VANTAGE PLASTICS:
{OUR HISTORY}

Located in Standish, Michigan a small existing plastics thermoforming facility with 45,000 square feet, three rotary thermoforming machines, no quality certifications, and very little existing business is purchased. Thus Vantage Plastics is founded by a small group of people lead by Paul Aultman. While Paul came with a significant background in plastics thermoforming, others came with backgrounds from other major industries, and large internationally known companies unrelated to plastics. Each brought the desire to apply the very best of their collective experiences to create an exceptional company in the form of Vantage Plastics.

General Motors becomes the first large scale customer. As the automotive sector was thriving the spark of growth, and development began. Action plans were set in motion. Vantage Plastics applied for, and received the International Standards Organization (ISO) production quality certification. This assures customer required outcomes are achieved through well defined, and controlled internal processes.

Vantage Plastics applies for, and receives its first training grant through The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Multiple training grants have been received, and utilized for improvement during the ensuing years. A relationship with The Business School of Central Michigan University is established and is maintained. Since then many other synergetic relationships have been established with other universities including Saginaw Valley State University, Ferris State University, Michigan State University, and Mid-Michigan Community College. These relationships bear witness to the foundation of continual improvement upon which the Vantage Plastics culture has been built.

The beginning of several significant building additions, and business expansions to improved Vantage Plastics ability to provide a full range of services to a growing number of customers begins.

A 22,000 square foot warehouse is added to store and protect customer products prior to shipment. A 5,000 square foot office space is added to provide more room for engineering and customer service personnel.

Vantage Plastics forms a new sister company called “Airpark Plastics” (see tab) after purchasing the plastic sheet extrusion equipment, and production assets of a Canadian based company. The Canadian company specialized in the consumer goods, and recreational marketplace. This production equipment is moved from Canada to a newly purchased 24,000 square foot building on a property adjoining Vantage Plastics located in Standish, Michigan. The addition of these assets further expanded the company’s product mix, market presence, and greatly enhanced its production and customer service capabilities.

Vantage Plastics receives “The Energy Champion Award” from The United States Department of Energy for its innovative measures to conserve energy.

Vantage Plastics purchases one of the largest thermoforming machines existing in the world and builds a 12,000 square foot addition to house it. It greatly expands production capacity and offers many benefits to customers.

A new building addition is begun to house additional extrusion lines. This addition is attached to the main production facility which improves the logistics of having plastic sheet readily available for the thermoforming machines. The addition is scheduled for completion in early 2015. This latest addition will create total operational square footage in excess of 158,000 square feet.

Since its inception Vantage Plastics has experienced steady growth. It has added several thermoforming machines, plastic extrusion lines, engineering software programs, testing equipment, staffing, and many other enhancements to support customers in ever increasing, and diversified markets.