Milacron Buys Mold-Masters; Nypro Has a New Owner, Too

Two of the industry’s biggest names changed hands last month as mergers and acquisitions continue to grab headlines in plastics. In machinery, Milacron LLC announced its purchase of Mold-Masters, a leading supplier of hot-runner systems. The transaction brings together Milacron’s presence in injection molding presses, Mold-Masters capabilities in hot runners, and mold bases and components from DME, another Milacron company. Cincinnati-based Milacron will acquire all of the shares of Mold-Masters, headquartered in Georgetown, Ont. Bill Barker, president and CEO of Mold-Masters, will continue in that role.

Meanwhile, Nypro Inc., Clinton, Mass., one of the world’s largest injection molders, was purchased last month by Jabil Circuit Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla. Founded in 1955, Nypro has molding capabilities at 41 locations in 14 countries, serving the healthcare, packaging, and consumer electronics industries. Its sales last year exceeded $1 billion. The deal, for an estimated $665 million, also includes the NyproMold moldmaking operations.

Jabil is a $17 billion, publicly traded company with operations in 25 countries. Its contract molding business focuses primarily on complete manufacturing of electronic devices. “The combination with Nypro will extend Jabil’s manufacturing capabilities into the healthcare and consumer packaging markets as well as add depth to our consumer electronics business,” said Timothy L. Main, Jabil’s chairman and CEO.” It also creates new opportunities for Jabil in packaging in the food, beverage, household, and personal-care industries.