Recycling and compounding company Star Plastics installed the first of two additional extruders at its West Virginia plant to expand its capacity and product offerings.
The two twin-screw extruders will total an investment of $5 million in 2022, according to a press release. Star’s largest to date, the 75-millimeter Leistritz extruders will improve production rates and triple capacity. The first was installed in the company’s Ravenswood facility in December 2021, with trial runs throughout January 2022.
With the new capacity, Star Plastics plans to introduce more products and become a full-service supplier of compounded engineering-grade resins, including glass-filled and composite-type materials. The new machines will also improve safety at the plant, the press release said.
Also to come in 2022 are experimental pilot lines, a mega compounder and renovation at the corporate headquarters to add a customer-experience center.
The investments come after Star Plastics was acquired by a private-equity firm last year. After the purchase by Akoya Capital Partners, Star’s founder, Doug Ritchie, told Plastics Recycling Update the transaction would help the company expand its product offerings and footprint in coming years.
