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About APM Acadiana Plastics Molding was built from the ground up, one mold at a time, with a vision. We began in 1987 when our President and CEO, Kent Byron, realized that our many local food manufacturers had a need. There were no other plastic manufacturers in the southern states specializing in injection molding of plastic closures which forced the local food manufacturers to buy from companies outside of Louisiana. With this realization, he studied the local market and without a single customer or contract, built his first closure mold. It wasn't long before he was able to sell his idea to his target market.
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 | APM has come a long way since that first closure mold was built. We have dominated closure sales within the pepper sauce and condiment industry. APM has grown to producing well over 500 million closures per year ranging in sizes from 10mm to 48mm. Our molds are constructed using only the best technology and our patented, unscrewing mold design has reduced cycle times by 35%. Contributing to the speed of our cycle time, we recently purchased 8 new Krauss Maffei machines to run our molds. The combination of the best machines and our patented technology has set APM apart and above our competition with regard to production times. Our local customers appreciate the fact that we have been able to provide JIT inventory to them. |
| Known for his innovative ideas and forward thinking mentality, Kent wanted to provide more for his customers. To satisfy another need, he began production of PVC bottles but quickly realized that PET was what the market and his customers required. In October of 2004, he converted his 3 existing bottle molds from PVC to injection stretch PET and since has expanded this line to include 8 different bottle designs ranging from a 5 oz to a 64 oz bottle. Along with the new bottles, he also invested millions of dollars on new ASB machines to run the PET production. To maximize sales of our PET line, we hired a market research company to tell us who our target customers should be within an 11 state region. With this information we were able to develop several new customers which resulted in APM building 8 oz and 16 oz PET milk bottle molds which have already reached maximum capacity. Our future plans for our PET line include expansion into a new 18 acre facility with an adjoining rail spur. |  |
 | In 1996, APM developed and patented the first injection molded unit dose vial. Our original product line consisted of only a 5cc vial. We later added a 3cc disposable and 3cc resealable vial to our existing product line. APM signed an exclusive agreement with a distributor to sell the vial. APM branded the STAT® Vial for the respiratory industry. With the success of the STAT® Vial in this market and mandated FDA changes to labeling procedures, we knew we had to devise a new strategy. Our agreement with the distribution company ended in October, 2004 giving APM the ability to offer its product on a direct basis to its customers. We knew production space would be an issue and had pre-planned for an expansion of a new corporate facility which would house our unit dose operations. This new facility was constructed and ready to meet our production needs in September of 2004.
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APM's phenomenal growth in each of its divisions can be directly attributed to the vision of our President and the hard work and dedication of its employees. With only 3 employees in 1987, APM has grown to nearly 100 employees in 2005. Continuously looking at new projects and improving upon existing products and technology, our future plans are to grow and expand every aspect of our business.
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