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Progressive Moulded, Polywheels latest victims
CONCORD, ONTARIO (July 3, 4:40 p.m. EDT) -- Another Canadian auto supplier, Polywheels, has hit hard times, and the situation at Concord, Ontario-based Progressive Moulded Products Ltd. has grown worse.

Ideal Tool gets new owner, somewhat-new name
MEADVILLE, PA. (July 2, 12:35 p.m. EDT) -- Joint Venture Tool & Mold LLC has acquired Ideal Tool Co. Inc., picking up new capabilities in molding, more employees, a larger customer base and a new home and name.

Mastercraft Cos. names new management
PHOENIX (June 27, 4:40 p.m. EDT) -- Mastercraft Cos. is using a midyear lull to restructure its management ranks and target injection molding and tool-building opportunities in medical and other markets.

Deal lets Synergetics bring molding in-house
O´FALLON, MO. (June 26, 6:10 p.m. EDT) -- Medical-device maker Synergetics USA Inc. of O’Fallon has purchased injection molder and toolmaker Medimold Inc. for $80,000.

Hommer takes on ex-rival’s customers
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL. (June 18, 5:35 p.m. EDT) -- Custom mold component maker Hommer Tool & Manufacturing Inc. is getting back to its roots by purchasing the business book of Neuwer Tool Corp. of Wheeling, Ill.

Univac expands mold offerings
SINGAPORE (June 16, 10:40 a.m. EDT) -- Molder and mold maker Univac Precision Engineering Pte. Ltd. of Singapore has taken a license in SpinStack multicomponent mold-making technology from Gram Technology ApS of Birkerød, Denmark. Univac wants to use the Gram technology to expand the tools it builds for exporting, for the medical and health-care and caps and closures markets.

Resin prices forcing uneasy conversations
COLUMBUS, OHIO (June 12, 4:40 p.m. EDT) -- Many plastics processors need to cull out very-low-margin, or even no-margin, molding jobs — and today’s unrelenting resin hikes will force the decision, said analyst Jeff Mengel.

Court rejects MHT bid to appeal in Husky case
HOCHHEIM, GERMANY (June 11, 2:50 p.m. EDT) -- Mold & Hotrunner Technology AG cannot appeal the $11 million judgment levied against it in 2006, when a court ruled that MHT officials stole secret Husky computer-aided-design files to create 48-cavity PET preform molds.

Heartland expands technology
MANSFIELD, TEXAS (June 6, 2:20 p.m. EDT) -- Extrusion blow mold maker Heartland Mold & Tool Inc. recently added a three-dimensional laser-scanning system to boost its reverse-engineering and product-development capability.

MGS expanding to meet growing demand
GERMANTOWN, WIS. (June 6, 9:35 a.m. EDT) -- Injection molder and mold maker MGS Mfg. Group Inc. is building its experience in blow molding. The company recently added a fourth blow molding machine, and is projecting 20 percent growth in its blow molding output this year.

Plastic Systems buys El Paso´s Millennium
ROMEO, MICH. (June 4, 4:25 p.m. EDT) -- Plastic Systems LLC has completed a deal to buy Millennium Plastics Technologies LLC of El Paso, Texas, saving 175 jobs and keeping open a plant that was slated to close by the end of June. The purchase marks the third acquisition for Plastic Systems in two years and doubles the size of the injection molder and mold making company.

Sportech to consolidate sites in new facility
ELK RIVER, MINN. (May 30, 6:15 p.m. EDT) -- Sportech Inc., which thermoforms windshields, visors and other products for snowmobiles, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles and other modes of transportation in the “power sports” business, will break ground June 3 on a 92,000-square-foot headquarters factory in Elk River.

Mold maker Pinnacle’s assets auctioned
WINDSOR, ONTARIO (May 23, 12:50 p.m. EDT) -- Another Windsor, Ontario, mold maker has gone out of business. Pinnacle Mold Inc.’s equipment was sold at auction May 21 at the firm’s Windsor site. Infinity Asset Solutions of Concord, Ontario, conducted the auction.

SPE honors members at Antec gathering

Mehta

MILWAUKEE (May 14, 5:30 p.m. EDT) -- The Society of Plastics Engineers honored 40-year SPE member Kishor Mehta as a Distinguished Member, during a May 4 ceremony to kick off Antec. Also at the banquet, SPE named nine honored service members and 11 fellows. In addition, Gail Bristol, a 26-year employee of SPE won the President’s Cup, an award that is kept secret until the event.

Virginia aiding Canon in $625M project
NEWPORT NEWS, VA. (May 9, 3 p.m. EDT) -- Canon Inc. is investing about $625 million to expand its Canon Virginia Inc. unit — creating 1,035 jobs, including positions in mold making and plastics processing. The project includes construction in Newport News of a 700,000-square-foot facility.

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