Uniphase LLC, an injection molder and toolmaker based in St. Charles, Ill., has acquired Janler Corp., a Chicago-based molder and tool builder.
“We are thrilled about the synergy this partnership creates” Janler President Carol Klingler Ebel said in a news release. “With Janler’s 70 years of mold building excellence, we are excited to complement our capabilities with Uniphase’s advanced molding technologies. This integration will provide even stronger support for our customers.”
Uniphase is owned by Sequel Holdings, a Dallas-based private equity firm founded in 2002. Sequel specializes in equity investments in middle market businesses.
MBS Advisors, an M&A firm that specializes in plastics and is based in Florence, Mass., represented Uniphase in the deal. Terms were not disclosed.
Plastics News estimates Uniphase has annual molding sales of $20 million. In 2021, the company doubled the size of its facility to 50,000 square feet, allowing it to incorporate warehousing under the same roof with its injection molding, mold design and toolmaking operations. That project cost $3 million and was spurred by increased business related to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Bill Morici founded Uniphase in 2004 in a 1,500-square-foot facility.
Janler builds high-cavitation, high-precision molds. Josef Klingler, an innovator in mold design and engineering who is credited with developing the first unscrewing stack mold, founded the tool shop in 1952.
In 1989 he handed the reins to his daughter, Carol Klingler Ebel. Plastics News estimates Janler’s tooling sales at $10 million and its molding sales at $5 million.
Moving forward, Uniphase and Janler plan to establish a design center to support customer innovation.
“While we will continue operating under the Janler name, the combination essentially doubles our team of toolmakers, engineers, mold designers and program managers,” said Alan Klingler, vice president of Janler in a news release.
“This expanded capacity will allow us to offer even more comprehensive development services to our customers,” Klingler said.
“Our commitment to engineering — from tool design to building our own end of line automation — enables us to produce high quality parts with efficiency and precision, all within a safe production environment,” Morici said. “By incorporating Janler’s advanced tool building capabilities, we can offer more complete solutions to our customers and enhance program management from inception to market.”
After acquisition, Uniphase and Janler will have more than 125,000 square feet of manufacturing space.