Wisconsin-based Redline Plastics investing $6M to expand facility

Manitowoc, Wis.-based Redline Plastics is investing $6 million to expand its current manufacturing facility by 103,000 square feet.

Redline has started construction on the facility and expects it to be completed in August, it said in an April 5 news release.

"We had this expansion planned since the first half of the building started construction in 2019, but we did not anticipate expanding for at least a couple of years," Nick Murray, vice president of operations, said in the release. "We are lucky to be in the position we are in and continue our investment in the area, our employees and our customers."

The company, founded in 1922 as Dow Canvas, recently moved into its 117,500-square-foot plant in Manitowoc, more than doubling the size of its previous facility.

The expansion includes the purchase of a new rotational molding machine and "the ability to add several more rotational molding, vacuum forming and CNC machines if market demand continues to increase," Jason Scruggs, director of marketing for Redline, told Plastics News in an emailed statement.

"We have seen increases in volume from most of our customers and we have seen a large influx of new business from customers who have had quality or delivery issues with their current molders," Scruggs added. "There is no particular market segment that is doing better than others."

"Future employment levels are hard to estimate, but if our growth and ability to deliver quality products on time continues, we can more than double our workforce over the next several years," Murray said in the release.

Redline employs 145 people with about 25 current job openings "and more to come as the expansion is completed," the release said. It ranks No. 5 on Plastics News' Best Places to Work list for processors.