Construction has started on a 35,000-square-foot building at 154 North Selmaville Road in Salem that will be the home of 618 Plastics. The concrete floor has been poured, and the building steel is starting to go up. The company is expected to have around ten employees when operations begin this summer.
The project is a multimillion-dollar investment in Salem. Five new injection molding machines and support equipment have been ordered for phase one. Cost savings techniques are being planned into the process to provide a competitive edge when quoting new business.
The company will be targeting several tier-one automotive suppliers for new business opportunities along with other plastic products outside the automotive industry. The plan is also to provide other services within the plastics industry that typical custom molding shops do not currently offer. Some other services that are being studied for feasibility are injection molding technician training, plastic pellet repacking, mold storage and retrieval, new mold trials, plastic validation, and samplin,g among other items.
618 Plastics will advertise and accept applications when the proper time comes, which most likely will be early summer. The company will structure a team of people to get everything in place and operational.
The company’s CEO and Founder is Aaron Robb, who also owns Aaron Robb Trucking, which started in 2012. He looks to continue to expand the trucking company with the opening of 618 Plastics LLC. Robb also owns Salem Industrial Enterprises, which is a commercial real estate development company that currently has over 150,000 square feet of commercial space leased to locally based tenants.
The President/Director of Operations is Don Hall whose background includes 33 years at North American Lighting which includes 30 years at the Salem Plant in the Molding Department. His background is in the management of the molding department and engineering.
The Iuka State Bank has partnered with 618 Plastics and the opportunities the project presents. Bank President Carson Smith says the multimillion-dollar investment in the area will be great for the community, and they look forward to helping 618 Plastics strive and be successful from day one.
Robb says he’s excited to put together a team to bring this new company to life. He notes the city of Salem has been very supportive throughout, not only on this new project but with different projects his businesses have been involved with over the last several years.
Hall says that with Robb’s drive and ambition for new businesses and his knowledge and contacts within the injection molding and plastics industry, they can build something that will have a positive impact to the area for many years to come.
