Aoki, R&D/Leverage form North American alliance

An Aoki stretch blow molding machine. Photo Credit: R&D/Leverage

Japan-based stretch blow molding machine maker Aoki Laboratory has teamed up with moldmaker R&D/Leverage USA in an alliance that makes R&D/Leverage the North American designer and tool builder for Aoki in the injection stretch blow molding sector.

“We are excited to bring this alliance to our customer base looking for injection stretch blow machines and tooling sourced from the U.S.,” Mike Stiles, CEO of R&D/Leverage, said in a statement. “The alliance will bring improved service for tooling, complete molds, components and/or repairs all from one domestic source”.

R&D/Leverage also has an Aoki lab test machine on site at their headquarters in Lee’s Summit Missouri.

“We at Aoki feel positive that this newly developed alliance will raise the bar and set the ‘New Standard’ in the blow molding industry by providing a vast wealth of knowledge, experiences, capabilities and the technical know-how for our customers to be highly competitive,” Aoki president Eiji Nishizawa said.

Founded in 1976, Aoki is headquartered in the Nagano prefecture of Japan and has an international network of six subsidiaries and four branch offices. The company’s North American operation is located in Elk Grove Village, Ill. Aoki is represented in Canada by Mississauga, Ont.-based Penzola Solutions Inc.

R&D/Leverage provides molds for PET tooling, IBM tooling, injection molds, as well as unit tool development, testing, validation, and training.