Plastic Technologies Inc.

Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI) is recognized worldwide as the preferred source for plastic package design, package development, rapid prototyping, pre-production prototyping, and material evaluation engineering for the plastic packaging industry.

PTI was founded in late 1985 by Thomas E. Brady PhD, former VP and Director of Technology for Owens-Illinois, Inc., and the individual who had been assigned primary responsibility for leading the technical and commercial development of PET bottle technology at O-I during the period 1971-1984.

The premise for creating PTI was that the Coca-Cola bottlers who had embarked on a successful PET bottle self-manufacturing course during the period 1981-1984 were seeking to expand their efforts and also to undertake the development of new and innovative PET plastic soft drink packaging products, including for example, a PET plastic can. To accomplish these goals, the four Coca-Cola self-manufacturing cooperatives agreed to jointly sponsor and fund several major product development and engineering projects and, set about to hire an experienced individual to manage these projects for the combined cooperatives. Well known to all of the bottlers and managers in the Coca-Cola self-manufacture system because of his previous history and experience in PET technology and in the soft drink industry, Dr. Brady was approached by the Coca-Cola self-manufacture cooperatives about the opportunity to leave O-I and to manage these project development efforts for the Coca-Cola System.

When a counter proposal from Dr. Brady to the Coca-Cola cooperatives to establish a separate independent company for the purpose of managing these projects was agreed upon, Plastic Technologies, Inc. was created and long term contracts were signed between the four Coca-Cola cooperatives and Plastic Technologies, Inc. and Dr. Brady, PTI's then only employee.

The contracts assured PTI of initial funding and required PTI to manage the Plastic Can development project and to carry out other engineering and development projects for the combined Coca-Cola Cooperatives, at their direction. The contractual funding provided sufficient credibility for the newly formed PTI to quickly identify additional customers (who were non-competitive with Coca-Cola) and also to attract and hire a small but highly experienced professional staff to carry out the contracted technical development and support for the Coca-Cola Cooperatives and for other PTI customers.

As PTI became immersed in important development programs for the Coca-Cola Cooperatives and for several other newer customers, PTI and its professional staff quickly established a reputation in the industry as a high quality PET R&D and technical support resource. As PTI's technical staff expanded and as the revenue base grew at compound annual rates of 35%, the company moved in 1989 from its original rented office facility to a larger development facility and established both analytical testing and process development laboratories, with the capability of prototyping and testing PET containers and preforms. During this period of rapid growth and expansion, PTI broadened its customer base and became involved in the development of several diverse business and product opportunities, including health care products, plastic recycling, specialty compound development, and leisure products. These excursions outside the PET packaging field provided a basis for PTI to hire additional experienced technical professionals, to staff its laboratories and to establish a reputation in the plastics industry as a substantial technical development company.

Over time, PTI developed client relationships with other high profile self manufacturing concerns, resin suppliers, machinery builders, brand owners, and converters. PTI learned how to work with competitive customers and is recognized for its excellence in protecting customer intellectual property and confidentiality. PTI customers are involved in every step of the PET value chain from raw material supply through end of life recyclability process studies.

PTI is recognized today as the premier PET technical development and support resource in that industry, with nearly 120 employees worldwide, and offices and laboratories in Ohio and Geneva. However, PTI truly is plastic technologies, and has worked with a variety of materials and processes. Recent developments with biopolymers such as PLA, nanotechnology for material additives, flexible packaging and pouches, sustainable packaging initiatives, and instrument development with new sensors are all part of the portfolio of technology PTI creates for clients.