Pacific Plastics Injection Molding, a division of Diversified Plastics Inc., has expanded its 24,000-square-foot facility in Vista, Calif., to 46,000 square feet.
Together, the DPI facility in Brooklyn Park, Minn., and the PPIM facility in California now total 99,000 square feet. The company said it needed the space to meet rapidly increasing demand. The project is also part of a three-year growth initiative.
In 2019, PPIM expanded its manufacturing, assembly and office space by 5,000 square feet. The company also added injection molding presses and an automation system.
"While production has doubled, we did not have enough warehouse space," Rob Gilman, PPIM general manager, said in a news release. "As a short-term solution, we added cargo containers in the shipping bay and parking lot."
PPIM will also expand its injection molding press capacity 20 percent by the end of the year. Starting this month, the company is beginning a transition to all-electric presses.
In April, PPIM hired a new production manager, Ray Rivas. At the beginning of June, Pablo Soto was appointed quality manager. There are now 120 employee-owners in the DPI and PPIM locations.
As part of a three-year growth initiative, the company is adding a clean room and pursuing ISO 13485.
DPI was a finalist for Plastics News Processor of the Year in 2020 and 2019, and was a PN Best Places to Work winner in 2021. The employee-owned company purchased PPIM in 2018.