Auto supplier expanding "satellite" services

An injection molding operation that produces parts on-site at a customer’s plant has worked out so well Tiercon Industries (Stoney Creek, ON) is planning on extending the practice to another of the customer’s facilities. The company currently runs four injection molding machines inside A.G. Simpson’s metal stamping facility in Oshawa, ON, according to Rick Legate, Tiercon president and CEO. The machines, which range from 300- to 2,200-ton in clamping force, are used to mold plastic top caps. The top caps are assembled to steel bumpers manufactured by A.G. Simpson. Molding the parts on-site saves considerable costs associated with racking and shipping the parts.
Legate says a similar operation will be installed at A.G. Simpson’s facility in Shreveport, LA this fall. He says Tiercon is buying a 1100 ton injection molding machines to mold parts for a rear-step bumper going on a medium-size pick-up truck.
Two years after the company was purchased from Noble International by a group of private investors, Tiercon has grown its sales by approximately 40%, reaching $160 million in 2002. The company molds a variety of exterior and interior parts, including rocker panels, cladding systems, body side moldings, running boards, B pillars, glove box latches and others. Over 60% of its business is with General Motors, with the remainder going to a handful of Tier One suppliers such as A.G. Simpson, Decoma, Lear, Textron and a few others.