Milacron Realigns Globally into Four Business Units
Move signals the end of Cincinnati Milacron name.
Milacron's Plastics Technologies Group (Batavia, OH) is realigning its businesses into four business units in a move aimed at enhancing its global competitiveness and customer service. The company is ending use of the Cincinnati Milacron brand name. Here's the new line of business units:
Ferromatik-Milacron will unite its two best-known brands in injection molding in one brand with a regional suffix of North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, or India to identify market centers;
ExtrusionTek-Milacron will comprise the U.S.-based extrusion systems;
Uniloy-Milacron will be the flagship for all the company's blow molding machinery—for both industrial and packaging applications;
D-M-E Company will continue as the name in the market for mold bases, hot runners, and molding supplies.
"Our injection molding machinery businesses have functioned substantively and strategically as one for a number of years—now the Ferromatik-Milacron name reflects that," explains Harold Faig, Milacron Group Vice President, Plastics Technologies.
"Operationally, Ferromatik-Milacron Europe will continue with separate management out of Germany and separate sales/service organizations in the U.S.; while the other four units of Ferromatik-Milacron will be led by the U.S.-based arm. The only exception in this realignment is the Fanuc-built Roboshot machine which we will continue to market in North and South America as a Milacron-Fanuc product."
The U.S.-based extrusion systems business has been re-named ExtrusionTek-Milacron to better reflect its breadth of aftermarket services and hardware. "This business has doubled in size in recent years by pursuing value-added applications and development of ultra-high-wear components for our competitors' machines in the aftermarket," he says.
Faig adds that the realignment of all the various businesses demonstrates that Milacron has reached its goal of creating a global plastics technologies company that draws synergy and economies from worldwide purchasing clout, shared R&D in diverse but related processes, and global manufacturing and service/parts operations.
"Our engineering, research, manufacturing and purchasing are broadly shared and implemented on a cross-continent and cross-technology basis," Faig says. In injection molding, for example, he says the company has "three world design" machines on the market. Its German/U.S.-designed Magna machine is built on three continents. The Maxima, again a product of a jointly design effort, is being built in Europe and the U.S. And the Powerline all-electric injection machine is following the same model.
Faig states there are competitive reasons for announcing the change now, too. "From automotive and consumer goods to electronics and telecommunications, our OEM customers are delivering the same message to suppliers like us: ‘Fewer! Smarter! Global!' Our customers have consolidated; they are global," he stressed.
"They've positioned plants strategically around the world to make components and assemble finished goods where it makes the most sense economically and logistically. Confidence in this strategy comes by standardizing on molds, process technology and machinery. And we are positioned to deliver high quality and standardization in technology, service capability, and machine performance around the world."
Faig says global companies base buying decisions on a complex of value-added factors that are all strengths for Milacron, such as diverse processing technology drawn from worldwide resources, service reach and response, and commonality of machine platforms.
In the U.S., Mexico and Canada, direct inquiries to: Greg Fischer, Marketing Support Services, Inc., 3924 Virginia Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45227. Phone: 1-888-Milacron (toll free). Fax: 1-800-282-8082.
In Brasil, direct inquiries to: Armando Cristelli, Milacron Equipamentos Plasticos LTDA., Estrada dos Casa, 3883-B. Alvarenga, São Bernardo do Campo, SP - Brasil. Phone: 011-55-4358-4299. Fax: 011-55-4358-4443.
In Argentina, the Caribbean, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela direct inquiries to: Hector Sosa, Plastec USA, Inc., 7752 NW 74th Ave., Miami, Fl 33166. Phone: 305-887-6920. Fax: 305-883-8254.
Milacron Inc, 2090 Florence Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45206; phone: 513-487-5000