Extrusion plant destroyed, inventory remains
Canadian Plastics
More than one million dollars worth of inventory remains undamaged following a fire that destroyed the Big O, Inc. plant in Forest, Ont. last month. The finished product was stored near the plant.The ...
More than one million dollars worth of inventory remains undamaged following a fire that destroyed the Big O, Inc. plant in Forest, Ont. last month. The finished product was stored near the plant.
The fire started around 4 a.m. in the kitchen area of the facility. According to the London Free Press, staff tried to put out the blaze using fire extinguishers, but it quickly spread destroying the machinery, equipment and materials. The facility manufactured plastic drainage tiles used for agricultural applications.
Ray Wilcox, vice-president of engineering at Big O’s parent company Armtec Inc., says the company will decide whether or not to rebuild the plant once an insurance investigation is complete.
All full-time staff employed by the plant have been relocated to Armtec’s Forest and Orangeville, Ont. locations.
New application for flexible packaging
Party fizzled because your BBQ ran out of propane? Never again.
North State Flexibles LLC (Greensboro, NC) has designed a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeve for propane gas cylinders that indicates the amount of fuel left in the tank. The sleeve uses temperature sensitive inks to show the fuel level.
The sleeve also features colorful, eye-catching graphics, protects the tank from the elements and keeps it free of rust.
The Rhino Tuff Fuel Check Sleeve was awarded the President’s Award at the Flexible Packaging Association’s annual meeting earlier this year.
Molder separates proprietary and custom business
Calgary molder BCM Manufacturing Ltd. has changed its name and launched a new company to differentiate its custom molding business from its production of plastic flooring products for the hog and poultry industry.
Agra Flooring International Ltd. is the new name of the flooring business, and the new web address is www.aficanada.com.
The new custom molding company launched by the owners of BCM is Dynamic Moulded Products Ltd. The new structure is designed to provide more efficient service to clients, and will assist DMP to expand its customer base.
Brampton Engineering opens China office
Bill Wybenga, president of Brampton Engineering Inc. (Brampton, Ont.), has announced the opening of a branch office in Suzhou, China. The office will allow BE to respond more quickly to the needs of the rapidly growing Chinese market, according to Wybenga. BE has served the market in China for the past seven years through agents and an area sales manager in Canada. The new BE office will be managed by Zhang Ai Hua, who had previously acted as an agent for the company in China.
GE acquires Cadillac Plastics
GE Plastics (Pittsfield, MA) has completed its acquisition of Cadillac Plastic from M.A. Hanna Company. Cadillac Plastics, with facilities across Canada, is a global distributor of plastic shapes including sheet, film tube, rod and fabricated parts.
Greg Adams, the new president of Cadillac Plastics, said the company’s goal is to grow the market for plastic shapes, ratchet up service and offer e-commerce capability to customers. The business will be managed separately from GE’s existing resins and sheet extrusion businesses as a distinct business unit with GE Plastics. At the time of the purchase, Cadillac Plastics employed about 1,100 people at more than 100 locations worldwide. The finalization of GE’s purchase of Cadillac follows GE’s acquisition of Commercial Plastics & Supply Corp., a Florida-based distributor of sheet, rod, film and tubing.
Guide to QS-9000TE registration
The Society of Automotive Engineers (Warrendale, PA) has published the “Handbook of QS-9000 Tooling and Equipment Certification” to provide guidance for tooling and equipment manufacturers.
Written by George Mouradian, it presents an overview of quality and relia- bility processes, and provides methods and techniques necessary for QS-9000TE registration.
It sells for US$29.00. For details, call SAE at 724/776-4970 or shop online at www.sae.org/bookstore.
Quebec training supplier expands
MetaCAD, a Montreal-based company that specializes in providing CAD training, has formed a joint-venture to provide training in Mexico. The new venture, Centro Mexican-Canadiense de Tecnologias CAD (CEMCAD), will offer courses in five different Mexican cities starting this fall. “MetaCAD does not sell software, but rather is focused on enabling professionals to develop innovative ideas and turn them into tangible results through a unique range of training services,” explains Carl Granger, president and CEO.
Supplier notes…
IMS Co. (Chagrin Falls, OH) is now the exclusive distributor of NitroJection gas assist molding accessories. These include shutoff valves, nozzles, add-on gas port adaptors and in-mold gas pins.
Cooling systems supplier Encirc Inc. has moved to 1295 Matheson Blvd. East, Mississauga, Ont. L4W 1R1. Tel: 905/282-1334, fax: 905/282-1768.
Glycon Corp. (Tecumseh, MI) is now represented in Canada by Hamilton Avtec (Mississauga, Ont.). Glycon manufactures melt stream components, such as feed screws, barrels, and shut-off valves.
G.A. Foss Transport has added capacity to its facility in Concord, Ont. The company now has 20,000 feet of private trackage and storage for 250 railcars. Foss provides rail to truck transfer and delivery services for resins.
General Polymers is now distributing Dow Corning’s siloxane-based resin additives. These include Dow Corning MB Masterbatch Series and Dow Corning Si Powder Resin Modifiers. General Polymers has branches in Montreal, Mississauga, Ont. and Burnaby, B.C.
Stochem Inc. (Brampton, Ont.) is now a distributor of Rhodia Silicones’ silicone specialty fluids, emulsions and resins.
The former Performance Polymers division of Ciba Specialty Chemicals has been purchased and relaunced as Vantico Inc. (East Lansing, MI). A letter to customers states “besides the name on the letterhead, you should see little change. Our facility, our phone numbers, our people, our tradenames and the REN tooling products … remain the same.”