Specialty Products adds fifth mixing line

NILES, Mich.—Specialty Products & Polymers Inc. is adding a 3,000-sq.-ft. addition and a fifth silicone mixing line to its 50,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Niles.

The firm said it will add a new tilt mixer, mill and extruder for additional production capacity, increasing its production from about 12 million pounds per year to 16.5 million pounds.

The extra 3,000 square feet will house an expanded sales staff and customer service, complete with new offices and meeting space. The space created by relocating that business into the new addition will be utilized to expand Specialty Products' lab capabilities by adding two or three testing machines.

President Rick Rey said the firm is investing $1 million on the new line and $250,000 on the new addition. The expansions are projected to create between five and seven jobs to its current work force of 45.

Both projects are expected to be complete by the end of May. Rey said all the equipment is in place and the company is in the process of installing them.

“This allows us to be pretty versatile in terms of lead times,” Rey said. “If there is some down time, we have some redundant machines to make sure we meet the mixing shipping as well.”

Specialty Products operates out of two facilities at its Niles site with four lines dedicated to silicone rubber mixing. Its fifth line is isolated from the rest of the operations because it focuses on conductive silicone mixing for electronically conductive silicone materials.

“We've seen growth over the years despite the fact that we don't advertise,” Rey said.

The firm said it is marking 2015 as a year of reinvestment to celebrate its 20th anniversary. For Rey, that goes beyond just investing in the business. The president established the Mely and Rick Rey Foundation in conjunction with the Philippines General Hospital Pediatrics Department to help support health care to his native country.

“We were blessed enough to have been able to have been successful in the business. We felt that success needs to be shared with those who are in need of help,” Rey said. “Whenever you're fortunate enough to make a living, being able to help others in need makes it more meaningful.”

Two years ago the foundation donated a four-story multi-purpose building addition to the hospital, located in Manila. It also provides 50 scholarships for deserving students who are looking to attend college, but are unable to afford it. Rey said most of the graduates were the first in their families to attain a college degree.

After Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines in November 2013, Rey said the foundation donated $50,000 for local fishermen whose livelihood was destroyed in the storm.

“That area relies heavily on fishing and coconut production,” Rey said. “When that super typhoon hit, both of those livelihoods were pretty completely destroyed. The coconuts were all damaged and the fishing boats were destroyed.”

And on April 22, Rey had a chance to cash an old paycheck he came across, which was from his time with Silmix Inc. in 1995. Silmix has since been acquired by Wacker Chemical Corp., but with Rey being a customer of Wacker it gave him a chance to joke good heartedly with the firm about the check.

Wacker took it to heart and according to a company release made a donation of $2,000 to Rey's foundation.