Thinking Plastic – a global perspective

Another day another dollar and for Sinclair & Rush Limited it’s another year with another year end success.

Although in accounting terms business is packaged and reviewed one year against another, in management, sales and marketing terms the journey is longer and ongoing. The S&R team UK / Europe have benefited from the fortitude of leadership and engagement through team building to equip them for what has in effect been a four year journey – and a journey in some pretty awful economic weather.

The environment has certainly been “challenging” – superbly understated as always by MD, Peter Boulton, who went on to say – “ but with the support of our staff and customers, it’s been a great success. Not only have the profits improved over this time, but the corporate ‘attitude’ has grown as well. We’ve all become proud to deliver on our two missions; ‘Always striving to deliver great customer service’; and ‘to leave our staff and customers feeling respected and valued’.”

From S&R Ltd Maidstone, to S&R Inc Missouri, under the skyline of

San Diego – home of Cameron Holdings.

That’s the view from this side of the pond, but what do our American parents think about the attitude, efforts and achievements of their Kent manufacturer / supplier of leading plastic packaging, display and protection components.

We’ll find out pretty soon, as Brad Philip is en route to check on matters British and European before continuing to China and Australia as part of his global tour.

You see, Sinclair & Rush is part of a global family. Further, this entity sits within a true family of global manufacturing concern.

Let’s explain that a little.

Sinclair & Rush Limited (Maidstone) sits within Sinclair & Rush Inc, based in Arnold, Missouri. It is to their President and COO that Peter Boulton directly reports. Since October 1^st (that’s 1^st October over here) 2010 that person has been with Brad Philip. Not surprisingly, the relationship between Peter and Brad is crucial for the success of pan-Atlantic management.

Brad was previously Executive Vice President and General Manager until recognised for his long and successful service and promoted by Vincent T. Gorguze, Chairman and CEO of Sinclair & Rush Inc. (Brad became Exec VP & GM in 2006 having joined the company as Corporate Controller in 1995.)

Mr Gorguze in turn is also founder and Chairman of San Diego based Cameron Holdings. Cameron Holdings is a private equity company specialising in the acquisition and operation of middle market manufacturing, industrial service and value-added distribution companies.

Its successful track record began in 1978 when it made its first acquisition – Sinclair & Rush. Since then it has acquired, operated and grown a variety of companies in North America, Europe and Australia with revenues ranging from $5 million to $200 million.

Cameron Holdings is led by Vincent Gorguze as Chairman and his daughter Lynne E. Gorguze as President. Their exciting strategy is and has been one of ‘Buy & Build’. They acquire and develop a platform company and work closely with the new platform’s management to establish a financial growth strategy. Once the revenue and profitability of the business have sustainably reached their target, they in turn escalate growth through further corporate acquisition.

Vincent & Gloria Gorguze; Lynne Gorguze; Brad Philip.

Sinclair & Rush was the first platform acquisition and development for Cameron Holdings in 1978 – its living history tells its own tale.

Readers of this blog can see how this successful growth escalator strategy has developed Sinclair & Rush to become the largest and most innovative provider of vinyl moulded products in the world. We wrote about the Flex Product acquisition in May this year, which boosted the VisiPak range and capacity. And in October last year we covered the massive benefits to the GripWorks product range afforded by the acquisition of Hunt-Wilde.

As you see, the foundations of our global capabilities and expertise run deep and we are truly proud to be part of the family and to continue the ethos – buy and build.

Thinking Plastic - a global family:

 Think Plastic ~ we do 

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

www.thinkplastic.co

Let’s face it – it’s just plastic.

There is nothing ‘just’ about plastic at Sinclair & Rush.  

To ‘Think Plastic’ as we do is to go around with your eyes open for opportunities, plastic opportunities. There are applications for plastic caps, plugs and sleeves all around us. MD Peter Boulton is always on the look out for new and innovative uses and benefits for Sinclair & Rush products and skills as his regular Facebook posts illustrate.
 

Take a look, like us on Facebook and you’ll see what we mean: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sinclair-Rush/192148454273617

 

To follow Peter as he tours the country taking photos on his trusty iPhone of everything from engine parts to gate posts is quite an eye opener. You might be forgiven for thinking – ‘hey Mr Boulton it’s time for a long overdue vacation’ – but he would argue, it’s not so much vacation as vocation. When you ‘Think Plastic’ you literally … think plastic
 

It is important to fully understand the customers’ needs in order to suggest the most appropriate and cost effective solutions. If we can’t visit the site, then photographs and technical drawings of the component and the areas that need protecting do help our own engineers to plan, structure and cost our proposals.
 

What are we protecting the crucial parts from? What are we keeping out and what are we keeping in? What temperatures and materials are the parts going to be exposed to during the rigorous finishing stages of their life?
 

 

Sinclair & Rush have many ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions in the form of caps and plugs such as the plastic plugs on the engine mounting (above) protecting the threads from abrasive dirt ingress. However, with some lateral thought from our custom moulding engineering department, instead of applying five plugs before steam cleaning the unit, the fast application and removal of a multiple plug speeds the process up enormously (below).

 

This plastic diaphragm has been designed to protect the engine module as it is shipped from a manufacturer in the UK to an OME in China where it will become part of a mobile power unit. We really can’t stress enough how important it is for our customers to fully involve our sales engineers at the planning and design stage...

 

… A combined cap / plug diaphragm like this is clearly not an off-the-shelf product, but the result of combined, creative, engineering skill to create a solution that has become integral in an extended and global manufacturing process.

 

Think plastic plastic plastic plastic … err, no Peter, I think you’ll find on this occasion, that’s Gold! 

 

 Think Plastic ~ we do

 

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

www.thinkplastic.co

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking Plastic – it’s about evolution not revolution.

Delivering excellence in plastics solutions for masking, protection, packaging and grips was never an industrial revolution … with Sinclair & Rush it’s been a service evolution.

For over 60 years, the Sinclair & Rush Family has grown and prospered from its roots in Jefferson County, Missouri and spread its skills out across the world via UK and Europe. Manufacturing industries through the Americas, Asia, Australasia and Europe think S&R when they Think Plastic.

 

As the products have developed, so the company has developed too. With investment in R&D, plastisol technologies; tooling skills; materials sourcing; regional offices; distribution resourcing; service and people, Sinclair & Rush’s evolutionary expansion would have delighted even Darwin.

Anthropological studies reveal extraordinary things about evolutionary developments, which over millions of years make even the tiniest adjustments to birdlife, fish and mammals to help refine their abilities to cope, to thrive, to protect themselves from predators and enhance their natural instincts for survival in competitive environments.

We have the same instincts for survival, growth and positioning within our global market and have re-positioned S&R’s global brand accordingly:

With the new logo comes a new look – well, a fresher look as, here at Sinclair & Rush UK & Europe we are erecting new signage and have decorated the offices of the Sales and Sales Support departments. Exit drab. Enter a fresh clean, organised, ergonomic working environment to support fresh, clean, organised and economic work.

Our camera-shy chaps and photogenic ladies are delighted with the results and (for the moment) it’s smiles all round for this hard-working team.

And after all, smiles are important in a sales and service environment.

When you phone with a masking query and need advice about protecting crucial components as they pass through an invasive finishing process – it really does make a difference to hear clear expertise as the solutions are explained, topped with our friendly professionalism as you are guided through the options available from Sinclair & Rush.

But service doesn’t stop with the solution and sale. The dip moulded caps, plugs, sleeves; and clear plastic display boxes, clamshells and tubing; or customised, branded tool grips – none of these actually make a difference to your business until they are in situe, on time and to the specifications you expected and anticipated when you first clicked on to thinkplastic.co.

So, with flags waving, global branding installed and magnolia liberally daubed – Sinclair & Rush UK / Europe, from our corner of a Kentish field are … as ever … ready to take your calls: 01622 693200...

...though not before making an effort to support Sharon and Daniela’s valiant (and exhausting) efforts to run for their lives (and others) raising money for Cancer Research UK in last month’s Race for Life.

Well done all.

Think Plastic ~ we do

 

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

www.thinkplastic.co

 

 

 

 

 

Planning, determination, resolve – Think Water II

A few short blogs ago we shared the plight of villages, families and children in the border areas between Uganda and Kenya – Africa. We were proud to sponsor Bruce Bell as he joined others to raise money for a great charity – Fields of Light – who’s aim is to bring water and education to otherwise forgotten people starved of both basic human rights.

Bruce did it – he’s back and raised over £3,000, crossing the second largest Caldera in the world, climbing over 4,000 meters of adventurous terrain, arduous climate and very hungry ants.

Let’s start with the reason … WHY:

In his own words, this is Bruce’s story and gratitude for those of you who supported his efforts, Fields of Life and their amazing cause:

“Freshly back from the Mount Elgon Challenge 2013, exhausted but elated.

  

I just wanted to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all my generous sponsors and tell my friends & family about the amazing African adventure I have just completed.

If you have time to read the next few paragraphs, I hope you will enjoy the up-date, undertaken with the Kent team (all 10 of us). Our aim was to raise much needed funds for 'Fields of Life', who are instrumental in delivering education and water projects to communities across Africa ... 'helping others to help themselves'.

I have to admit that this has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and yet one of the most physically challenging. 6 days of demanding climbing in one of the remotest yet beautiful parts of Africa! 10 Trekkers, 2 Mountain Guides, 4 Armed Rangers, 17 Porters and 2 fantastic Cooks! One Team, One Goal.

We had many challenges thrown at us daily including; incredibly steep climbs & descents as we meandered across the second largest Caldera in the world, trekking between 6-9 hours a day; demanding weather including hail, rain, mist, cloud cover &  freezing and hot conditions; and finally, the vicious biting, rather large, ants that got everywhere!!

Not for the faint hearted with acute mountain sickness (4,321M summit that makes you feel very sick!) as well as building camps every night in wet damp rain-forests & river bank locations, when you are exhausted!

But the determined spirit of the team (and many laughs that you would expect!) made sure that we achieved our aim to get to the top to fly our sponsors' flags and then down the other side, across the Caldera, via variable and lush terrain.

The scenery was both stunning and diverse. To think that very few people have ever climbed or trekked Mt. Elgon is so very special. I cannot recommend more highly this trek and the wonderful local people of Elgon that we were blessed to have around us.

FIELDS of LIFE WORK

In addition to the Mt. Elgon challenge, we were privileged to visit one of Fields of Life's Schools in Inganga and saw the impressive work of the Headmistress and her Colleagues in action. 

Fantastic work in educating the next generation of children, who will solve the complex issues of African development & sustainability alongside the daily struggle for survival.”  

Think Water ~ we have … refreshing, isn’t it.

You can help to make a difference here: http://bit.ly/113RwW5

Think Plastic ~ we do

 

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

http://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/

 

Show it, save it, shake it - flexible packaging – the future is clear.

Sinclair & Rush – Stateside – has been very busy expanding its already extensive range of clear plastic packing and display products.

How?

Through the corporate strength of acquisition. S&R USA now own Flex Product, which adds an open ended diversity to the existing VisiPak clear plastic box, tube and clamshell collection.

Sinclair & Rush UK and Europe now offer additional, cost effective solutions that are a real innovation in plastic packaging containers.

The diversity is enormous – shape, size, strength, flexibility, durability; and branding technology offering silk screen; hot stamping, offset and pad printing; with closures that flip, plug, hook, screw, shake; and shapes galore including round, square, rectangular, triangular, oval; all in practical sizes from 3/16^th to 5 inches diameter and up to 144 inches in length; and everything available in colours to make even the rainbows turn green with envy.

For over fifty years Flex Products has played a leading role in the plastic packaging industry, providing innovative contributions to product development to meet the demands to increasingly diverse applications. Now, through Sinclair & Rush you can access every packaging variable you might need from global experts, with the added benefit of calling just one, single, dedicated contact.

It is easier then ever to consider your packaging requirements, make one call and discuss the variable solutions with one of our team. They will help you to find the most appropriate product range, delivered at the most competitive price and in contracts tailored to your specific needs.

Customise your containers with simple punching, slicing, crimping and other fabrications to create the most unique and functional packaging for your unique and functional products. Just give us the problem and we’ll give you the solution.

Services include contract packaging. This means just one arrangement with you delivers the tailor made container complete with printing and labelling, your product(s) inserted, capped, packed up and delivered to your preferred end use destination(s). How simple is that

Clear plastic tube and boxed packaging offers exceptional clarity throughout. Not only does the visual clarity remain fresh even after a possibly volatile shelf life, but the S&R service has a customer-friendly clarity that starts with your enquiry; runs through the proposals and agreement stage; and continues with after sales service to ensure satisfaction from start to finish.

When you combine the additional versatility of the Flex Product range to our original and successful VisiPak products, you have to agree - if we don’t have it, it doesn’t exist! But that won’t stop us creating it to provide a tailor made packaging solution to match your specific needs.

All you have to do is ask.

Think Plastic ~ we do

 

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

http://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/

 

Think Water ~ just for a change

Instead of praising ourselves for the quality of our plastics manufacturing and service support in our blog this month, we want to use this space to share another story of need and excellence. This is the story of the plight of some wonderfully ordinary people in Africa and the efforts that Bruce Bell and Fields of Life are making to help them.

In June 2013 Bruce is undertaking a personal challenge to raise over £3,000 of funds that could potentially save or change the lives of hundreds of African Children. He plans to make the arduous trek up Mount Elgon, the highest volcanic mountain in Africa (4321M / 14,176ft), to raise money for Fields of Life who "help others to help themselves"  by drilling wells & building schools.

Mount Elgon (pictured below) is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within the country of Uganda. It is really quite a dramatic climb – but then as Bruce clearly knows – it’s really quite a dramatic cause.

We are pleased to have sponsored Bruce who promises to plant a Sinclair & Rush flag at Wagagai – but this is his story today, not ours. All we would like to do is invite you to sponsor him to back his efforts on Mount Elgon and support the worthy cause and ongoing efforts of Fields of Life.

You can help Bruce bring water to the villages of Africa here: http://bit.ly/113RwW5

Fields of Life – before and after with Bruce inset top left.

Fields of Life is committed to building sustainable communities in East Africa through teaching the Christian faith and the provision of quality education, water, health promotion and income-generating projects. It has built 98 schools, over 100 wells and 41,000 children are receiving an education.

 “For years I have travelled to Uganda and driving through the rural villages I was appalled watching mostly young children and women fetching water.”  Trevor Stevenson, Chairman and Founder.

“It is bad enough that they have to carry water for miles on their heads, but it is what is inside those jerry cans that we, at Fields of Life, cannot accept any longer. The water is infected with a myriad of diseases and women and children are exhausted from carrying heavy loads. The next day they are sick from drinking the dirty contaminated water but if the family is to survive they have to fetch and drink the same dirty water again the next day.”

Clean accessible drinking water is a basic human right, essential to life; yet over one sixth of the world does not have access to safe drinking water. In fact, in some of the communities where Fields of Life works, there are no clean water facilities at all.

Water = Life

You can help to make a difference here: http://bit.ly/113RwW5

Think Water ~ we have … refreshing, isn’t it.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

http://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/

STOP PRESS – plastics, print and people

Although our clients ‘Think Plastic’ right across the UK, Europe and further afield to America and South Africa, Sinclair & Rush (UK & Europe) is an established manufacturing business based in the heart of The Garden of England - Kent. The River Medway runs through Maidstone and historically formed an important transport link with Rochester and beyond, via the Thames Estuary to a world of trade.

Trade has always been at the heart of this rich, fertile county – first to cross and last to leave for most land and sea visitors, whether for business or for pleasure.

Perhaps it’s because commerce flows in Kentish blood that organisations such as The Chambers of Commerce; Institute of Directors; The 5:50 Club and other business forums thrive in the county.

Sinclair & Rush, whilst managing a global presence, does not forget its local roots and participates energetically in local and national business groups, exchanging management ideas and introducing opportunities for profitable growth.

Kent is also home to the KM Group – Kent and Medway’s largest commercial media company. Their ‘paid for’ newspapers comprise 10 titles and sell over 100,000 copies a week, reaching 1 in 5 adults in Kent. The flagship Kent Messenger first published as The Maidstone Telegraph in 1859. As well as a number of special business feature editions, a further 250,000 papers print under the ‘Extra’ masthead and are distributed free across the county.

For those who prefer to listen to the sounds of Kent – not larks rising, hay wains creaking and hops a popping on the wire, but music, news, sport, views and competitions – 148,000 good Kentish folk listen to the sound of KMFM, the KM Group’s own radio station.

Being aware of the environment in which we live and work is important for any business, whether you are serving the local community or are simply part of it. Understanding its heritage is important too. After all, this is where we draw the essential skills of our staff from. It is where the service engineers come from who keep our phones, computers and production machinery going – even our coffee machine and water fountains … its all an essential part of the business infrastructure.

So, “if you are serious about being a business in Kent, it pays to be involved” said Peter Boulton, MD, Sinclair & Rush. And if that means stepping up to the mic with the Chairman of the KM Group on an invitation only visit to KMFM then that’s what you do … isn’t it Peter?

Geraldine Allinson (Chairman, KM Group) & Peter Boulton (MD Sinclair & Rush)

at KMFM in February 2013.

Sinclair & Rush is located on the appropriately named Twenty Twenty Industrial Estate just one mile off junction 5 of the M20. With perfect vision, the Estate’s road infrastructure is designed to accommodate even the largest articulated transport vehicles.

From S&R’s access-friendly loading bays, plastic caps, sleeves, plugs and grips are efficiently shipped out to ports, rail heads and clients across the UK and beyond. The products are designed to protect industrial components from contamination in their manufacture and finishing processes as well as from damage in transit.

Today, Kent – tomorrow, the world.

Think Plastic ~ we do … even here, in The Garden of England.

Think Plastic ~ we do.

Put us to the test.

We work with manufacturing companies in the UK & Europe, who have problems protecting or finishing their products. We manufacture and supply solutions for this through a wide variety of plastic mouldings, caps, plugs and sleeves, which means they... or indeed you.... reduce the risk of damage or contamination, so your customers receive a top quality product every time.

http://www.sinclair-rush.co.uk/