Injection molding: Husky building in India

Husky Injection Molding Systems (Bolton, ON), manufacturer of hot runners, PET perform molds, and injection molding machinery, has broken ground on a new facility in Chennai, India. Planned there are sales, customer support, and sourcing, plus hot runner and mold refurbishing.

The facility is expected to take about one year to complete and will be 3300m² (35,520 ft²) in size. The company entered the Indian market in 1999 and has had an office in Mumbai since 2001.

According to Husky's Sean Weir, general manager, global machines and customer support, there is no plan to build injection machines at the site, though in future there may be a need to do hot runner control assembly.

Weir added that Husky intends to source as much as possible locally, though certain specialized components will be supplied from other Husky locations. The company continuously reassesses its sourcing strategy based on business needs and supplier capability.

Over the next several years, said Weir, the plastics industry in India and neighboring countries is projected to grow significantly, and Husky's investment there will help it serve the needs of the region. The company has room for expansion, if required, on the 11 acres of land it has in Chennai.

Husky already has manufacturing facilities in Canada, the U.S., Luxembourg, and China. According to a blog posting at the website of The Globe & Mail, a Toronto newspaper, the company’s owner, equity investor Onex, is considering conducting an initial public offering for Husky. Husky for its part would not comment on the reports. —[email protected]