Maine’s Poly Labs doubles workforce

Lewiston, Maine – Poly Labs has doubled its workforce in the three months since the company launched in November 2020. The business now employs 47 people, and with a further increase to 65 expected by the end of 2021.

Poly Labs specialises in PU, TPU, TPE and TPR moulding and poured PU systems, for markets including footwear, construction and defence. It recently became a member of the US Footwear Manufacturers’ Association.

The older production equipment that is a legacy of the Poly Labs facility’s earlier life as a Jones & Vining production site is now being supplemented by state-of-the-art robotic production and lab equipment.

The company has more than a dozen large PU production machines, and a very large, 60-station, twin-head Gusbi moulding machine. There are also 20 injection moulding machines for TPU and TPE, including one Main Group 260, and two 480, double head presses. These are supplemented by an on-site R&D and testing lab for material characterisation and quality control.

Further expansion plans are on the cards, too, according to VP of business development Dan Keeley. ‘We hope to grow into new markets, expand our product line, formulate new materials and advance research through our testing facility, and continue to bolster Maine’s workforce,’ he said.

The company has also appointed Sarah Morrison as CEO. She was previously the company’s COO and worked in operations at Jones & Vining. Before joining the business, she had various production operations roles at other Maine-based companies.