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Expansion of Polystrand in Douglas County

14 Aug '12

4 min read

Polystrand Inc announced plans to begin production Sept. 1, 2012 at its new state-of-the-art facility south of Denver in Douglas County, Colo.

In June last year, the company announced plans to build a new 120,000-square-foot facility and expand its manufacturing operations from Montrose, Colo. to be near a major transportation hub. Mike Gordon, Polystrand Chief Executive Officer, said the move will support growth.

“We need room to expand and the new facility is more than double the size of our existing plants in Montrose,” said Gordon. “Easy access to a major rail line and transcontinental highways will facilitate shipments of raw materials and finished products. Being close to Denver International Airport will also make it easier for customers to visit Polystrand as we work on development projects.”

Ed Pilpel, Polystrand President, said, “The new Polystrand facility near Denver marks the opening of the largest facility of its kind in the world. It is the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art production facility for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites.”

Polystrand reinforcing tape is made in a proprietary process that impregnates continuous fiber with a thermoplastic resin. The reinforcement has been made with a variety of polymer materials including recycled content.

Polystrand tapes generally range from 60 to 80 percent continuous fibers by weight, and 20 to 40 percent thermoplastic resin. This is a high fiber-to-resin ratio that is very difficult to achieve with traditional thermoplastic composite fabrication processes. The reinforcement comes thoroughly impregnated, avoiding traditional thermoplastic composite concerns about fiber wet-out.

Most commodity thermoset resins use styrene and generally require closed processes or special environmental equipment to control volatile organic compounds. Composite fabricators are looking at thermoplastics as a way to avoid these problems and grow their business under existing environmental permits.

Pilpel said Polystrand reinforcements can minimize waste, increase productivity and compete with steel and aluminum for strength and recyclability. He also said the operation in Douglas County will be a zero waste facility.

“Because of their strength, ease of use and environmental benefits, we believe Polystrand reinforcements are the world's next generation of composite materials,” he added. Polystrand produces continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites in the form of tapes, rolls, sheets, laminates and preformed inserts. Standard 12½ and 25 inch-wide tapes can be laminated to form sheets and panels up to 10½ feet wide. The new facility will enable Polystrand to produce up to 100 million pounds of reinforcing material annually.

The company's products provide structural reinforcement to the transportation, aerospace, automotive, military/ballistic and other industries. End-use applications include transportation liners, aerodynamic components, threat-resistant armor and structural composite panels.

The new facility is in the Highfield Business Park southeast of Centennial Airport near E-470 and Peoria. The move is expected to generate up to 240 new jobs to Douglas County in the coming years, which is already one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

Polystrand executives said about 32 experienced employees are expected to accept transfers from Montrose to the Douglas County plant. Gordon Holdings, Inc., parent company of Polystrand, Inc., will also be moving its corporate headquarters to the Douglas County facility while maintaining operations in Montrose for its subsidiary Gordon Composites, Inc. and its InnoVoc Solutions division.

Participants in the Douglas County project include:
• Central Development
• Vectra Bank Colorado
• Intergroup Architects
• MEP Engineering, Inc.
• Monroe & Newell Engineers, Inc.
• Alcorn Construction

Founded in 2004, Polystrand, Inc. is a privately held company focused on developing the next generation of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Polystrand material combines continuous structural fibers and thermoplastic resin into tapes, rolls, sheets, laminates and preformed inserts that can be heated and reformed to create end-use applications.

Polystrand Inc