BETHEL, Vt.—Three months after buying a tool maker and injection molder based in Ireland, GW Plastics Inc. again is expanding in Europe.
The Bethel-based custom injection molder announced Nov. 13 that its newly acquired Avenue Mould Solutions is merging with NeraTek Ltd., an Ireland-based product development firm.
GW said the deal is a response to demand from its European medical device and drug delivery customers.
"This merger will strengthen our European capabilities to provide a truly integrated supply chain solution for our customers, including product development, 3D printing, precision tooling, contract molding, and assembly," Benjamin Bouchard, GW Plastics vice president of international business development, said in a news release.
NeraTek is based in Sligo, Ireland. Des Forde, the company's founder and director, will become commercial director for Avenue—a GW Plastics Company, serving Ireland and greater Europe.
GW bought Avenue Mould Solutions in July. Forde used to work for Avenue Mould.
"These are exciting times and I am really looking forward to working with the Avenue Mould Solutions team once again and being able to contribute to the growth of the company, having previously worked in Avenue from 1999-2008," Forde said in the release. "The GW Plastics, Avenue, and NeraTek team brings tremendous experience, resources, technology, and infrastructure to our clients who need to support their product design and development from concept to commercialisation."
GW Plastics ranked No. 63 among North American injection molders, according to the most recent Plastics News survey, with sales of $153.2 million. The company has plants in Bethel and Royalton, Vermont.; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Queretaro, Mexico; and Dongguan, China and Sligo, Ireland.
GW Plastics won Plastics News' 2009 Processor of the Year Award and its 2016 Sustained Excellence Award.
Founded in 1988, Avenue Mould Solutions specializes in making high-precision multi-cavity injection molds and medical injection molding.
NeraTek is a product development company with services including product design, project management, 3D printing, 3D scanning, and CAD services.