Techmer ES Opens New Castle, Delaware, Compounding Facility

Techmer ES (TES), a leading producer of engineered thermoplastic compounds, is pleased to announce the opening of its New Castle, Delaware, compounding facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility tour on September 15.

Delaware Governor Jack Markell will be in attendance to commemorate the launch. “We’re very pleased that Techmer ES chose Delaware as the strategic place to consolidate and expand its high-tech manufacturing operations,” said Governor Jack Markell. “We are pleased that our state's job growth continues to lead the region, and companies like Techmer ES, which create good jobs in growing industries in the new economy, are key to building on our progress.”

The New Castle site is opening with 60 employees and TES expects to add another 40 in the next five years as the company responds to market growth. The state-of-the-art building also adheres to TES’s commitment to sustainable business practices.

Last October, TES announced its move from Aston, Pennsylvania, to New Castle, gaining 50 percent more capacity. The new site is approximately 88,000 square feet, with the ability to expand to 122,000 square feet. Additional technical resources and equipment were added to better serve customers and further the company’s expansion into high-growth areas such as additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing.

TES is widely recognized as a leader in the design of advanced materials for 3-D printing applications. The company created unique carbon fiber-based formulas and other proprietary compounds used in the 3-D printing of several groundbreaking Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) projects. This includes the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) project in which a 3-D printed car and house power each other and the 3-D printed Shelby Cobra that attracted President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to tour Techmer PM's Clinton, Tennessee, campus in January 2015. TES also contributed materials to 3-D print a tool produced by ORNL that set a Guinness World Record in August as the world’s largest 3-D printed item.

“The opening of Techmer’s new facility in New Castle represents our ongoing commitment to technology and our people,” said Tom Drye, managing director at TES. “It also highlights ongoing investments that help us provide advanced materials in existing markets as well as serve emerging areas like additive manufacturing. We put a lot of attention into the building of this facility to ensure that we’ve integrated meaningful workflow and sustainability features.”

TES took into account factors such as materials flow, safety, and ergonomics, resulting in a modern building design with ample room to operate. Extruders are positioned to create a safe work environment with optimum flow, from raw material to finished goods.

With respect to sustainability, TES is leveraging closed-loop utilities, cooling, and vacuum systems, all of which rely on recycled water. TES also put in place a water filtration system, odor control system, and various recycling initiatives that reduce waste to landfill.

Attendees will get a glimpse of the facility during a tour at the launch event. John Manuck, Techmer PM’s chairman and CEO, as well as Tom Drye, managing director at TES, will be on hand to celebrate the opening.