Resin distribution firm M. Holland Co. has expanded its offerings to the 3D printing market through agreements with 3Dxtech and BASF SE unit Innofil3D.
Officials with Northbrook, Ill.-based M. Holland said in a news release that the 3Dxtech deal will add more than 24 new materials to its 3D printing product portfolio, including carbon fiber, electrostatic discharge-safe and fire-retardant materials.
"Our mission is to give our industrial clients agnostic advice about how to integrate 3D printing into their operations to create value," M. Holland global 3D specialist Haleyanne Freedman said in the release. "The 3Dxtech product line gives us a full portfolio of high quality, engineering-grade materials."
3Dxtech CEO and founder Matt Howlett added that his Grand Rapids, Mich.-based firm's agreement with M. Holland "provides us a great opportunity to merge our relationships with injection molders, extruders and OEMs who already use 3D printing, or want to integrate it into their industrial manufacturing practices."
Howlett founded 3Dxtech in 2014. The firm offers 3D printing materials, which include carbon fiber-reinforced materials, PEEK, polycarbonate, and Ultem-brand polyetherimide.
In September, 3Dxtech purchased a 68,000-square-foot facility to double its extrusion capacity and support its more than 200 percent year-over-year growth rate and expanding team, which is estimated to grow from 12 to 20 employees by the end of 2018.
Innofil3D is part of 3D Printing Solutions Group of Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF. The business, which is based in Emmen, the Netherlands, makes filaments based on ABS, PET, polylactic acid and other materials and "drives innovative 3D solutions to address unmet needs in 3D printing," officials said in a news release. It also "offers high-performance solutions at an accessible cost," they added.
The Innofil3D deal "is a significant boost" for M. Holland in helping clients generating "maximum return on investment" on their 3D efforts, Freedman said.
BASF sales manager Roger Sijbling added that the deal with M. Holland "provides us a great opportunity to build on our knowledge of automotive, aerospace and consumer goods 3D printing solutions in the U.S."
With the deals, M. Holland now has three 3D printing materials suppliers. In May, M. Holland struck a deal with Owens Corning to sell its Xstrand line of products. M. Holland also is investing in new 3D printing capabilities at its research and development center in Easton, Pa., and at its dedicated 3D Printing Lab in Northbrook.
The 3Dxtech and Innofil3D deals continue a busy year for M. Holland. In July, the firm occupied a new warehousing center in Coal City, Ill. M. Holland will be the main client of the center, which is owned and operated by G&D Trucking/Hoffman Transportation. The 400,000-square-foot facility provides paved access for nearly 800 rail cars and a fleet of bulk trucks.
M. Holland was founded in 1950 and now has 4,000 customers. The firm now has annual sales of more than $1 billion, selling more than 1.4 billion pounds of resin per year from more than 20 material suppliers.
