Omaha, Neb.-based Airlite Plastics Co. purchased a California cosmetics packaging maker Oct. 1, expanding Airlite's product offerings and geographic reach.
Cosmetic Specialties International LLC (CSI) of Oxnard, Calif., injection molds caps, closures, jars and liners, some containing recycled resins, and does in-mold labeling, product design, in-house decorating and tool development. Some of its customers have included Amway, Procter & Gamble and Guthy Renker, Airlite said in a news release.
Airlite said CSI, founded in 1978, will remain at its current location. Chris Gedwed, who was executive vice president and chief operating officer, will continue with the company as general manager. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Family-owned Airlite, which is observing its 75th anniversary, started out as Air Light Products Co. in 1946 making fishing bobbers on a single machine. The company said in an Oct. 7 email it now employs between 1,200 and 1,700 in North America.
CSI's Oxnard plant will become Airlite's eighth manufacturing site. The others are in Omaha (two plants); Nazareth, Pa.; Hildebran and Statesville, N.C.; Trenton, Tenn.; and Las Vegas.
Airlite's packaging includes in-mold labeled and printed containers and lids. Some of its many markets are food, medical/pharmaceutical, cold chain, orthopedic, pharmaceutical, sustainable building products and now cosmetics.
Airlite does make some thermoformed PET and polypropylene drink cups and PP lids, though most of its drink cups are injection molded.
In 2019, Airlite bought insulated packaging maker Providence Packaging Inc., dba Kodiakooler, in Statesville, and Houston-based Stiles Manufacturing LLC, the maker of TrueGrid water-permeable, recycled high density polyethylene paver tiles. Airlite also makes Fox Blocks insulated concrete form building blocks and extrudes custom profile and sheet at its Nazareth plant.
Plastics News ranked Airlite No. 72 in its 2021 survey of North American injection molders, with estimated related sales of $125 million.
Omaha-based Bridgepoint Investment Banking represented Airlite in the transaction.