A new chapter begins for En-Plas

A change is as good as a rest, the saying goes. After 31 years in the same plant in Toronto, En-Plas Inc. moved into a new, more efficient headquarters just a few miles away, at 55 Nashdene Road, at the end of 2018, and the firm is more than rested — it’s re-energized.

The exterior of En-Plas’s new HQ at 55 Nashdene Road. Photo Credit: Canadian Plastics

En-Plas Inc. has been a turnkey supplier of new and used plastic injection molding machinery, automation, and auxiliary equipment since 1978, the last three decades having been spent at its previous location. “Our old plant was showing its age, so it was time for us to move,” said En-Plas president Al Lemieux. “Our new plant is more streamlined and gives us the layout we need to serve our customers better.” The new plant has dedicated areas for refurbishment, enabling machinery to be stripped down to the bare bones, and an in-house machine shop which designs and builds downstream automation, end-of-arm tooling, guarding cells, and any form of custom steel work including welding.

It also accommodates a substantial show-room that enables En-Plas to inventory a large number of machines in varying tonnages, robots in all sizes, auxiliary equipment, and a spare parts cage that facilitates quick delivery of equipment and parts to customers. En-Plas represents Nissei Injection Molding Machines, Yushin Automation, Mokon, Thoreson McCosh, Tecnomagnete, and Zerma Granulators in the new equipment category, and also sells used equipment from these same companies, as well as miscellaneous items like heavy-duty industrial shelving, tiebars, ultrasonic welders, and more. “We customize what each customer needs, right down to nozzles,” Lemieux said. “We take care of these small details. “Unlike companies that relocate dozens of miles or more, En-Plas has basically moved around the corner in Scarborough, which means it kept its staff — a big benefit in this era of skilled workforce short-ages. “Our staff is made up of people of varied cultural backgrounds and all ages, and people with unconventional work experience,” Lemieux said. “These values became an integral part of our company culture.”

Al Lemieux (left) and En-Plas sales manager Brad Lemieux on the shop floor. Photo Credit: Canadian Plastics

After four decades in business, En-Plas has seen more than a few machinery sales firms come and go in the Toronto area, and Lemieux credits the company’s continued survival to its dependability. “We offer good equipment that stands the test of time,” he said. “Automotive customers who are required to ship ‘Just-in-Time’ to Tier 1 manufacturers have counted heavily on the reliability of Nissei machines and Yushin robots, and also on our service.” One of En-Plas’s strengths, Lemieux said, is its eagerness to take on projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in plastics manufacturing. “We don’t turn away anyone who needs support for a new project,” he said. “There are lots of ambitious processors out there trying to take plastics applications into new areas, and we want to help them. Our new plant makes it easier for us to do this, as well as serve our more established customers.”