Spectrum Plastics Brings Tool Design Company Into the Fold

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Spectrum Plastics Group has formed an alliance with a tool design and manufacturing company, which has relocated its operations into Spectrum’s injection molding facility.

“The advantage of integrating tooling capabilities into our facility is significant,” said Doug Johnson, general manager for Spectrum Plastics Group’s Minnesota division. “It enhances the quick-turn molding capabilities of our business and allows us to help our customers accelerate their time to market. We are now able to quickly respond to tool modifications, revision changes, and new tool builds. This addition is a direct response to multiple requests from our customers.”

A Spectrum Plastics spokesperson explained that the tool design company’s name would not be released so as to minimize confusion for customers. The tooling vendor has been a long-time partner of Spectrum Plastics, and the move will give it some additional overhead benefit by being able to leave their prior location, as well as the logistical benefits of being co-located inside one of its primary customer’s facilities.

The closer partnership will significantly expand Spectrum Plastics’ capabilities as a custom manufacturer. With more capabilities and expertise on hand, Spectrum Plastics predicts it will be able to provide faster response times and faster quoting, company officials noted.

“This move has been a long time coming,” said Randy Ahlm, CEO and president of Spectrum Plastics Group. “We now have in house tooling at all three of our molding facilities in Minnesota, Connecticut and New York. Combined with our outstanding engineering and tool design teams, we are able to provide technical solutions and quick turnaround to support our customers’ growth and further our core focus of quickly turning engineering concepts into high-quality products. Our customers want more than just another injection molder, they want someone who can support them throughout the entire product development life cycle and this enhances our capabilities to do exactly that.”

Plans not only call for moving all of the tooling design, manufacturing, and quality equipment into the Spectrum facility, but also to add on new capabilities as business continues to grow.

Spectrum Plastics Group, majority owned by Spell Capital Partners Fund III, LP, provides product development services including rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and production molding.