Heavy gauge thermoformer expands into gas assist injection molding

HOLYOKE, Mass.–Universal Plastics (www.universalplastics.com), a heavy gauge thermoformer based in Massachusetts, has acquired Sajar Plastics, a gas assist injection molder based in Middlefield, Ohio. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Universal Plastics currently services customers who start out with custom thermoforming and graduate to injection molding. Sajar's low volume gas assist injection molding expertise provides Universal with the opportunity to support its customers further along the product life cycle, according to a press release from Universal Plastics. The expanded breadth of capabilities is intended to allow a customer to stay with a Universal family company throughout the life of the product, from lower volumes at inception to higher volumes as the product grows and matures.

The combined company can also provide unbiased guidance on which process is better suited for a particular application. Sajar Plastics will continue to maintain its facilities, employees, and procedures. Universal said that its "commitment to customer-focused growth and investment for the future will enable Sajar and the entire family of companies to further expand the range of products offered to customers and service them better."

"Customer success is our top priority and guiding focus, said Jay Kumar, president of Universal Plastics, in the release. "Sajar's synergies with our existing thermoforming businesses, Universal and Mayfield, are plenty–a strong management team, sound business processes, and a commitment to top quality products are what we are going to build upon. Above all, we value our relationships with our customers and are committed to maintaining and growing the value that we provide to them."

Larry Nowak, CEO of Sajar Plastics, said that "Sajar is delighted to be a part of the Universal Plastics family of companies. We are excited by the prospect of bringing a unique combination of capabilities to both the customers of each company and to the broader market for large, complex, and aesthetically demanding parts through the merging of Sajar's deep knowledge and experience with gas- assisted, large part injection molding, and the large complex part thermoforming skills of Universal Plastics."

Sajar Plastics (www.sajarplastics.com) is reported to have commercialized more than 500 gas assisted parts for leading OEMs in a wide variety of industries, including medical, laboratory and diagnostic, manufacturing, business, and retail registers/dispensing machines.