Applied Plastics
Applied Plastics is a family-owned custom thermoplastic extrusion manufacturer in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, operating 22 extrusion lines to produce tubing, profiles, and solid rods for Fortune 500 and smaller customers across agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, and consumer product industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersOak Creek, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Applied Plastics does
Applied Plastics is a privately held, family-owned custom thermoplastic extrusion manufacturer founded in 1955 and based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The company operates 22 extrusion lines producing three core product families — custom plastic tubing (up to 8 inches in diameter), rigid or flexible profiles (up to 12 inches wide), and solid rod (up to 1/2 inch diameter) — using co-extrusion technology for dual-durometer and multi-color combinations. A key differentiator is its in-house tooling department equipped with CAD software and wire EDM machining, which produces extrusion dies and downstream equipment internally rather than outsourcing, supporting shorter lead times and lower costs for complex profile work.
The company's go-to-market is sales-led and entirely direct, with pricing conducted via quote rather than published rates. Applied Plastics serves a broad range of customers from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses across at least 15 verticals including agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, furniture, houseware, sporting goods, toys, and water treatment. Supporting the core extrusion business, Applied Plastics offers design-aid engineering services, warehouse and bar-code-tracked Just-In-Time inventory programs, and a broad set of value-added secondary operations (cutting, drilling, welding, printing, assembly, custom packaging), positioning the company as a single-source custom parts supplier rather than a pure extrusion press. Material breadth spans commodity and engineering-grade plastics, with FDA-compliant materials available for medical applications.
Revenue mechanics are anchored in one-off custom production runs (qualified via tooling) combined with managed-services revenue from blanket-order warehousing and JIT releases, plus professional-services revenue from design and tooling engineering. The company is single-site and US-domestic, with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, M&A, or external funding events. Recent operating signals — active extrusion technician hiring, a November 2022 chiller-system capital investment, and ongoing content marketing — point to continued reinvestment, though growth is constrained by the single-site, family-owned ownership structure.
Applied Plastics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Applied Plastics
- Legal name
- Applied Plastics
- Website
- https://appliedplasticsinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Applied Plastics is a family-owned custom thermoplastic extrusion manufacturer in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, operating 22 extrusion lines to produce tubing, profiles, and solid rods for Fortune 500 and smaller customers across agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, and consumer product industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Applied Plastics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing
- NAICS
- All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199)
- SIC
- Plastics Products, Nec (3089)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plastic Film, Sheet & Profile Extrusion (IMANAOAD)
Keywords
Where Applied Plastics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Creek
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Applied Plastics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing: 100% custom plastic extrusion shop manufacturing tubing, profiles, and solid rods. Revenue generated through production of custom components based on customer specifications, with pricing based on complexity, materials, and volumes.
- Warehouse and Inventory Management Services: Blanket order programs and warehousing services allowing customers to maintain inventory levels with split shipment releases. Computer-based bar code system tracks Just-In-Time product status.
- Design Aid and Tooling Services: In-house tooling design services using CAD software to create 2D and 3D designs for profile products. Engineers work with customers to develop design guidelines and recommendations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Applied Plastics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Applied Plastics is a 100% custom thermoplastic extrusion shop that manufactures plastic tubing (up to 8 inches diameter), rigid or flexible profiles (up to 12 inches wide), and solid rods (up to 1/2 inch diameter) across 22 extrusion lines. The company complements manufacturing with in-house CAD-based tooling and wire EDM machining, co-extrusion capabilities for layered and multi-color products, plus more than 20 secondary value-added operations (cutting, drilling, welding, packaging) and warehouse/JIT delivery services for customers in agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, and consumer goods industries.
Product overview
Applied Plastics is a custom thermoplastic extrusion manufacturer offering a portfolio of three core extruded plastic products—Custom Plastic Tubing, Custom Plastic Profiles, and Solid Rod—supported by a suite of service modules. The core products are manufactured using the company's 22 extrusion lines and in-house tooling capabilities. Supporting services include Design Aid & Guidelines (engineering consultation), In-House Tooling (CAD/EDM die manufacturing), Warehouse Services (storage and split shipments), Inventory Management (bar-code tracking for JIT delivery), and Value-Added Operations (16+ secondary processing options such as cutting, drilling, printing, and assembly). The company operates as a 100% custom extrusion shop serving diverse industries including agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, and more.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Plastic Tubing Custom extruded plastic tubing manufactured to customer specifications, available in diameters from less than .062 inches to almost 8 inches, with wall thicknesses from under .010 inches to .750 inches or more, and lengths from under .250 inches to over 30 feet. Sold with custom colors and special packaging options.
- Custom Plastic Profiles Custom rigid or flexible profile shapes up to 12 inches wide, with wall thickness from .015 inches to .750 inches and lengths from .250 inches to 35 feet, available in clear or custom color match in commodity and engineering materials.
- Solid Rod Extruded solid plastic rods up to 1/2 inch diameter, available in polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene with special additives and custom colors.
- Design Aid & Guidelines Engineering consultation service that provides design recommendations based on application and performance requirements to develop cost-efficient profile products.
- In-House Tooling Custom tooling design and manufacturing using state-of-the-art CAD software and in-house wire EDM machining capabilities to produce extrusion dies and downstream equipment with reduced lead times.
- Warehouse Services Storage solutions for customer orders in bulk or specialized packaging, with split shipment releases as production needs dictate.
- Inventory Management Computer-based bar code system facilitating Just-In-Time and warehousing programs to track customer product status and current inventory levels.
- Value-Added Operations Secondary operations on extruded parts including special cutting, drilling, notching, mitering, special assembly, labeling, printing, punching, embossing, coiling, bar-coding, routing, slotting, heat sealing, solvent bonding, sonic welding, special packaging, flaring, winding, custom boxing, double face taping, and flame polishing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Many customers have been able to discontinue incoming inspections of shipments due to stringent quality programs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Applied Plastics
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Applied Plastics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Applied Plastics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Applied Plastics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Spartech: Larger custom plastics manufacturer with multiple processes (extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding) and a broader product portfolio. Comparable capabilities but operates at a different scale than Applied Plastics.
Direct peers
- Prent Corporation: Wisconsin-based custom plastic thermoforming and extrusion manufacturer serving medical device, electronics, and consumer markets. Comparable custom plastics profile and regulated end-market exposure.
- Spectrum Plastics Group: Specialty plastics manufacturer offering custom extrusion, injection molding, and film for medical, packaging, and industrial markets. Comparable in custom plastic components for regulated end markets like Applied Plastics' medical and industrial segments.
- Placon: Custom plastics manufacturer based in Madison, Wisconsin, with extrusion and thermoforming capabilities serving medical, food, and retail markets. Geographic and product-set overlap with Applied Plastics.
- Pexco: Custom plastic extruder producing tubing, profiles, and fabricated parts for industrial, medical, lighting, and signage markets. Direct overlap with Applied Plastics in extrusion capabilities and end-market diversification.
- Teel Plastics: Wisconsin-based custom thermoplastic extrusion manufacturer serving medical, industrial, and consumer markets. Highly comparable to Applied Plastics given shared geography, custom profile/tubing capabilities, and similar mid-market customer base.
- Crescent Plastics: Custom plastic profile and tubing extrusion manufacturer serving industrial, OEM, and consumer markets. Direct comparable to Applied Plastics in custom thermoplastic extrusion services.
- NewAge Industries: Custom plastic tubing manufacturer (PVC, silicone, thermoplastic) serving medical, laboratory, food/beverage, and industrial markets. Closely comparable product mix to Applied Plastics' tubing business, especially in medical.
- Polytec Plastics: Custom plastics manufacturer offering extrusion, injection molding, and fabrication services for industrial and consumer OEMs. Comparable mid-market custom plastics services portfolio.
Regional players
- Calsak Plastics: Plastics distributor and processor focused on the western US market. Adjacent to Applied Plastics' extrusion business, more weighted toward distribution and conversion than pure custom extrusion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Applied Plastics social profiles
Digital presenceApplied Plastics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Applied Plastics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Applied Plastics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Applied Plastics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Applied Plastics
What does Applied Plastics do?
Applied Plastics is a 100% custom thermoplastic extrusion shop that manufactures plastic tubing (up to 8 inches diameter), rigid or flexible profiles (up to 12 inches wide), and solid rods (up to 1/2 inch diameter) across 22 extrusion lines. The company complements manufacturing with in-house CAD-based tooling and wire EDM machining, co-extrusion capabilities for layered and multi-color products, plus more than 20 secondary value-added operations (cutting, drilling, welding, packaging) and warehouse/JIT delivery services for customers in agriculture, automotive, construction, medical, and consumer goods industries.
Is Applied Plastics a public or private company?
Applied Plastics is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Applied Plastics founded?
Applied Plastics was founded in 1955. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Applied Plastics based?
Applied Plastics is headquartered in Oak Creek, United States, in the North America region.
How does Applied Plastics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are warehouse and Inventory Management Services and design Aid and Tooling Services.
Who are Applied Plastics's main competitors?
Spartech is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Prent Corporation, Spectrum Plastics Group, Placon, Pexco, Teel Plastics, Crescent Plastics, NewAge Industries and Polytec Plastics. Calsak Plastics is listed as a regional player.
Does Applied Plastics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Applied Plastics.
What industry is Applied Plastics in?
Applied Plastics's product category is Custom Plastic Extrusion Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAOAD, Plastic Film, Sheet & Profile Extrusion. Its NAICS code is 326199 and its SIC code is 3089.