Clarkston, Mich. (April 29, 2024) — Chase Plastics, a leading North American distributor of specialty, engineering, and commodity thermoplastics, proudly announces the launch of its Sustainable Product Line Card, showcasing its commitment to environmental stewardship and meeting the evolving needs of their customers. The announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 NPE trade show in Orlando, Florida, where Chase Plastics will highlight its sustainable product offerings within their exhibit.

The newly released Sustainable Product Line card features a comprehensive array of circular solutions from various global and domestic suppliers on the cutting edge of sustainable plastics. It includes Chase Plastics’ own CP PRYME® ECO thermoplastic resins. In August 2023, Chase Plastics announced the expansion of its CP PRYME® product line to include CP PRYME® ECO thermoplastic resins. “We are thrilled to introduce our Sustainable Product Line Card, reflecting our dedication to sustainability and innovation. In partnership with various domestic and global suppliers, we offer a diverse range of thermoplastic offerings crafted with recycled content or bio-based materials,” said Chase Plastics’ President Adam Paulson. “We hope to serve as a consolidated resource to provide environmentally friendly solutions to applications across numerous markets, supporting our customers’ growing desire to drive sustainability initiatives.”

Sustainable business practices are nothing new to Chase Plastics. In addition to product development, Chase Plastics is further elevating its service offerings to support sustainability initiatives. Paulson elaborated, “We have taken significant strides towards sustainability, including the creation of a dedicated Sustainability Specialist role within our team. This individual will spearhead our sustainability efforts, including carbon footprint reduction, and

pursue the prestigious ISCC+ certification to meet the escalating demands for sustainable materials throughout the supply chain.”

For years, Chase Plastics has implemented in-house recycling programs, used recycled materials, and reduced energy consumption in their facilities with resource-efficient lighting, water, and HVAC solutions. They have also applied source reduction initiatives, such as a paperless work environment and fleet management software, to reduce their environmental impact and leave a smaller carbon footprint. In 2016, Chase Plastics began the implementation of Operation Clean Sweep®, a program of best management practices to reduce accidental pellet, flake, and powder loss in their South Bend warehouse facility. In 2021, they joined Operation Clean Sweep® Blue to enhance their commitment to managing, measuring, and reporting unrecovered plastic releases into the environment. To date, they have had zero reported incidents.

To learn more about Chase Plastics’ sustainability initiatives and to download their Sustainable Product Line Card, visit: https://chaseplastics.com/about-us/sustainability/

About Chase Plastics

Chase Plastic Services, Inc., is a stocking distributor with a portfolio that offers more than 35,000 varieties of specialty, engineering, and commodity thermoplastics from the industry’s leading manufacturers and global suppliers. As a top-ten North American specialty and engineering plastics distributor, Chase Plastics is committed to helping their customers turn resin into reality by Redefining Resin Distribution.®

The Company, formed in 1992, provides customers with an industry-leading portfolio of value-added services delivered by skilled sales professionals and dedicated teams of technical process engineers, market development engineers, and more – all of whom guide the material selection, application development, and manufacturing processes. The Company’s unmatched level of dedicated support, together with blending, repacking, inventory management, and logistics services via a network of distribution and sales locations throughout North America, is singularly focused on helping customers boost efficiencies and profitability.

Based in Clarkston, Michigan, Chase Plastics was founded by Kevin and Carole Chase, who serve as the Company’s CEO and Vice President, respectively.

JORDAN VITICK – PLASTIC NEWS
April 15, 2024

Chase Plastic Services Inc.’s core values of high expectations, independence, teamwork,execution and character all surround its “outrageous customer service.” The values are demonstrated daily in the work the team does to service its customers and suppliers, in how it does that work collaboratively with other members and departments, and in how it goes the extra mile to create satisfaction for all.
“Executing our work honestly, ethically and effectively creates an environment that produces happy team members and successful relationships in and outside of the organization,” the Clarkston, Mich.-based company said in its Best Places to Work survey.

Chase Plastics said its staff has “a camaraderie and caring for one another that is hard to find.””It creates an environment where all are respected, they have fun with one another, work hard for each other and are invested to be successful together,” the company said. “We believe in doing the best for our team in all aspects, from our compensation and benefits, providing growth and development, promoting from within as a first choice and recruiting team members that add to our culture.”

The company defines its workplace culture as “family-oriented” and one where employees are its No. 1 asset, “dedicated to providing outrageous service to our valued customers and suppliers.”

Raving recognition

That hard work does not go unnoticed.

Chase Plastics’ Raving Fans recognition channel on Microsoft Teams highlights nominated team members who go above and beyond for others. Nominee names go into a drawing for gift cards. Management awards ranging from $250 to $2,500 acknowledge special achievements and are presented during company huddles.

For employees with health savings account medical plans, Chase Plastics contributes $500 for employees, $750 for employees plus one, or $1,000 for the family level. It also covers employee life insurance up to $50,000 at 100 percent and offers an additional buy-up.

Fun activities and team-bonding events include hands-on cooking classes with a chef,baseball outings and Small Business Friday for holiday shopping.

Chase Plastics also emphasizes giving back to the community. Team members can participate in community service during normal business hours without losing pay or deducting vacation time. The company hosts drives for items in need, matches employees’ charitable donations and provides opportunities for the team to engage in local health or human service initiatives.

Professional development programs and trainings include job shadowing, cross-training, mentoring, workshops, courses and classes. “We cover the cost of certifications related to their position, formal mentor programs, leadership training courses, classes related to their role such as negotiation or sales courses,” the company added.

Skilled, dedicated professionals

Founded in 1992, Chase Plastics describes itself as “a stocking distributor with a portfolio that offers more than 35,000 varieties of specialty, engineering and commodity thermoplastics from the industry’s leading manufacturers and global suppliers.”

“Chase provides customers with an industry-leading portfolio of value-added services delivered by skilled sales professionals and dedicated teams of technical process
engineers — all of whom guide the material selection, application development and manufacturing processes,” it added.

The company said it is not only a growing specialty and engineering plastics distributor butalso a growing employer of choice.

“We want our team members to enjoy the benefits of working for a company with a great culture and environment. As such, we listen to the feedback our team members provide and make improvements that create a win-win,” it said. “We hope our team members will be raving fans of Chase Plastics as much as [our] customers are raving fans of the outrageous service they provide.”

This is Chase Plastics’ fifth time being named to Plastics News‘ Best Places to Work list.

“Being named a Best Place to Work is confirmation that we have successfully connected with our team members and have created an environment where they can thrive,” the company said. “Their success leads to company growth, being able to grow our team and expand in our industry.”

Sixteen companies have been named a Best Place to Work in the plastics industry for 2024.

The final rankings for top suppliers and processors will be announced at the Plastics News Executive Forum, March 11-13 in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Company profiles will be published in PN‘s April 15 issue.

Now in its 11th year, PN‘s Best Places to Work special report identifies and highlights employers in the plastics industry that create a positive, engaged culture for its employees.

To be eligible for the honor, companies must be publicly or privately held; be a for-profit, not-for-profit or government organization; have a physical operation in the United States or Canada; have at least 15 full- or part-time employees in the U.S. or Canada; have been in business for at least one year as of the program registration deadline; derive at least 50 percent of revenue from plastics-related operations; and be a plastics supplier or processor. Companies with 15-24 employees need an employee survey response rate of 80 percent or higher.

The two-part survey consists of an employer assessment about practices and policies and an employee feedback survey that includes employees’ opinions about their workplace experience.

The Best Places to Work for 2024, in alphabetical order, are:

• Advanced Pedestals Ltd. of Gainesville, Texas. This is the custom rotational and injection molder’s second appearance on the annual list.

• ALPS Inspection of Harrison, Ohio. This is the in-line leak testing equipment maker’s fourth appearance on the list.

• Asahi Kasei Plastics North America of Fowlerville, Mich., is one of North America’s 30 largest compounders, focused on polypropylene and engineering resins. This is the company’s 10th time on the list.

• Brueckner Group USA Inc. of Dover, N.H. This is the plastics and fiber machinery maker’s first time on the list.

• Chase Plastic Services Inc., a distributor of specialty and engineering thermoplastics, of Clarkston, Mich. This is the company’s fifth appearance on the list.

• Conventus Polymers LLC of Parsippany, N.J. This is the resin distributor’s third time on the list.

• Engineered Profiles LLC, a custom profile extruder, of Columbus, Ohio. This is the company’s first appearance on the list.

• ePlastics of San Diego. This is the sheet distributor and fabricator’s ninth time as a Best Place to Work.

• Hasco America Inc., a supplier of standard mold components and hot runners, of Fletcher, N.C. This is the company’s second appearance on the list.

• Inoex LLC, a maker of gravimetric and ultrasonic equipment, of Lancaster, Pa. This is Inoex’s first time being named a Best Place to Work.

• KI Industries Inc., a supplier of decorative products, of Berkeley, Ill. This is KI’s seventh time on the list.

• MTD Micro Molding of Charlton, Mass. This is the precision micromolder’s seventh appearance on the list.

• Progressive Components International Corp., a supplier of specialized mold components, of Wauconda, Ill. This is the company’s fifth time on the list.

• Redline Plastics LLC, a rotational molder and thermoformer, of Manitowoc, Wis. This is its fourth appearance on the list.

• Team 1 Plastics of Albion, Mich. This is the 10th appearance on the list for the injection molder.

• US Extruders Inc., a manufacturer of custom single-screw extruders, of Westerly, R.I. This is US Extruders’ sixth time on the list.

The Best Places to Work program is handled by independent research partner Workforce Research Group, founded in 2021 by Peter Burke. “My team and I are taking recognizing great places to work to new levels of excellence through the creation of credible and relevant lists,” Burke said.

Clarkston, Mich. — Chase Plastics announced today that they are an authorized distributor for the new global engineering materials entity, Envalior. Formed last year, Envalior brings together two established global material players − DSM Engineering Materials and LANXESS High Performance Materials − and a combined heritage of over 100 years.

Envalior is focused on providing innovative and sustainable solutions that enable future-proof product designs. With a global presence and a network of 18 production sites and 14 R&D centers, the company supplies many of the world’s key markets, including mobility, electronics/electrical and consumer goods.

“Envalior’s shared dedication to exceptional service, along with their impressive product range complements our existing engineering and specialty engineering offerings, allowing us to better serve our customers,” said Chase Plastics President, Adam Paulson. “Thanks to our longstanding partnership with LANXESS and priorly with DSM, our commercial team is well-versed in the Envalior portfolio and its targeted applications. We remain committed to providing unparalleled customer satisfaction through our technical support, extensive product range and exceptional service. We’re confident that our Envalior partnership will only strengthen our ability to deliver on that promise.”

“Chase Plastics is a great fit for Envalior, and we are proud to have them as a distribution partner,” said Grace Showalter, Envalior Regional Commercial Director – Americas. “Their commitment to outstanding technical support, product and customer service will differentiate them in the market. We are pleased to collaborate with Chase Plastics to our mutual success.”

Chase Plastics is authorized to distribute Envalior’s full line of products, including STANYL®: PA46, POCAN®: PBT, PBT alloys, and AKULON®: PA6 & 66. To see Chase Plastics’ full product line card, please go to ChasePlastics.com/product-line-card/.

Chase Plastics and an executive from Wittmann USA are doing their part to make holidays brighter for those in need.

For the eighth year, Chase — a resin distributor in Clarkston, Mich. — is running its Giving Card campaign.

The project allows customers to nominate a charitable organization to receive a donation. This year, Chase is increasing its donation amount to $2,500 from $1,000.

Clarkston, Mich. — Chase Plastics announced today the expansion of its CP PRYME® product line to include CP PRYME® ECO thermoplastic resins. Like several products in the CP PRYME® lineup, the new offerings are manufactured from reprocessed materials, deemed appropriate for less stringent applications. “Chase Plastics has offered PIR and PCR products for over 30 years yet felt it necessary to bolster our sustainable product offering for our valued customer base,” said Chase Plastics’ President Adam Paulson. “CP PRYME® ECO will provide an environmentally friendly solution to applications across numerous industries, supporting our customers’ growing desire to drive sustainability initiatives.”

Sustainable business practices are nothing new to Chase Plastics. They offer a wide array of sustainable products in various grades from domestic and international suppliers. For years, they have implemented in-house recycling programs, used recycled materials, and reduced energy consumption in their facilities with resource-efficient lighting, water, and HVAC solutions. They have also applied source reduction initiatives, such as a paperless work environment and using fleet management software, to reduce their impact on the environment and leave a smaller carbon footprint. In 2016, Chase Plastics began implementation of Operation Clean Sweep®, a program of best management practices to reduce accidental pellet, flake and powder loss in their South Bend warehouse facility. In 2021, they joined Operation Clean Sweep® Blue to enhance their commitment to managing, measuring, and reporting unrecovered plastic releases into the environment. To date, they have had zero reported incidents. To learn more about Chase Plastics’ sustainability initiatives and product options, visit https://chaseplastics.com/about-us/sustainability/

The company is hosting a Chase the Knowledge webinar Dec. 6, 2023, to share more information about the new CP PRYME® ECO product line and other sustainable product options. Free registration is available here.

About Chase Plastics
Chase Plastic Services, Inc., is a stocking distributor with a portfolio that offers more than 35,000 varieties of specialty, engineering, and commodity thermoplastics from the industry’s leading manufacturers and global suppliers. As a top-ten North American specialty and engineering plastics distributor, Chase Plastics is committed to helping their customers turn resin into reality by Redefining Resin Distribution.®

The Company, formed in 1992, provides customers with an industry-leading portfolio of value-added services delivered by skilled sales professionals and dedicated teams of technical process engineers, market development engineers, and more – all of whom guide the material selection, application development, and manufacturing processes. The Company’s unmatched level of dedicated support, together with blending, repacking, inventory management, and logistics services via a network of distribution and sales locations throughout North America, is singularly focused on helping customers boost efficiencies and profitability.

Based in Clarkston, Michigan, Chase Plastics was founded by Kevin and Carole Chase, who serve as the Company’s CEO and Vice President, respectively. Learn more about Chase Plastics and its commitment to providing outrageous customer service at www.chaseplastics.com

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

The alarm clock rings, I open one eye to see the time displayed through the GPPS screen, and I press the snooze button to give myself time to stretch quietly in my soft polyester blankets before getting up. I open the extruded PVC window assembled with a TPV seal to see the weather and take a deep breath of fresh air. I lower the temperature of my thermostat in PC FR. Head for the shower, made up of a large thermoformed ABS/PMMA bi-material sheet with shelves molded into the wall to avoid joints. ABS provides impact resistance, while acrylic (PMMA) provides a glossy surface that is easy to clean and that provides scratch resistance. I notice that my shampoo bottles, previously made of HDPE, are more often made of PETE now. This is no doubt because the major manufacturers of personal care products have realized that HDPE is recycled much less than PET water bottles which retain their transparency once recycled, allowing a greater choice of colors. When I get out of the shower, I carefully extract my acrylic-based contact lenses from the protective PP case to insert them into my eyes and regain perfect vision. When working from home I wear my cellulose glasses with acrylic lenses that have been coated against blue light. I then apply my moisturizing creams which glass jars are fitted with unscrewable PP lids with threads that perfectly match those of the container to allow easy opening/closing repetitively while preventing the content from losing its moisture and hardening.

I start the coffee maker made of metallic ABS parts to give it a more stylish look. Coffee capsules, extruded in multi-layer film and then thermoformed, are increasingly being replaced by compostable starch-based plastics. I open the fridge to prepare my lunch. SAN or MABS drawers allow me to see the food at a glance. I grab a PET bottle of vegetable juice that protected the liquid from oxidation during transport and tableting to my fridge. I take the sandwich that I made the day before in which “zip-loc” made of PE film has kept it fresh. Another item for my lunch: the vegetable salad stored in a PETG container with a clarified PP lid equipped with flexible hinges and overmolded with a TPE gasket ensuring a good seal so that the vinaigrette does not leak! I put everything in my lunch bag with a blow molded HDPE ice pack.

I put on my clothes, the stockings of which are made of nylon, invented by DuPont in 1935-1938. Next step: makeup. Brushes for applying cosmetics have soft polyester or nylon bristles. The ABS cases have acrylic lids so I can see and choose the colors well. Then I grab my toothbrush, which alone is an example of manufacturing genius. It presents the complex assembly of a polypropylene handle overmoulded by injection in a multi-cavity rotating mould, and extruded nylon or PP monofilaments whose molecular chains have been oriented to give them more resistance.

A look at my cell phone which data has been updated thanks to the telecommunication system composed of fiber optics with PEI connectors, and ABS FR or PPE cases powered by electrical wires covered with flexible PVC sheaths, all meeting very strict CSA and UL standards. I grab my keys and get in my car. So there, the list is long because the automobile is the product which contains the greatest number of plastic materials: ABS, ASA, TPU, PA 6, 66, 45 and 12, sometimes loaded with reinforcements, PPA, PC, PMMA, POM, PPS, PP filled with talc or fiberglass, seals in TPV, thermosetting rubber or SEBS, non-woven polyester fibers ”spundbonded”, etc.

This is just the start of my day, now imagine how many products contributing to the comfort and functionality of our daily lives are made of polymers. It is said that we touch a product containing plastic around 2000 times a day. In the end plastics aren’t that bad, are they? My former teacher, Michel Labonté, said: “there are no bad plastics, just bad applications”.

However, when it comes to their end of life, we agree that there is still a lot of improvement to be made. Fortunately, the major producers are aware of this and have been working on solutions for several decades now. Like what? Ask the experts in the plastics industry, they will surely be able to give you examples.

Become a member of SPE Québec and attend our events to meet with them and learn more! Your president Marie-France Sosa, e-mail: mfsosa@chaseplastics.com, tel: 514-245-3204. Visit our new website: www.spesection.quebec

Plastics News

Jason Merkle, 35, owes his knowledge of and interest in the plastics industry to his father, who has worked in plastics for 40 years. Merkle’s first job for a plastics company was in high school, doing administrative work for Uniform Color’s customer service team.

Merkle earned a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering technology from Ferris State University and a master’s degree in plastics engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. During college, he interned at Uniform Color, Johnson Controls and Chase Plastic Services Inc.

After graduation, he joined Clarkston, Mich.-based resin distributor Chase as an applications development engineer, relocated to the Philadelphia area for field support to the East Coast, then moved to Charlotte, N.C., to support the Southeast area. Merkle then was named automotive business development manager and relocated back to Michigan, focusing on Tier 1 support.

“I was the guinea pig, so to speak, at Chase Plastics for field-based engineering work. I helped to design the expectations and road map for successful application development in collaborations with our molding customers and OEMs alike. The success of this position has now allowed it to be mirrored in other CPS sales regions with future growth expectations on the horizon,” said Merkle, who moved to the technical manager role in January 2020.

“I know society and the media can seem like a downward spiral at times, but taking a step back, we have had a lot of innovation and success even in recent years and trajectory forward for technology acceleration will continue to be groundbreaking,” he said. “I’m anxious to see what challenges the market will throw our way in the next 10-20 years that will push the expectations of plastic performance to new heights.”

Q: What is your current challenge at work?

Merkle: While a great deal of our work is reactive to customer needs, we are always looking for new ways to grow business through engineering support to OEMs and tier customers alike. Keeping up with material innovations and conveying that information to our customers is a value that hasn’t yet reached its full potential. We’re working to increase our account coverage and engineering exposure to key markets and organizations to accelerate bottom line growth in concert with our customers.

Q: What has been the biggest impact/challenge on your career from the coronavirus pandemic?

Merkle: As a materials provider, the pandemic produced a lot of chaos in the market that still is having ripple effects. As engineers, our job is not only to recommend a material that will meet the performance expectations of an application but also to make sure it is a product available in the necessary quantities, competitively priced and ideally with a relatively short lead time. Finding the right balance of performance needs and market constraints has been challenging at times.

Q: How do you feel about the future of the environment/climate?

Merkle: I’d say we are getting better as an industry, but we also have significant room for improvement. As plastics engineers, it’s our responsibility to understand the sustainable aspects of our business, and there have been many advancements in materials to help create a more environmentally friendly plastics industry. Educating customers and consumers alike on the options available and their corresponding costs is our most immediate challenge as more material options are innovated regularly. Getting OEMs to adopt more sustainable materials at a higher cost than their traditional alternatives will be an ongoing challenge as well.

Chase Plastics has awarded donations totaling $10,000 to four different charities as part of their annual Chase Plastics Giving Card Campaign. Now in its seventh year, the much-anticipated campaign is awarding $2,500 to four winning charities. This year’s winners were all nominated by customers of Chase Plastics. They include:

Twenty-Two Until None: This nonprofit is focused on ending suicide in the veteran and military community by providing emergency financial assistance, benefits advocacy and referrals to necessary resources and peer support. https://www.22untilnone.org/home

Benjamin’s Hope: Benjamin’s Hope is a non-profit leader in creating innovative options for adults affected by autism and developmental disability, ensuring individuals of every ability can live, learn, play and worship in the ways that fit them best. https://www.benjaminshope.net/

K9s for Warriors: Determined to end veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors provides highly trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. With the majority of dogs coming from high-kill rescue shelters, this innovative program allows the K9/Warrior team to build an unwavering bond that facilitates their collective healing and recovery. https://k9sforwarriors.org/

Tails of Hope: Tails of Hope provides service dog training for disabled individuals, special needs children, wounded veterans, and first responders. They also provide hope, fellowship, and a lifetime of support and resources for individuals and families that need it most. https://tailsofhope.com/

The Chase Giving Campaign started in 2016 to highlight charities that Chase Plastics’ customers and suppliers were most passionate about. Their generosity has not only led to a total of $47,000 being donated to charities across the country through the campaign, but
it has also perpetuated the spirit of giving — something in which Chase Plastics strongly believes. Chase Plastics has made it an initiative to encourage volunteerism and increase awareness of charitable organizations by spotlighting various nominated charities on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages throughout the campaign. As a result, they hope to inspire others to donate time or money to the featured charities or use them as a resource themselves.

This year, the Chase Plastics Giving Card received a record number of nominations and used its social media channels to spotlight several charities. The added exposure of some lesser-known charities was met with appreciation from those who had submitted. “Every year, I’m blown away by the generosity of the plastics industry, our customers, and suppliers” said Chase Plastics’ President, Kevin Chase. “It’s an honor to support these organizations that do so much.”

Past winners include: Rising Stars Academy (Center Line, MI), Penrickton Center for Blind Children (Taylor, MI), Battin Farms Equine & Soldier Sanctuary (Olivet, MI), See Me Home – Senior Dog Sanctuary (Sturgis, MI), Party for a Purpose (Monticello, MN), LifeCenter Northwest (Bellevue, WA), Children’s Oncology Group Foundation (Philadelphia, PA), Home of the Innocents (Louisville, KY), Malachi House Hospice (Cleveland, OH), Gleaners Community Food Bank (Detroit, MI), Operation Underground Railroad (Anaheim, CA), Thumb Area Helping Hands (Bad Axe, MI), Folds of Honor (Owasso, OK), Hero Dogs, Inc. (Brookeville, MD), Because There Is Hope (Spokane, WA), Toms River Field of Dreams (Township of Toms River, NJ), Agape Safe Haven (Longmont, CO), Paws With a Cause (Wayland, MI) and Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank (Akron, OH).