25 Years: Reflection

Vantage Plastics recently held a small celebration to recognize its twenty-fifth anniversary. In the continuum of life, we as human beings have set certain years as milestones to reflect on the passage of time. Twenty-five years is one of those demarcations and is often referred to as the “silver anniversary”. Vantage Plastics was officially established on September 30^th, 1996. After months of due diligence, negotiations, and backed with some financial support from several family members there were three founders of the company including Paul Aultman, his brother George Aultman, and Karl Bauman. Paul has served as the President, CEO, and Visionary since its inception. George currently serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Karl focused on matters related to engineering and currently pursues church and community service projects in retirement.

Starting with what is often lovingly referred to as the “original business plan” consisting of a few notes and diagrams on a restaurant placemat the business has evolved into a leader within the field of plastics processing. In the beginning Vantage Plastics employed 6 people had 3 thermoforming machines contained within a forty-eight thousand square foot facility. Today the company employs around 270 individuals, has 14 thermoforming machines, and three-hundred thousand square feet of space within its various facilities. In its quest to become self-reliant and vertically integrated it has formed several affiliate companies over the past twenty-five years. These include AirPark Plastics with 5 sheet extrusion lines to feed Vantage’s thermoforming machines, Edge Material Management to buy and recycle used plastics to help feed AirPark Plastics, and Lotis-Technologies to further expand plastics processing capabilities with the addition of injection molding. Another sister company called Contour Engineering and led by Kurt Willoughby has been a dedicated toolmaker working exclusively for Vantage Plastics over the entire 25 years. This has all been driven by the desire to provide the very best customer experience available within the industry.

Over the years Vantage Plastics has added many world-renowned companies and U.S. government units to its growing list of customers. It has earned a stellar reputation within the thermoforming industry for its success and innovation. Several independent awards have been received for its initiatives, performance, and community involvement.

From a few notes and diagrams on a restaurant napkin, Vantage Plastics has evolved into a plastics processing powerhouse that utilizes exceptional management practices including ISO 9001:2015 certification, and the “Traction” model of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). With a strong focus on training and leading the industry, Vantage Plastics has partnered with several universities and outside training resources since its inception.

As Vantage Plastics has matured it has stated its Values and Mission through which it screens decisions. Values include “Servant Hearts,” “Pursue Opportunities that will Drive us Forward,” “Humble Confidence”, and “All Actions with Integrity”. Its declared mission is “Forming Better Lives” “Forming Solutions” and “Forming Sustainable Futures”. Vantage Plastics is grateful to all who have been a part of this 25-year journey and looks forward to the next 25 years yet to come.

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