Site Lines
Canadian Plastics
AT Plastics Inc., Brampton, Ont. (www.ATplas.com)Background: Est.1989. Makes polymers, agricultural films and industrial packaging. Market is mostly U.S. but includes some international. Has 750 emplo...
AT Plastics Inc., Brampton, Ont. (www.ATplas.com)
Background: Est.1989. Makes polymers, agricultural films and industrial packaging. Market is mostly U.S. but includes some international. Has 750 employees.
Web site: Done out of house for $1,500. High-end appeal. Easy-to-use online brochure that includes the annual report, investor fact sheet, and navigation bar that cleverly echoes the logo.
David Wolf, marketing manager, packaging division: “We put up a site for two reasons only: exposure and ease of contact. Direct sales require a four-step process: product education, narrowing the focus, technical testing, and coming to closure on commerical issues.”
Melet Plastics Inc., Winnipeg, Man. (www.melet.mb.ca)
Background: Est. 1968. Custom injection molding, moldmaking and design for auto, agricultural, medical and furniture industries. Market is continental and global. Has 75 employees.
Web site: Provides marketing support. Done in house. Not slick, but clean, efficient and attractive. Direct e-mail links to staff plus a comprehensive set of links that includes one to The Plastics Network. (This is an impressive Internet commerce community site which has technical forums, classified ads, and free newsletter and membership sign-ups.)
Carl Paziuk, Director of Engineering Services: “There’s no reason not to have a site; it costs nothing to maintain. Although the effect on the bottom line is questionable, we can’t afford not to be out there. We are striving for a one-stop marketing concept. In future, our site will include a virtual visit to the plant.”
Layfield Plastics, Edmonton, Alta. (www. geomembranes.com)
Background: Est. 1955. A multinational corporation with three divisions: geosynthetics, acrylics fabrication, and poly film and bag. Has 175 employees.
Web site: Done in house. Includes a 200-page product handbook. Site includes a registration gateway and password access. Main pages are linked to an indexed picture gallery to limit download time.
Andrew Mills, Product Manager: “The web site… helps us reach out to the market’s margins. Last year was a case in point, when a university’s entire civil engineering class logged on for product information. We were able to sustain our commitment to education in providing it inexpensively to people we wouldn’t otherwise have reached.”
Plastics Eighty Ltd., Acton, Ont. (www. plastics 80.com)
Background: Est 1980. Custom producers of thermoformed and pressure products. Market is international. Has 15 employees.
Web site: One of the more attractive plastics web sites, it is extremely simple but professionally done. With only a few home-page options, it is a straightforward on-line brochure.
Mark Oribine, Business Segment Manager: “The weekly e-mail harvest is a dozen good leads and we get thousands of hits that don’t result in measurable sales. When you’re talking to customers by phone, they can click on the site as you speak.”
Mac Closures Inc., Waterloo, Que.
Background: Est. 1933. Manufacturers of plastic closures from toothpaste caps to laundry detergent caps. Has 220 employees.
Web site: Created in house for $2,500, in two languages. Plans to include president’s message, monthly articles and technical data.
Louis Boulerice, Marketing Director: “We reach the hard-to-reach — packaging engineers we only encounter at trade shows, and then, only if they stop at our booth. We are getting discovered, especially by the US west coast, England and the Caribbean.”
Mold-Masters, Ltd., Georgetown, Ont. (www.moldmasters.com)
Background: Est 1963. A world leader in manufacture of hot runner systems for the injection molding industry. Has 450 employees.
Web site: Detailed organizer superbly arranged on the stylish home page that includes a spotlight feature. Provides innovative, comprehensive support to the industry by speeding up and simplifying the hot runner specification process. This technical assistance feature is free to all customers.
Bruce Wilford,
Marketing Manager:
“Ours is a serious design tool. For us, launching the web site was a major event.”
~ Jocelyn Chu is a freelance writer-editor and multimedia consultant who shuttles between Fernie, BC & Toronto.CPL