Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Rubber Division IEC
    • War in Ukraine
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • ITEC
    • Silicone
    • Online Exclusive
    • Latex
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Sustainability
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
  • Airless Tires
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • Directory
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
  • Data
  • Events
    • RN Events
    • RN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • Rubber News M&A Live
    • Ask the Expert
    • Healthcare Elastomers Conference
    • Rubber In Automotive Conference
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
November 07, 2013 01:00 AM

OTech pushes into elastomer market with twin-screw extruder

Catherine Kavanaugh, Plastics News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    ROLLING PRAIRIE, Ind.—Thermoplastic compounder OTech Corp. is boosting capacity with a new 70-millimeter twin-screw extruder that will allow the Rolling Prairie-based manufacturer to expand further into the elastomers arena and offer more flame-retardant olefins.

    Founded in 1999 by its president, Jack O'Donnell, OTech has grown every year, selling predominantly flexible PVC materials to the electrical wire and cable, footwear, housewares, roofing, agricultural parts and automotive industries.

    The move toward elastomers such as styrene butadiene styrene will help OTech seize new opportunities and meet demand, O'Donnell said in a phone interview.

    "We're presently serving a lot of industries by selling them vinyl products. Now it's a natural outgrowth for us to pursue these other polymers," O'Donnell said.

    OTech hired four more employees and plans to hire four more for a second shift. O'Donnell sees opportunities in footwear molding, such as the soles of snow boots, profile extrusion, computer wire for high-speed transmissions and zero-halogen products.

    "Then, there's a whole market segment of the soft-touch type products like a toothbrush or hair brush," he said. "You have the hard plastic, but then there's a nice soft piece where you grab it. It makes it more comfortable.

    "We also sell a lot to the electrical cable and wire industry. There's a whole family of products called flame-retardant olefins and that's another target for this twin screw."

    The new machine has capacity for an additional 15 million pounds of materials a year. It will be OTech's sixth production line.

    "I have a 6-inch single-screw extruder (for) some thermoplastic elastomers," O'Donnell said. "The 70mm will give us a much more aggressive mix and allow us to really broaden our product offering. We have the line set up so it's available (for) underwater pellets and a strand cut. Depending on which polymer we decide to manufacture, we have the capability to go in either direction."

    The company expects to sell 50 million pounds of polymers this year, excluding new business from the twin-screw extruder, which went into production about 2½ months ago, O'Donnell said.

    "We should do pretty well with it," he added. "Our really big focus is in the wire and cable businesses, where we presently sell 65-70 percent of our material. Probably another 25 percent goes into the profile extrusion and molding markets, and the balance to the footwear industry."

    All compounds, including some PVC alloys, are manufactured at OTech's 250,000-sq.-ft. facility, which has about 70 employees.

    The materials are shipped throughout the U.S., and to China and the Caribbean.

    O'Donnell said he always has been in the flexible compounding business and started OTech after a stint as vice president of sales and marketing for a division of a company acquired by Tekni-Plex.

    "They decided they didn't want to be compounders for the wire and cable industry," he said. "They were making changes there, and I saw there would be an opportunity … and thankfully it has worked out pretty well for us."

    For the most part, OTech is a small, specialty compounder.

    "We're a little bit of a 'boutiquey' place,' " O'Donnell said. "We do some commodity stuff to pay the light bill, but we like to be the guy who can come up with the right solution when nobody else can. We'll use that same philosophy with this new production equipment."

    O'Donnell projects sales will hit $45 million this year at OTech and $4 million at a wholly owned subsidiary called Color Resource L.L.C. in Leominster, Mass.

    Color Resource also has expanded recently, adding a line of colors for moisture-cure, cross-linked polyethylene compounds for the emerging low-voltage, automotive and appliance wire markets.

    Related Articles
    Otech branching out with new compounds
    Two picked for top posts at Otech, Color Resource
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    Most Popular
    1
    Uzer Makina eyes North American market growth
    2
    Setting the stage for 2023: 7 acquisition stories that changed the game
    3
    Rubber News names Best Places to Work honorees
    4
    Goodyear to trim jobs to address 'uncertain' economic outlook
    5
    Dow to cut 2,000 jobs in evaluation of 'global asset base'
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Rubber Division IEC
      • War in Ukraine
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • ITEC
      • Silicone
      • Online Exclusive
      • Latex
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Blogs
        • Products
        • Wacky World of Rubber
      • Sustainability
    • Airless Tires
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Resources
      • Directory
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data
    • Events
      • RN Events
        • Healthcare Elastomers Conference
        • Rubber In Automotive Conference
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • RN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • Rubber News M&A Live
      • Ask the Expert
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION