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14 n e w h a v e n B I Z | O c t o b e r 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m S ince 1953, PTA Plastics has been making custom molds and parts designed to potentially save lives, improve senior citizens' vision and administer lab tests when your four-legged friends are under the weather. From those bright green heart defibrillators hanging inside airports, hospitals and stadiums, to the high- tech headgear used by eye care profes- sionals to detect macular degeneration in older patients, PTA's stamp can be found in many places. With offices in both Oxford, at 148 Christian St., and Colorado, the employee-owned, plastic-injection molding company has been a force in the medical and defense/security industries, with its finger on the pulse of emerging technologies, like 3D printing. According to Executive Vice Pres- ident Mike Rocheleau, PTA utilizes state-of-the-art machining technolo- gies to build about 200 molds per year for customers that include Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb and Medtronic. Its 36 molding presses, ranging from 30-ton to 1,250-ton capacity, create a wide range of complex plastic parts, many of which can be found in every- thing from military night vision goggles to X-Ray detection devices aimed at reducing the entry of illegal substances into the U.S. "e medical device industry is PTA's largest market served, and much of what we manufacture is behind the scenes," said Rocheleau. "But if you need eye surgery, it's our parts; if your dog needs tests, it's our parts; and many of the big test labs use machines made with PTA parts." In addition, Rocheleau said PTA's 250 employees (125 in Oxford/125 in Colorado) pivoted at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to manufacture parts to build 100,000 ventilators. e company generates about $50 million in annual revenue. 'Additive Explorers' PTA's contributions have not gone unnoticed. e Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) recently selected PTA as one of just six manufac- turers in the state to receive a $100,000 grant. e money will aid PTA in speeding up the adoption of additive manufac- turing, which in the industry is com- monly known as 3D printing. From a CAD model or digital file, 3D printing allows manufacturers to create stron- ger, lighter and more complex designs and parts, while reducing waste, lead time and inventory. Rocheleau said PTA began develop- ing a 10-year strategic plan about two years ago to incorporate 3D printing into its wheelhouse, or fear losing out to others who fully embraced the technology. "Additive manufacturing was a key Industry 4.0 technology that we needed to explore and gain a greater under- standing of," Rocheleau said. "In fact, many in the room felt that 3D-printed plastic parts were going to become a threat to our business. It quickly became apparent that PTA needed to embrace additive manufacturing technology, and make it another tool in our toolbox." PTA formed a team, dubbed the "Ad- ditive Explorers," who experimented with and learned all they could about 3D printing. "We will use the grant to train in designing for additive, which maximiz- es the strengths of 3D printers, and we will accelerate the purchase of large- scale 3D printing technology to use for building, tooling and fixturing in our manufacturing operations," Rocheleau added. "We'll utilize the strengths of 3D printing for prototyping in assisting our customers and speeding up the timeline for turning their concepts into real products." CCAT President and CEO Ron An- gelo lauded PTA for its ability to adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape. "PTA Plastics has been a great leader throughout the manufacturing sec- tor, so it was no surprise to see them selected for one of the grants," Angelo said. "eir extensive engineering, mold-making and manufacturing capabilities give them the technical edge to utilize additive manufacturing to support fixturing and robotic tool- ing resulting in lower costs, reduced lead-time and scalability. PTA Plastics' investment in additive manufacturing today will enable them to maintain their competitive advantage in the years ahead." PTA has come a long way since its early days founded in Bridgeport. Ro- cheleau credits the company's employ- ee-ownership model for its success. In 2010, when former owner Ray Seeley was considering his retirement and succession plans for PTA, Roche- leau said there were several options on the table. But the option to sell the company to its own employees proved to be the most viable. "Selling to the employees was a way to preserve the jobs in Connecticut and Colorado, reward the loyal employees that had worked to build the company, and perhaps most importantly to pre- serve the culture that made PTA suc- cessful," Rocheleau said. "Our employee owners are the key to PTA's success." Being employee-owned also helps PTA secure its place in the future of manufacturing. "e plastics industry is extreme- ly fragmented, and there has been a tremendous amount of merger and acquisition activity. … e company you work with today may be acquired or gone tomorrow," Rocheleau said. "As an employee-owned company, we are here to stay. PTA has the resources and capabilities to work with a customer who comes to us with a napkin sketch, and take them to product realization." n PTA Plastics looks to 3D printing as future growth driver PTA Plastics' shop floor uses humans and robots to make its complex plastic parts. By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich At a glance Company: PTA Plastics Industry: Manufacturing Top Executive: Rich Dorans, President HQ: 148 Christian St., Oxford Annual revenue: $50 million Company Website: https://www. ptaplastics.com/ Phone Number: 203-888-0585 PHOTOS | COURTESY

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