Brian Rawlings Named as New General Manager

For Immediate Release:
Agri-Plastics Names Brian Rawlings as the new General Manager

Sidney, Nebraska – February 19, 2024 – Agri-Plastics USA, LLC proudly announces the appointment of Brian Rawlings as the new General Manager at its Sidney, Nebraska facility. With a warm welcome, the company extends its excitement for Rawlings to bring his wealth of experience and expertise to the team.

Hailing from West Bend, Wisconsin, Brian Rawlings has over 25 years of distinguished service in the plastics industry for companies like Solar Plastics and Yamaha Marine. Having served as a General Manager at various Rotational molders, Rawlings has cultivated a deep understanding of manufacturing, management, and strategic planning. In addition to Brian’s knowledge and experience, he will support and utilize the additional plant in Canada, which also has over 25 years of experience. Together, they will form a formidable force and foresee future growth for the company.

With a background in sales management and a degree from San Jose State University, Rawlings is known for his proficiency in driving continuous improvement and delivering results. His expertise encompasses various aspects of rotational molding, including fuel tank molding and assembly and production of agricultural, lawn/garden, industrial and military products.

Brian’s contributions to the rotomolding industry are widely recognized, with notable advancements in manufacturing techniques, process optimization, and product innovation. Additionally, his strong grasp of profit and loss management underscores his ability to lead with excellence. Coupled with his in-depth knowledge of best practices, lean manufacturing, and process improvement, this further highlights his leadership capabilities.

Brian states, “Efficiency in production is not just a goal; it’s a relentless pursuit. The true professional understands that every process, every machine, and every person is a critical link in the chain of success! Continuous improvement isn’t just a methodology; it’s a mindset that propels industries forward.”

Brian recently relocated to Sidney with his wife, and has 4 children.  Outside of work, he enjoys spending time boating and golfing, embracing the vibrant community spirit of his new home. Agri-Plastics USA, LLC looks forward to the positive impact and collaborative energy that Brian Rawlings will bring to
the organization as they continue to innovate and serve their customers with excellence.

To learn more about AP Custom Rotomolding, visit our website at apcustommolding.com. If you would like more information on this topic, please email info@agri-plastics.net or call 1-888-231-3575.

2.6 Rotoline Machine Adds Horsepower

May 20, 2022 – Agri-Plastics, a global leader in rotomolding plastic products has seen significant growth over the past six months. Additional manufacturing horsepower is needed to accommodate the growing plastic production demand for our existing and new customers that are coming on board. We have two rotomolding facilities – one in Sidney, Nebraska, and the other in Grassie, Ontario.

We are excited to add a new Rotoline 2.6 Carousel Machine in our Canadian Plant. This new independent 3-arm machine will give additional capacity and allows us to expand our growth in the eastern portion of North America. This will be the 8th rotomolding machine in Ontario. 

“This new addition will be one of many as we plan on adding more new equipment at both locations over the next 12 months,” states Darren VanBuuren, CEO and President of Agri-Plastics Custom Rotomolding. “We are looking forward to expanding our manufacturing footprint in North America.” There are now 17 total machines between the U.S. and Canada plants.

Have a plastic product idea? Do you need help with manufacturing, finishing, or warehousing? Let Agri-Plastics Custom Rotomolding help! Our mission is to develop and test products through hands-on experience. Our mission is to offer the best quality plastic products by designing solutions that meet customer expectations while establishing a worldwide reputation for reliability and durability. We make a wide range of products in the Agricultural, Recreational, Enviromental, Garden, Industrial, and Medical industries. In addition to manufacturing rotomolded plastic products, we offer additional services such as 3D/3M CAD design, Finishing and Assembly, Packaging, Warehousing, Quality Assurance, and Robotics/CNC Trimming. 

If you are interested in learning more about Agri-Plastics Custom Rotomolding, visit our website at apcustommolding.com. You can also contact us at info@apcustommolding.com or call us at 1-888-231-3575.

NEDA Conference Plant Tour

Aug. 30, 2021 – Sidney, Nebraska was chosen as the site location for the 2021 NEDA (Nebraska Economic Developers Association) Annual Conference. Over 190 people from all over the state registered for this 3-day event.

NEDA is an association of professional economic developers dedicated to the prosperous growth of Nebraska’s business climate. NEDA’s purpose is to foster economic development in Nebraska, encourage the advancement of the expertise of its members, foster cooperation among economic development professionals, and to afford professional economic developers a vehicle for assembly and collective expression. The purpose of the Conference is to connect with other economic developers and professionals from across the state. The Conference consisted of Business Tours at Agri-Plastics, Freedom Yurts and NexGen Outfitters as well as a Golf Tournament. In addition, the Conference consisted of guest speakers discussing leading education programming, ideas, and networking opportunities for the attendees. Over 30 people came for the plant tour. 

“We think it’s very important to make these connections with groups from the entire state”, stated Darren VanBuuren. “Our custom rotomolding division is growing but we are still fairly new to this area. This conference was an excellent opportunity to showcase our production capabilities and the diverse product lines that we produce.”

For more information about NEDA, go to: https://www.neda1.org

If you are interested in creating or producing plastic custom rotomolding products, please contact our Sales Manager, Bruce Smith at bruce@apcustommolding.com or call us at 1-308-254-1137.

Lt. Governor Mike Foley Visits Agri-Plastics

May 5, 2021 – Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley made a stop in Sidney on Tuesday, May 4th, and toured the Agri-Plastics plant. The City of Sidney’s Economic Development Manager, Melissa Norgard also came along for the tour. The Lieutenant Governor’s tour of Sidney included stops at five other Sidney businesses, many of which received aid from the state in their opening or development. The purpose of the tour was to see how area businesses were managing after Covid, the challenges with the current economic landscape, and opportunities to promote Nebraska’s plastic manufacturing capabilities to the U.S. as well as worldwide companies.

Darren VanBuuren showed him the recent developments inside the plant, including the newest Ferry rotomolding machine. Rainwater barrels, portable sink washing stations, and trash can liners are now also being produced in the Sidney plant.

Because of the growing custom rotomolding projects that have come in the past few months, Agri-Plastics is actively hiring 2nd and 3rd shift Machine Operators.

Throughout the Sidney tour, Foley said several commonalities and patterns stuck out to him. “Workforce availability is a big issue in Nebraska,” Foley said. “This is a national issue, really, but it’s more acute in Nebraska.” Foley said the workforce issue comes down to pipelines of workers. It’s important to showcase factory jobs to kids as young as middle school. “We don’t want to lose them to other states. We need the warm bodies in Nebraska,” Foley said. “And when kids realize there are great jobs here with good paychecks and good benefits, they’ll be inclined to stay and live a good life.”

If you are interested in joining a growing company with competitive wages, incentives and benefits, please email us today at hr@agri-plastics.net, call us at 308-254-1137, or come on site to pick up an application at 701 East Elm Street, Sidney, NE 69162.

Source: https://starherald.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/lt-gov-foley-surveys-sidney-businesses/article_d9a49382-cf96-51b4-bb7f-4364a0081647.html

New Name, New Logo, New Machine!

2.6 Rotoline Machine Adds Horsepower

April 1, 2021 – AP Custom Rotomolding, a global leader in rotomolding plastic products, is rapidly expanding! With one manufacturing plant in Sidney, Nebraska and one in Grassie, Ontario, this long-time division of Agri-Plastics, Group of Companies, decided it was time for some updates: AP Custom Rotomolding changed its name to Agri-Plastics Custom Rotomolding, and now has a new logo. And in the subject of change and growth, we recently added a Ferry 220 Rotomolding Machine to our manufacturing plant in Sidney, Nebraska.

“With our business in the United States increasing, we needed more horsepower to produce rotomolded products for our customers,” states Darren VanBuuren, CEO and President of Agri-Plastics. “This new rotomolding machine will allow us to produce a high volume of product in a short amount of time. This will be our 9th machine in the Sidney fleet.”

The 220 Rotomolding Machine has four independent arms. It has a greater capacity to produce smaller, high-volume, custom rotomolded product. 

While this machine can create smaller products, putting it together was no small task. After the truck arrived with the unassembled machine, the next step was offloading and organizing. Then the team went to work and put it all back together. Next was the testing phase. We used our existing smaller molds and ensuring that everything was in working order. And today, we are now up and running. See our journey in the photo gallery below, and a video of the machine in action!

If you are interested in learning more about Agri-Plastics Custom Rotomolding, visit our website at apcustommolding.com. You can also contact us at info@apcustommolding.com or 1-888-231-3575.

1.OffloadingTruck
2.OffloadingPallets2
3.LadderCage
4.Hoses
5.FirstPanels
6.FirstRails
7.BoltingOnArms
8.ThreeArmsOn
9.Pipes
11.TestingOperators
2.6 Rotoline Machine Adds Horsepower
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15.TrimmingCloseup