By Bill Bregar
SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
Published: February 18, 2014 1:09 pm ET
Updated: February 18, 2014 1:14 pm ET
Image By: Plastics News
Jack Welter
Rotational molder Elkhart Plastics Inc. has purchased the assets of El Monte Plastics Inc., including two rotomolding factories located a mile apart in the western Ohio town of Ohio City.
Elkhart Plastics CEO Jack Welter said the South Bend, Ind.-based company bought El Monte "for a combination of additional capacity needed, and their customer base." Elkhart Plastics will continue to run the factories.
Ohio City is just across the Ohio line from Fort Wayne, Ind., in the heart of recreational vehicle manufacturing. That sector is El Monte's largest market, for parts such as water tanks.
"El Monte has been a strong supplier to the RV industry since they were founded and will complement our overall business mix," Welter said. The two plants, measuring a combined 70,000 square feet, have seven rotomolding machines. The equipment fleet includes two large Ferry 400s.
Elkhart Plastics bought the assets of El Monte from the families of its founders, Gene Kite and Bill Burlingham, Welter said. Terms were not disclosed for the deal, announced Feb. 13.
Elkhart has offered jobs to all 30 El Monte employees.
Kite and Burlingham founded El Monte in California in 1969. All the companies operations were now in Ohio City. | 
