By Michael Lauzon
CORRESPONDENT
Published: July 19, 2013 1:54 pm ET

Custom injection molder Intertech Plastics Inc. is pushing into the disposable medical products market with the acquisition of Image Molding Inc. this month. Terms were not disclosed.
“We’ve had a very small medical business but not a white room or clean room,” said Intertech CEO Noel Ginsburg in a telephone interview from Intertech’s head office in Denver. “We’ve gained those capabilities and a new facility.”
Ginsburg said Intertech will keep Image’s plant in Denver open. Original owners Ewan Grantham and Tony Lonardo, president and operations director, respectively, will continue with the medical business in the same postings. Intertech has set up a separate division around Image for its medical business. Other Intertech markets include consumer products and industrial.
Ginsburg said Image brings to the table ISO Class 7 clean room injection molding, small-parts expertise and medical-specific protocols. Image also has a tool shop, a new manufacturing option for Intertech. Intertech offers the Image business systems processes and support. Intertech’s integrated technology allows linking up all equipment in real time. The firm relies on IQMS systems in its technology suite.
Image’s products include syringes, connectors and other small parts. It has two-shot molding capacity and specializes in precise molding.
The combined companies have about 50 injection presses, 200 employees and about 160,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Intertech claims it now is one of the largest injection molding companies in the Denver area and the Rocky Mountain region. Ginsburg said Intertech molds a range of commodity and engineering resins.
Ginsburg said in an interview with Plastics News early this year that his company logged sales of $35 million in 2012. He declined to provide sales for Image. Late in 2012, Intertech added a new Husky 1,100-ton press, and another 1,000-ton press in early 2013. The combined businesses have clamping forces of 33 to 1,500 tons.
Part of Intertech’s growth has been molding work relocating from China to the U.S. Value-added services have helped the company land new work. A key market is big-box store products like laundry baskets, trash cans, storage containers, phone and tablet cases, and utensils.
A member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet is scheduled to visit Intertech on July 19. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will visit the firm’s operation as part of a nationwide tour to meet with businesses, entrepreneurs, academics and Commerce Department employees. Ginsburg said the visit partly stems from his work as founding chairman of the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance in 2012.