Nefab's Polyflex invests $1.8 million in new Michigan tooling, R&D center | Plastics News

Grand Blanc, Mich. — Reusable packaging maker Nefab Group AB, through the company's Polyflex division, has invested about $1.8 million to renovate a facility in Michigan for the design, prototype and manufacture of injection molding tooling.

The new location in Grand Blanc creates a modern space for employee training and customer collaboration, Darrell Tiedeman, Polyflex's chief operating officer, told Plastics News during a tour of the facility.

The 19,000-square-foot site features a new classroom, office and R&D space, new 3D printers and tooling space, where Polyflex creates the "concept, the design, prove out the design with the with the frame, and then tool it up," Tiedman said.

"Informed customers are empowered customers," Tiedeman said in a statement. "We invite them to experience the technology firsthand, walk through the processes, and see how our solutions can improve their operations."

Polyflex renovated the space for "customers or our own internal people to congregate, learn, collaborate," he told PN. "This is a big piece of what we do, the engineering aspect. … Without that, we'd be just another molder."

When the new facility began operations in July, Polyflex was able to increase production capacity and reduce lead times for injected molded packaging products made at the company's nearby Farmington Hills, Mich., site that serves automotive customers. The company's thermoformed parts are made in its Morrison, Tenn. facility.

The Gland Blanc facility has about 20 workers. Polyflex plans to add another tooling professional in early 2025, Tiedeman said. It will also add a third large-scale 3D printer.

"Leveraging the latest technology and boosting our in-house capabilities gives us greater control over costs and timing," he in the statement. "With these innovations, we can deliver injection molded tools and other critical components faster than ever."

Polyflex will also invest about $20 million to expand its operations nationally over the next year, including a new facility in Farmington Hills, which is expected to be operational in 2026, he added.

In its announcement of the expansion, Nefab indicated the company has reused more than 1 million pounds of plastics to make new products this year.

Once customers are finished with their reusable packaging, the company provides a credit for those products that are then reground for use in new products. This "not only reduces environmental impact but also ensures that valuable materials are efficiently reused, aligning with Nefab's mission to deliver sustainable packaging solutions," the company said.

Although the automotive and EV markets have slowed, Polyflex hasn't seen a slowdown in demand for automotive parts packaging, Tiedman said. "Our business doesn't so much fluctuate based on car volumes … as long as there are new launches coming, we've got business."

Nefab's prioritization of reuse and recycling helps Polyflex stay "self sufficient," he added.

"We can design, prototype, cut our own tools and mold our own product. The only thing we don't do is make raw material. Other than that, we're … relying upon ourselves to meet the expedited timing that we face in the automotive industry."

Stockholm-based Nefab has annual sales of 1$966 million, locations in 38 countries and employs more than 4,900 workers. Polyflex makes returnable injection molded and thermoformed packaging for automotive customers.

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