Confer Plastics

Name

Confer Plastics

Legal name

Confer Plastics, Inc.

Website

https://conferplastics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic Pool and Spa Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Large-Part Blow Molding (Automotive/Industrial Ducts, Tanks) (IMANAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Blow-Molded Industrial Containers & Crates (Non-packaging) (IMANAGAF)

Keywords

• Blow molded plastics
• Swimming pool ladders
• Pool entry systems
• Custom blow molding
• Patio furniture manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

North Tonawanda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Swimming Pool & Spa Products: Sale of pool ladders, steps, deck ladders, and spa accessories. Replacement parts also sold. Products made from UV-resistant HDPE material.
2. Custom Blow Molding Services: Contract manufacturing of custom large-part blow molded products for other companies. Capabilities include very large parts using specialized equipment.
3. Patio Furniture: Sale of barstools and table sets under the Leisure Accents brand. Made from same UV-resistant material as pool products.
4. Consumer Products - Flexible Funnels: Re-launched flexible funnel sold as two-packs in red or blue. Available on Amazon. Also sold to retailers for brick-and-mortar and online stores.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Confer Plastics manufactures blow-molded plastic products primarily for the swimming pool and spa industry, including pool ladders, deck ladders, pool steps, spa accessories, and replacement parts made from UV-resistant HDPE. Beyond branded consumer pool products, the company offers large-part custom blow molding contract manufacturing services to industrial clients and produces consumer goods such as Leisure Accents patio furniture, Retro Racer sleds, and the re-released Flexible Funnel.

Product overview

Confer Plastics is a family-owned manufacturer founded in 1973, specializing in blow-molded plastics products. The company operates two main divisions: (1) Swimming Pool & Spa Products, which is the core business and industry leader since 1976, offering pool entry systems including the 7200 Roll-Guard A-Frame Safety Ladder with patented tambour gate technology, the new 9300 Roll2Guard Ladder (2025), pool ladders, deck ladders, pool steps, and spa essentials; and (2) Custom Blow Molding Services for industrial applications using large-scale machinery. The product portfolio also includes Leisure Accents patio furniture, Retro Racer sleds, and the classic Flexible Funnel (re-launched in 2023). The company operates from North Tonawanda, NY, with a secondary facility in Niagara Falls for warehousing and distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leisure Accents Furniture: Barstool and table sets made from UV-resistant material, suitable for backyards, patios, garages, and campsites. Originally discontinued and later brought back by popular demand.
• Retro Racer Sleds

Products and services

• 7200 Roll-Guard A-Frame Safety Ladder Swimming pool safety ladder with patented tambour gate that covers treads to prevent unauthorized pool access. Built from UV-resistant HDPE material for residential and commercial pool owners.
• 9300 Roll2Guard Ladder Pool entry system combining ladder and step functionality, launched as the brand-new flagship for 2025 with enhanced safety and accessibility features.
• Swimming Pool Ladders (Frame Type) Industry-standard swimming pool entry ladders designed for in-ground pools with UV-resistant HDPE construction for residential and commercial pool owners.
• Pool Deck Ladders Ladders designed for pools where entry occurs from the deck side, providing safe access to the water using UV-resistant construction for pool owners.
• Pool Steps Swimming pool entry steps providing gradual access to pools, complementing ladder products for residential and commercial pool owners.
• Spa Essentials Hot tub and spa accessories including steps and entry systems for spa access, designed for residential hot tub owners.
• Equipment Pad (EP2436) Stable, non-corrosive base for pool, spa, and outdoor equipment, built from durable HDPE material for residential and commercial equipment owners.
• Custom Blow Molding Services Contract manufacturing of custom large-part blow-molded plastic products using some of the largest blow molding machines in the world, including 'The Beast' with 150-pound shot size and 15-foot press length. Services industrial clients needing parts such as SCBA cases, traffic barricades, and industrial components.
• Leisure Accents Patio Furniture Barstool and table sets made with the same UV-resistant HDPE material and process as pool products, marketed as affordable and durable for backyards, patios, garages, and campsites for residential consumers.
• Retro Racer Sled Modern remake of the classic 1970s Sno-tobaggan sled, bringing back nostalgic winter recreation for outdoor and winter recreation enthusiasts.
• Flexible Funnel Flexible plastic funnel originally invented in 1975 by Doug Confer and patented in 1976 (Patent 241,597). Re-released in 2023 for the company's 50th anniversary, sold as red or blue two-packs on Amazon and to retailers for brick-and-mortar and online stores.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scouting America (Great Falls Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfer Plastics organizes the annual Confer Classic Golf Tournament benefiting Scouting America's Great Falls Council, which serves 5,000 cub scouts, scouts, and explorers in western New York and northern Pennsylvania. Over nine years, the tournament has delivered $191,000 in proceeds. The company also raises $15,000 annually through this golf tournament.
• United Way of Greater NiagaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual financial support recipient as part of Confer Plastics' community giving program focused on youth and young adults.
• Alfred UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceives annual funding of $10,000 for student emergency fund. Home to the Douglas C. Confer Scholarship.
• SUNY BrockportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceives annual funding of $10,000 for student emergency fund. Home to the Confer Plastics Scholarship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Intex Recreation: Global leader in above-ground pools and inflatable/blow-molded pool accessories. Comparable to Confer in target customer (pool owners) and blow-molded pool products, but with much larger scale and global distribution.
• Mack Molding: Custom plastics manufacturer with blow molding, injection molding, and assembly capabilities. Comparable custom manufacturing services and similar mid-market enterprise customer profile.
• Hedstrom Plastics: Custom blow molder specializing in large-part and outdoor/leisure products. Highly comparable to Confer's large-part blow molding capability and outdoor recreation product portfolio (kayaks, sleds).
• Bonar Plastics (formerly Xerxes): Manufacturer of large molded plastic products including tanks and industrial containers. Comparable large-part plastics manufacturing capabilities and industrial customer base.
• Waterway Plastics: Manufacturer of blow-molded and injection-molded components for the pool and spa industry. Directly comparable in product type and pool/spa customer base.
• Custom-Pak Inc. Large-part blow molding contract manufacturer serving industrial and consumer markets. Directly comparable to Confer's custom blow molding division and machine scale.
• Plastic Industries: Custom blow molder offering large-part and proprietary molding capabilities. Comparable to Confer's custom blow molding service line and similar mid-market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Hayward Industries: Established pool equipment manufacturer with broad product portfolio. Comparable customer base to Confer but addresses adjacent (not overlapping) product categories in the pool ecosystem.
• Pentair: Large public pool equipment and water treatment company. Overlaps with Confer's pool industry customers but operates across pumps, filters, heaters, and automation rather than specializing in entry systems.

Others

• Pool Corporation: Largest US distributor of pool products and a key channel partner for Confer's pool ladders and steps. Indirect peer through shared customer base rather than direct product competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/conferplastics
• Facebookfacebook.com/conferplasticsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/confer-plastics-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Confer Plastics