24 Years of Partnership A Visit to ISOFlex Nashville of the Sigma Plastics Group
When walking around the ISOFlex Nashville plant one thing is clear, there is a lot to see: two MDO units, standing side-by-side, numerous blown film lines (including the VAREX II from K 2019), and many types of winders built by W&H. Even the adjacent property is waiting to be converted into a brand new, spacious 50,000 ft2 warehouse.
The ISOFlex Nashville team l to r: Trey Reuss, Aaron Fontana, Orina Rucker, David Stanley, and Tim Sanford
The Nashville plant is just one location in the vast Sigma Plastics Group. Established by Alfred Teo in 1978, Sigma Plastics was built steadily, brick-by-brick, and now comprises 45 locations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Poland, and Thailand. Specializing in the production of plastic film and bags for diverse applications, the company remains under the ownership of the Teo family, with Alfred’s sons, Mark and Andrew serving as President & CEO and CFO respectively. In 2022, Sigma Plastics was recognized as the third largest film producer in the United States, with an impressive revenue of $2.6 billion, according to the Plastics News Film & Sheet Rankings.
During the visit to Nashville, Dave McKinney, President of ISOFlex, said “As a member of the Sigma Plastics Group, we take pride in being a debt-free organization with the financial might of a Fortune 100 enterprise, yet each member company within the group has retained its entrepreneurial spirit. The diversity of companies also brings with it a wealth of technologies and redundancy, which gives us agility to tap into our enterprise and be able to deliver high-quality products.”
Trey Reuss and Aaron Fontana in front of one of ISOFlex’s two MDO lines in the Nashville plant.
“We have seen a lot of anti-plastic and sustainability movements come and go over the years, but the recent attention has been different. That is why we are investing in W&H technology and leaning towards sustainability and the future of plastics. We have worked hard to develop films to help address any of our customers’ sustainability needs. We make recycle ready films, which incorporate about 40% PCR, and invested in MDO technology for PET replacement early in the game,” said McKinney.
Trey Reuss, plant manager at ISOFlex, said, “The MDO process is complex, and it took some time of trial and error to master. My production manager and I would watch the lines run, experiment with the jobs, and gradually build our expertise. The process was challenging, but also fun and rewarding.”
Andrew Wheeler and Alfred Teo in frontof Sigma’s K-Show line at K 2019
The partnership between the Sigma Plastics Group and W&H began in 1999. Since then, Sigma has acquired over 80 W&H machines, including blown film extrusion lines and flexographic printing presses. The show lines from K 2019 and K 2022, equipped with the newest technologies and automation belong to ISOFlex in Nashville. The K 2022 line is an 87”, 5-layer VAREX II with Easy2Change, the newest technology combining several automation systems, including: Turboclean, EASY Change, EASY Wind, Profile Booster, and Purge Assist. The line also has an ARCTIS II automated air ring, and RUBY IoT system for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing production data. This new line will be running in 2023. Four additional lines have been ordered this year for companies within the Group.
McKinney says the quality, output, ease of use and service are what keep the Sigma Plastics Group buying from W&H. Reuss added, “The W&H interface is the best in the business. It is so much easier to train operators on, and if there is ever a problem, there’s 24/7 support.”
www.sigmaplasticsgroup.com
