Milacron Expands Aftermarket Business—Again

Milacron LLC, Cincinnati, recently made another acquisition in the machinery aftermarket business. It completed the purchase of Industrial Machine Sales, Inc. (IMSI) and its sister company, Precise Plastics Machinery (PPM), both of Southlake, Texas. IMSI is a manufacturer’s representative, specializing in application engineering of primary processing machinery and auxiliary systems for injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding. PPM is a full-service support company for plastics processors, offering pre-owned molding and auxiliary equipment and design and installation of central systems for conveying, drying, cooling, and automation. It also designs, builds, and installs its own conveyor systems, as well as fabricating utility mezzanines and blown film towers.

Milacron has been steadily expanding its aftermarket operation, most recently acquiring American Extrusion Services in December (see January ’14 Starting Up). In February it also formally opened a new technical center for the West Coast in Irvine, Calif.

IMSI and PPM staff will remain at the Southlake location, which will become a Milacron regional High Impact Technical (H.I.T.) center, providing a full range of plastics machinery support, including training, parts, and service. Larry Burchett (pictured), president and owner of IMSI and PPM, will serve as v.p. of sales and general manager for Milacron’s newly formed Certified Pre-Owned Machinery div. His 35-yr career started at Milacron, where he worked until he bought IMSI in 1991, though he acted as an independent representative for Milacron thereafter.

Milacron’s new operating group is an addition to its lifecycle management services, which include machinery rebuilding. The new group is being developed to offer customers an opportunity to upgrade their fleet through trade-in on new equipment, using the experience and resources of PPM. The trade-in equipment will undergo a 68-point inspection, be refurbished, and be offered back to the market. “This is a market differentiator for us,” says Shawn Reilley, Milacron’s group v.p. of sales and marketing for Global Plastics Machinery.