Honda supplier Tigerpoly to expand Ohio operations with $10.7M investment

Grove City, Ohio — Auto parts injection molder and blow molder Tigerpoly Manufacturing Inc. plans to invest $10.7 million in its Grove City operations.

The plant is the Osaka, Japan-based company's only U.S. manufacturing site. The plans, disclosed Sept. 9, will add 105,000 square feet of space to the company's 32-year-old Grove City facility and create about 40 jobs.

The decision to expand in Ohio comes after considering several options, including expansion to southern states, the company said in a news release issued by JobsOhio. Grove City, located about 10 miles southwest of Columbus, Ohio, offers a number of advantages for Tigerpoly, including its proximity to Honda Manufacturing Inc., which operates three Ohio plants — in Marysville, East Liberty and Anna.

"Expanding in Grove City allows us to leverage our longstanding commitment to the Columbus region," Tim Vanover, Tigerpoly senior operations manager, said in the news release. "The Columbus region is already home to a robust automotive industry and friendly business climate, allowing us to remain in a cost-competitive market from both a geographical and labor perspective."

Tigerpoly Manufacturing ranked No. 92 on Plastics News' most recent survey of North American injection molders, with sales of $78 million. The company also ranked No. 55 in PN's blow molders survey, with estimated sales of $22.5 million.

The company makes both plastic and rubber molded products, including radiator reservoir bottles, air cleaner housings and filters, dirty and clean side air ducts, fuel pump and ECU covers, engine covers, transmission components, hybrid vehicle battery cooling ducts and suspension covers.

Tigerpoly first established operations in Grove City in 1987, and in 2002 expanded its capabilities there with the addition of a research and development center. The company is among 133 Japan-based companies with operations in central Ohio.

"Tigerpoly's investment is an example of how Japanese companies are choosing to come to Ohio while continuing to grow here," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement.

Central Ohio is also growing in terms of automotive and auto parts manufacturing.

According to the JobsOhio news release, Columbus region businesses manufacture more than 700,000 cars each year, employing around 19,000. Annually, the area's economic output for the automotive industry exceeds $2.5 billion.

Tigerpoly Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tigers Polymer Corp. Founded in 1938, Tigers Polymer operates 12 locations in six countries.