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20/20 Custom Molded Plastics Inc. will expand operations as it opens Bluffton plant Tuesday

An Ohio-based manufacturer is expanding its operations and will do so in the former Buckhorn facility in Bluffton’s Decker Industrial Park.

20/20 Custom Molded Plastics, a custom structural form molding manufacturer, plans to invest $27 million in the building at 785 Decker Drive. The company plans to create up to 155 jobs within three years.

The operational startup at the facility is scheduled for Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day. The company plans to have 100 employees in Bluffton by the end of 2017. Buckhorn laid off 86 employees when it closed its Bluffton operation this summer.

20/20 Custom Molded Plastics is located in Holiday City, Ohio, in the northwest corner of the Buckeye State. It employs more than 220 people in Holiday City, and will double its production capacity with the acquisition of the Bluffton facility.

The company says it has hired many of Buckhorn’s former employees. One of those is Rick Singer, who managed the former Buckhorn plant. Singer was a member of the start-up management team when Buckhorn began operations in Bluffton 20 years ago.

The company says it is still looking for press operators, forklift drivers, molding supervisors, setup specialists, and maintenance workers. Applicants may apply through the company’s website, www.2020cmp.com

“As we add more presses, we hope to expand the employee number to 125 to 150,” said Ron Ernsberger, the president of 20/20. “Our plant in Holiday City is a world class facility and we plan to transform the Bluffton site into the same type of facility. We have a different vision for that plant in terms of transforming it into a site that offers our customers the latest and greatest in technology and service.”

“20/20 started molding structural foam parts for customers in 2000 and has increased its customer base and molding capabilities on a consistent basis year after year,” said David Rupp, 20/20’s owner. “We are excited about expanding our manufacturing operations to the Bluffton community and look forward to growing our business with the help of community and business leaders and an outstanding workforce.”

In announcing the acquisition of the former Buckhorn site, the company said it at first planned to purchase the presses and equipment at the Bluffton site. The company eventually decided to buy the plant and its assets, allowing it to provide more expansive services to its customers.

20/20 Custom Molded Plastics was founded in 2000. The company manufactures structural foam products. Using the injection molding process, the company produces products such as pallets, carts, in-ground enclosures, pool panels, floating dock systems, burial vaults and window wells for companies in the logistics, home and garden, consumer products, construction and leisure industries.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered 2020 Custom Molded Plastics LLC up to $810,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. The incentives are performance-based, meaning that until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Bluffton will consider additional incentives at the request of the Wells County Economic Development Corporation.

“We are thrilled to welcome 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics to our community as it provides good jobs to our citizens,” said Bluffton Mayor Ted Ellis. “It is another good example of how the state and our community work together to make life better here.”

20/20 expanded its Ohio operation with a $20 million expansion in 2016. The company was named the Large Business of the Year by the Williams County Economic Development Corporation this spring.

Article by Dave Shultz (dshultz@news-banner.com), Courtesy of the News-Banner (www.news-banner.com)