Border Problems? Who You Gonna Call?

According to U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service special agent Thomas Matecki, the best thing to do if you have questions about getting your goods or people into the U.S. is call ahead. Matecki notes that despite NAFTA, Canada and the U.S. still have many provisions and requirements regarding entry of people in and out of their respective countries. When coming to the U.S. on business Matecki advises carrying a passport and/or a letter of introduction to avoid hold-ups at the border. If attending a conference, have your registration information available for the inspector to review. Matecki says people with questions can reach him at 716/551-4741.

Proprietary, Rotational-Molded Toy Line Launched

A recently-formed Canadian company, Weeplay, is making in-roads in the North American toy market with its unique line of roto-molded, custom-made toys. Launched last year as a subsidiary company of Shirlon Plastics Inc. (Cambridge, Ont.), Weeplay operates from a 100,000 sq. ft. facility located in Dundas, Ont. According to Brendan Lowe, Weeplay spokesman, the company’s proprietary toy product line includes picnic tables, childern’s climbers, sandboxes, juvenile furniture and a variety of seasonal lines. Weeplay sells its products directly to large chain outlets such as Toys-R-Us, Walmart and others. Most of the tooling used to manufacture the toys is being supplied by F.G.L Precision Works (Concord, Ont.), in which Shirlon Plastics owner, Sol Algranti, has a partial business interest.

“We’re the only ones doing what we’re doing in Canada,” says Lowe. “We want to design and build more unique products and keep taking them into this market.”

Spartech Buys Winnipeg Company’S Sheet Extrusion Assets

Spartech Plastics, a division of Spartech Canada, Inc., has announced the purchase of the sheet extrusion lines of Winnipeg-based custom thermoplastic extruder, Geoplast. Geoplast is a CSA-approved manufacturer of low- and high-density PE pipe, as well as custom-made window and door profile extrusions. The sheet extrusion equipment of the Winnipeg facility has been transferred to the Spartech Plastics facility located in Cornwall, Ont. Spartech general manager Gilles Veilleux says the purchase will increase production capabilities and output to better service Spartech customers in Canada and the northeast U.S. Geoplast will continue to manufacture extrusion profile products.

Norseman Acquires Scl

Rexdale, Ontario-based Norseman Plastics Ltd. has purchased SCL Plastics Inc. (Brampton, Ont.) from owner Simmonds Capital Ltd. for $2.5 million. According to a press release, the new business will be operated as SCL A-1 Plastics Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Norseman Plastics Ltd. All key management and employees of the former SCL will be continuing with the new company, according to the release. Proceeds from the sale will be invested in SCL Electronics Ltd., a subsidiary of Simmonds Capital Ltd.

John Simmonds, CEO of SCL, said he expects the sale to be of significant benefit to both businesses. Simmonds says the sale will allow SCL Electronics to focus on growth in its core electronics business. Norseman Plastics, established in 1969, is a custom injection molder with presses ranging from 100 to 1500 tons. Norseman’s main product lines include bread trays, beverage crates and food service trays. SCL is most known for its proprietary line of recycling boxes. In 1998, SCL had estimated sales of $5.5 million.

Quebec’S Ipl Announces New Contract With Bellsouth

IPL Inc. (Saint-Damien, Que.) has acquired a $2-million contract to manufacture a wire dispenser for BellSouth, based in Atlanta, Georgia. The new universal wire dispenser, the U-1000, was developed in-house by IPL. The U-1000 is equipped with a frame that collapses into a handle; it can accommodate wires for data transmission and telecommunications, such as underground, aerial and data wires. The unit can also house coaxial, copper and fibre cable.

Julien Metivier, president and CEO of IPL, says the contract with BellSouth could generate sales of approximately $3 million in the next 12 to 18 months. Metivier says the contract is in keeping with the company’s goal of penetrating and growing in the North American telecommunications market. Says Metivier: “The U-1000 offers tremendous commercial potential….Not only does it reduce copper cable waste thanks to its quantity indicators, it can also be reused and recycled–three significant advantages over the wooden reel in current use.”

The U-1000 is manufactured by IPL’s Materials Handling and Custom Molding Division for the agrifood, fisheries and telecommunications industries. Several other telephone companies are currently field trialing the product.

Houston Firm Buying Celanese Canada Pet Operations

KoSa Ltd. has announced plans to buy the polyester business of Celanese Canada Inc. by the end of this year. Celanese Canada produces PET packaging resins and fibre at its Millhaven, Ontario facility. The firm’s polyester sales totaled about $245 million in 1998, or approximately 35 percent of the company’s overall sales. Houston-based KoSa, a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc. and Grupo Xtra, acquired most of Hoechst AG’s global PET business late last year. A Celanese Canada spokeswoman said the company no longer had the critical mass to continue (in PET) successfully in Canada. Celanese Canada’s Millhaven facility employs 360 and has a packaging resin capacity of about 350 million pounds per year.

Dsm Closes Pp Plant

The polypropylene division of DSM has announced the closure of its Geisenkirchen, Germany polypropylene plant in April. The older 70,000-tpa facility is being closed after recent capacity hikes at other DSM polypropylene facilities in the Netherlands and Germany, and in anticipation of a new 250,000-tpa PP facility in Geisenkirchen coming on stream in the second quarter of 2000. Following the plant closure DSM’s PP capacity will total approximately 800,000 tpa.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Ranger Automation Systems, Inc., Shrewsbury, Mass., has appointed Hamilton Avtec Inc., Mississauga, Ont., as their area representative in Canada. Ranger makes a complete range of robots, from sprue pickers to side-entry robots to 5-axis servo models, plus downstream automation such as

conveyors, degaters and other parts handling equipment.

Boy Machines Inc., Exton, Pa., has appointed C.A. Systems & Plastics, Richmond Hill, Ont., as representative in Ontario and Lutek Plastic Equipment Inc., Dorval, Que., as representative in Quebec. Boy manufacturers small injection molding machines, 12-88 tons.

COMING EVENTS….

CPIA Ontario Spring Golf Tournament & Dinner, May 26, Cardinal Golf Club, Newmarket, Ont. Contact Erin Cimino,

416/323-1883.

CPIA 5th Annual Gala in support of the Canadian Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, May 27, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto. For more information contact CPIA at 905/6787405.

MMO Partnership’s ’99 Conference, June 10, Toronto Congress Centre. Contact: Colleen Mulholland, 905/823-2020.

SPE Ontario Golf Tournament, June 18, Rolling Hills/Gormley Green Golf Club, Gormley, Ont. Contact Ralph Nunnaro at 905/467-2614.

SPE Quebec Golf Tournament, August 20, Granby, Que. For more information contact: 514/626-6277.

CPIA Mould Makers Conference, Sept. 24-26, Quebec location to be

announced. Contact: Charmian Entine at 905/678-7748.

Canadian Plastic 4th Annual Resin Outlook Conference, Oct 19, Toronto Congress Centre. Contact Cathy Donaghy, 416/442-2255.

EXPOPLAST, Oct. 27-28, Montreal, Que. Contact CPIA at 905/678-7748. CPL