Market demand for its wide range of engineering thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials prompted United Soft Plastics (USP), headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, to open a new 20,000-square-foot production facility in Houston, Texas.
The plant is equipped with the most advanced compounding equipment, including KraussMaffei Berstorff ’s twin-screw extruder and Nordson ’s underwater pelletizer. The factory also has advanced test systems and fully equipped laboratories.
The company expects to hire up to 25 new production employees. As more new production lines are put into production, there may be more employees.
The new composite equipment will expand the production of USP's material portfolio, including traditional SEBS-based TPE, TPO and TPU, as well as special products such as acrylic-based TPE compounds.
Executive Vice President Benedict Herbst said: "This investment reaffirms our continued commitment to the engineering TPE plastics market outside the United States, Mexico and the Americas. The expansion of our manufacturing assets will play a key role in meeting customer application development needs Further release new business opportunities and maintain our superior customer response time. "
Herbst added that the new plant represents a strategic market positioning that enables USP to be closer to raw material centers and large customers in Mexico, the Southwest United States, and Asia. The company serves the automotive, food packaging, consumer, medical and industrial markets in more than 20 countries.
The company's TPE materials are used to produce injection molded, extruded and blow molded parts, such as interior and exterior automotive trim, grips and handles, beverage bottle caps, over-molded gaskets and seals, sporting goods and soft-touch products. The company specializes in creating customized material solutions for any application and focuses on rapid turnaround and execution.