturer and distributor of rigid containers.

Make sure to check out the full report in the Nov. 5 print edition of Plastics News.

You can view each firm online at www.plasticsnews.com/rankings/blow-molders and we sell our full ranking data in the PN store: www.plasticsnews.com.data

If your firm is missing from the ranking and you would like to participate, drop an email to [email protected] or find the online survey form at www.plasticsnews.com/section/ranking-surveys