Looking Back and Anticipating the Future!
By Extrutech Plastics, Inc.
In the last 30 years, Extrutech Plastics Inc. (EPI) has grown from a single extrusion line making vinyl window profiles and tubing for central vacuum systems to now manufacturing plastic wall and ceiling panels, concrete forms, doors and other construction components for food processing, agricultural, car and truck washes, pharmaceutical, animal health, cannabis production and many other industries throughout the United States and Canada.
EPI President Greg Sheehy founded Extrutech Plastics in January 1992 with his wife Debbie and brother Pat. In 1999, Mike Sheehy joined the company. The business has expanded from a 4,000 sq. ft. leased building where the brothers ran their first line to the current 162,000 square foot facility with 60 full time employees working 24 hours across three shifts to run the company’s 22 extrusion lines.
“Really, the strength of the business has been the employees that have helped grow the business over the years,” Sheehy says of EPl’s success over the last three decades. “We have a team effort in both production and sales, and our office staff to help move everything along nice and smooth.”
EPI is calling out its anniversary with a new logo celebrating its 30 years of operation on its advertising. Additionally, the company will hold festivities over the summer, including an employee appreciation fry out, to celebrate the landmark with the entire staff.
EPI has been working with dairy industry customers since the mid-1990s, starting with providing its plastic liner panels for milk houses and milking parlors for walls and ceilings. As dairy inspectors and builders started learning about our products, the word of mouth started spreading throughout the dairy industry. “People love how easy it is to install and the shine of the finished rooms,” Sheehy said.
The addition of concrete forms for walls to EPl’s offerings in 2013 significantly expanded its ability to serve the dairy industry. In addition to the plastic wall and ceiling panels it previously provided, the concrete forms for 6- and 8-inch thick walls filled with rebar and concrete provide a durable plastic surface on both sides. These stay-in-place concrete forms serve as both the inside and outside surfaces of a building’s walls.
“Our idea was to develop a line of construction products so a builder can come to us, and we can offer them a complete, custom package for their project. We can supply the concrete wall forms, interior wall and ceiling panels, finish trim and doors to the customer, all from one American supplier,” Sheehy says.
“All of our products are custom made to a builder’s or customer’s construction drawings. We will make any length, up to 20’, to fit their drawing, not just standard-length products,” he adds. “All of our products are made in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, with all domestic compounds. Our products are ISO 9001-2015 quality certified. The products have been tested by Intertek Testing and registered with ICC-ES, a subsidiary of the International Code Council. Our goal has always been to manufacture a high quality product that our customers trust and love,” Sheehy said.
Extrutech’s panels are extruded from exterior-grade, high quality PVC and are available in 12-, 16-, and 24-inch widths. The Poly Board panels have a tongue and groove design with a hidden nailing fin along one side, like siding, and are designed for quick and easy installation with no exposed fasteners. They are custom- cut to the desired lengths per customer’s project.
“These panels would be used on the interior of the wall and ceiling,” Sheehy said. “We make a high quality, high gloss shiny surface, with no exposed fasteners anywhere in the room. They are very easy to clean; nothing wants to stick to them”.
He adds that EPI’s Poly Board panels, with their highly reflective surfaces, keep the facilities’ interiors bright, increasing safety and productivity, while requiring less electricity for lighting, which saves on the energy bill. Additionally, the panels are completely recyclable.
The panels include a full 20-year warranty, and EPI offers its customers support from the building phase and beyond. “After the sale, we will visit the job site that will be using the concrete forms, if they request assistance. We’re also available by phone or email after the project is started if there are any questions,” Sheehy says. “Occasionally there might be damage at the construction site, so we are readily available to replace anything. Being here in America, it is relatively easy to resupply if there are issues with materials on the project. The customer will not have to wait for a shipment from overseas to complete the work.”
Sheehy also notes that EPI has a powerful website at www.epiplastics.com that features tons of product information and tutorial videos for customers to learn more about the company and its products.
Looking forward to the next 30 years, he says the company wants to continue to grow and is always looking for new opportunities. “I think the dairy and food industry are going to be very important for our nation and will continue to grow. We hope to grow along with these industries for the next 30 years!” RB