Essentra Components is a manufacturer and distributor that specializes in small, critical components, but it is also a big story of success.
For 50 years, Essentra Components, with its 80,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility at 3123 Station Road and 80,000-square foot warehousing facility on McClelland Avenue in Erie, Pennsylvania, has unassumingly, yet strategically, established itself as a leader in the plastics manufacturing industry and beyond.
The company’s rich history can be traced back to its start as Alliance Plastics in 1968 when three entrepreneurs saw an opportunity in the plastics market. As part of a strategic move, UK conglomerate, Bunzl, acquired the business in 1987, expanding itself throughout the United States, Canada and Brazil, and adding to its growing global presence in Europe and Asia.
By 2013, Alliance Plastics was rebranded, along with Reid Supply and Richo Inc., to become what is presently known as Essentra Components. The company is one of the four global divisions of Essentra plc, a leading international supplier of specialty plastic, fiber, foam and packaging products. The conglomerate also includes health and personal care packaging and filter products divisions and operates in 33 countries worldwide.
Today, with more than 200 employees at its Erie location, Essentra Components is continuing to be a supplier of choice for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive, heavy equipment, oil and gas, and electronics manufacturing industries. The company boasts that it works with 50 of the top 100 global manufacturers, including key players in the highly competitive automotive industry.
To keep up with such demand, Essentra Components produces more than 3 million parts at its Erie operations each day. This diverse product line consists of caps for propane tanks and plugs for hydraulic assemblies, as well as clamps, fasteners, handles and knobs, plus access hardware and any number of protection and finishing products that are used every day.
“Erie is our flagship site,” explains President Matthew Dunn of Essentra Components’ Pennsylvania operations. “And we are committed to our multimillion-dollar investment in facilities, equipment and people.”
The plan, which began in 2017, includes a $4 million capital investment in six brand-new, all-electric injection molding machines and the addition of others this year. Numerous facility upgrades are also under way in 2018.
