Elkhart Plastics Celebrates 30th Anniversary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This month, Elkhart Plastics, Inc. (EPI) is proud to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Humble Beginnings

The company was founded on Nov. 15, 1988, in a 16,000-square-foot building in Elkhart, Ind. The location had one rotomolding machine, and its primary goal was to serve the recreational vehicle industry in Northern Indiana. The company’s first machine is still running in its Elkhart location today. By 1991, EPI had a new location in Middlebury, Ind., and the business was growing. In Middlebury, EPI pioneered rotomolded storage boxes for RVs and the conversion from wood to plastic seating in the pontoon industry.

Growth Through the Years

The company continues to serve the RV and marine industries in Northern Indiana. Additionally, over the past 30 years, EPI has expanded into a wide variety of industries and has produced hundreds of different products for customers across North America. EPI has grown its footprint through numerous acquisitions, and now operates out of six manufacturing locations in South Bend, Ind. (corporate headquarters); Elkhart, Ind.; Middlebury, Ind.; Ridgefield, Wash.; Littleton, Colo.; and Atlantic, Iowa.

EPI is now one of the top 10 rotational molders in North America. The company ranked No. 2 for sales in custom rotomolding and No. 7 for overall sales in a 2018 report by Plastics News.

EPI attributes the following for its success.

• Six clean and well-organized facilities
• ISO 9001 Registered
• 850,000 square feet of manufacturing space
• 56 rotational molding machines
• 650+ dedicated team members
• Four unique proprietary product lines including TUFF2 Stack™ and TUFF Cube™ intermediate bulk containers, Connect-A-Dock, SUV Cargo Caddy, and KONG Coolers.

“I began my career at Elkhart Plastics in 1990, and at that time I would have never imagined we’d get to where we are today.” Jack Welter, EPI president and CEO, says. “I’m so proud of our team’s commitment to serving customers and their dedication to creating and maintaining a positive culture. I can’t thank our employees enough for 30 years of discipline, creativity, and most importantly, teamwork.”

Plant Celebrations

EPI is celebrating this important milestone with anniversary parties at each plant during November and December. Stayed tuned on Twitter to see photos from the parties.