US company buys Sligo based Avenue Mould
FINISKLIN BASED AVENUE MOULD SOLUTIONS SAY THEY WILL CONTINUE CARING FOR ITS EXISTING CUSTOMERS
THERE was good news for a Sligo based company last week as Avenue Mould Solutions announced it was purchased by Vermont based GW Plastics.
In response to growing customer demand in the medical device market, GW Plastics purchased Avenue Mould Solutions, a premier precision mould building, machining, and injection moulding company based in Sligo. This acquisition will give GW Plastics unparalleled global precision mould-making and advanced manufacturing capability to support customers on three continents.
“GW Plastics is thrilled to partner with the Avenue team,” said Brenan Riehl, GW Plastics President and CEO. “Avenue Mould Solutions brings to GW Plastics an experienced and highly-skilled advanced manufacturing workforce, an award-winning mould-building company, and a growing medical device contract manufacturing business that has been successfully serving Ireland and other markets for 30 years. We are pleased that Avenue has decided to join GW Plastics and help us continue to expand our capabilities to better meet our customers’ needs on a global basis.”
Founded in 1988, Avenue Mould Solutions has become a trusted partner for leading medical device and drug delivery OEMs and contract manufacturers. Avenue specializes in the design, manufacture, and validation of high precision multi-cavity injection moulds and contract injection moulding for high volume applications to the medical device and pharmaceutical industry. Based in Sligo, Avenue is strategically located in a region recognized internationally as a centre of excellence in mould and tool-making and home to eight of the top ten healthcare companies worldwide. Avenue serves customers in over 15 countries worldwide and is a two-time winner and nine-time finalist for excellence in mould-making in the UK Plastic Industry Awards.
This acquisition will give GW Plastics a unique industry position with precision mould-building facilities in North America, Asia, and Europe, in addition to injection moulding and contract manufacturing. Avenue Mould Solutions brings to GW Plastics expertise in building ultra-high-cavitation tooling up to 192 cavity moulds for the medical device, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical markets.
“We are delighted to partner with GW Plastics,” said Felim McNeela, Avenue Mould Solution’s Managing Director and a founder.
“We were drawn to the cultural fit and vision our companies share and the capital and resources GW Plastics will bring to Avenue to help us better serve our customers.”
McNeela stressed that Avenue will continue to serve its existing customers and offer mould-building for customers who wish to do their own injection moulding. “GW Plastics does not wish to change Avenue’s successful history of supplying tooling to our injection moulding and contract manufacturing customers,” said McNeela.
In the last two years, GW Plastics has completed expansions of its San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Dongguan, China facilities, as well as its thermoplastics and silicones manufacturing and mould-building facilities in Royalton, Vermont.
“GW Plastics has enjoyed ongoing year-overyear record revenue, and we are committed to supporting this growth by continuing to invest for our customers, worldwide,” said Riehl. “We are excited to add the European presence that Avenue Mould Solutions brings to us and our customers.”
Founded in 1955, GW Plastics has earned a reputation as an industry leader in precision tooling, injection moulding, and contract manufacturing serving the world’s most successful companies in the healthcare, automotive safety-critical, and consumer/industrial markets. Specializing in complex injection moulded thermoplastic and silicone solutions, GW Plastics excels at close tolerance mould building, precision injection moulding, and contract manufacturing. With leading-edge technologies, a Six Sigma quality commitment, and a relentless pursuit of innovation, GW Plastics continues to attract and partner with market leaders who seek consistency of ownership, financial stability, professional leadership, business integrity, a high-tech standardized global manufacturing platform, and a highly-trained and experienced workforce. Headquartered in Bethel, Vermont, the company’s standardized ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO/TS 16949, and FDA-registered, 21 CFR Part 820 compliant manufacturing facilities are located in Bethel and Royalton, Vermont; San Antonio, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Querétaro, Mexico; and Dongguan, China and Sligo, Ireland. GW is a Plastics News Processor of the Year and Sustained Excellence award winner..