Anaheim, Calif. — GW Plastics Inc. has continually reinvested in its operations during the course of the last five years. Add another investment to the list.
The firm recently disclosed a $6.8 million investment to increase product development, precision tooling, thermoplastic and liquid silicone injection molding at its site in Sligo, Ireland. The project includes expanding molding operations into a 28,000-square-foot site, which is located in the northern part of the country.
GW Plastics said the move is designed to meet growing demand for medical products in the region. It expanded into Ireland with the acquisition of Avenue Mould Solutions in 2017, giving it precision mold building capabilities in North America, Asia and Europe. The firm is headquartered in Bethel, Vt.
"Having the ability to produce high-cavitation, flashless molds in-house is a key point of differentiation," Anthony Fleszar, GW's sales manager for North America, said of the firm's capabilities at the recent Medical Design & Manufacturing West show in Anaheim.
"There's not a lot of companies who can provide that service. We developed that out of our Vermont location, taking advantage of the infrastructure we have there from a tooling standpoint. Designs associated with LSR tooling is one of the most challenging aspects of doing it. We have the technology to be able to produce the molds, as well as work very aggressively to develop the intellectual property of how to design the molds."
Brenan Riehl, GW Plastics CEO and president, discussed GW's growth at MD&M West, highlighting the fact that the firm has invested $25 million for expansions and technology during the last five years. These projects include major expansions at its sites in Vermont, Arizona, Texas and China, plus the aforementioned acquisition of Avenue Mould.
During that span, GW Plastics has grown its footprint to a combined 500,000 square feet throughout its seven locations. The firm operates four facilities in the U.S. and one each in Mexico, China and Ireland. More than 80 percent of its business comes from the health care industry.