Tuscarora buys EPS plant, acquires accounts from Polyfoam Packers

Tuscarora Incorporated (New Brighton, PA), a custom designer and manufacturer of protective packaging, material handling solutions and specialty components, has acquired the Mt. Pleasant, TN, expandable polystyrene (EPS) molding plant of Polyfoam Packers Corp.

The acquisition of the Mt. Pleasant operation, according to John P. O'Leary, Jr., president and CEO of Tuscarora, provides additional manufacturing capacity and positions Tuscarora to better serve existing and new customers in the central Southern region. The plant is a state-of-the-art molding facility and will supplement the capacity of Tuscarora's existing molding operations located in nearby Lewisburg, TN.

In addition to the manufacturing facility, Tuscarora will acquire new customer accounts with annual sales volume of approximately $3.0 million.

Established in 1946, Polyfoam Packers is headquartered in Wheeling, IL, and, according to Tuscarora, is the oldest EPS molder in the industry. The privately held company operates four other facilities for EPS molding and the fabrication of EPS and flexible foams in Illinois, Tennessee and Indiana.

From Polyfoam's standpoint, the sale will allow the company to aggressively focus more resources on its core business. Polyfoam Packers offers a large selection of proprietary insulated shipping products, as well as a full line of refrigerant gel packs, ice makers and temperature recording devices. Primary markets served include laboratory, pharmaceutical, life sciences, food service and food processors.

Edited by Bill Noone