The decisions and investments made by Weatherchem during the past few years, particularly during the downturn, gained momentum during the past year as Weatherchem enjoyed its most successful year in its 40-year history.

With revenue growth of 21% and employment expansion of 15%, 2011 was the perfect year for the company to mark its 40-year milestone.  When founder Al Weatherhead purchased the company in 1971, which was then a debt-ridden injection molding company, no one envisioned Weatherchem’s evolution to what it’s become today – one of the packaging sector’s leaders in innovative caps and closures.

Much of the company’s growth last year, and in recent years, has come from its success in creating closures for its nutraceuticals and dietary supplement customers, a rapidly growing segment of packaged goods.  That expansion supplemented Weatherchem’s continued success with its LiquiFlapper closures, with new accounts including IHOP syrup (a perfect LiquiFlapper application for hard-to-pour liquids that require controlled dispensing with no messy caps) along with a variety of premium brands of salad dressings.

Even though the company set several records, 2011 was not a year for complacency, and in fact Weatherchem used its success this past year as a platform for infrastructure and plant investments to drive continued revenue growth:

• Invested in an expansion of our flagship product line, NutraGenII closures, and the 43mm FlapMate line, to support anticipated volume increases expected from several key customers.
• Redesigned Weatherchem’s new product development and innovation strategy, with an eye toward creating a variety of new packaging solutions that will hit the market shortly.
• Installed a new ERP system to handle the expansion in plant production and volume
• Accepted into the Drug-Free Workplace program offered by the state of Ohio 

Success goes to the nimble and responsive, so the saying goes.  The gains made by the company during 2011 will enable Weatherchem to strengthen its position as a responsive, creative partner for companies seeking to create great packaging solutions.