GUIDE TO OUTSOURCING: OUTSOURCING NEWS

As Mack Molding Co.'s medical business grows, so does the company's desire to better serve the industry. The plastic injection molder recently formed MackMedical, a medical products group located at its headquarters in Arlington, VT.

Staff for the new medical product group provides product development; program management; quality and regulatory document control; purchasing; sales; and production services. These employees handle all medical accounts and guide projects from upfront engineering to manufacturing and distribution. “This is an engineering-intensive team with a medical manufacturing culture,” says Kevin Bradley, business unit director.
The creation of a medical group is a natural progression for Mack. “We have been aggressively developing the medical manufacturing sector of our business for the past nine years by refining quality and supply management systems, hiring specialized staff, and adding new technology,” says Jeff Somple, president of Mack Molding's northern division.
According to the company, 30% of its business comes from the medical industry. This includes manufacturing of Class III medical devices, surgical equipment, and disposables for the orthopedic market. With the addition of MackMedical, the company hopes to see the 30% figure climb.
“Medical manufacturing will grow to 50% of our business in the near future, as we anticipate adding large-part cleanroom molding and other medical design services,” Somple says.

The cleanroom molding complements Mack's other capabilities. The provider of custom injection molding, metal fabrication, and assembly recently added product refurbishment, complaint investigation, and obsolescence management for its medical customers.
ISO certification is another development for the manufacturer. Mack Prototype Inc. (Gardner, MA), a division that offers full-service plastic prototyping and low-volume manufacturing, earned ISO 13485 certification in June. The certification enables the division to partner with Mack Molding, which is also ISO 13485 certified.
Somple says that the company's continued investment in medical should signal to the industry that Mack is “in this business to stay.” This message is especially important, he says, during periods of economic uncertainty.
“Given the length of the medical product development cycle, it's critical for OEMs to deal with contract manufacturers that have the financial and staff bandwidth to stay the course,” he says.
Mack Molding operates 10 facilities throughout the United States with a combined manufacturing space of 1.5 million sq ft. Its annual sales are approximately $300 million.
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