Company relocation to add 200 new jobs

The relocation of a company headquarters and manufacturing plant to northern Douglas County is bringing more than 200 new jobs to the area.

Polystrand Inc., a leading manufacturer of thermoplastic composite used in goods from skis to prosthetic limbs to tractor-trailer components, celebrated the opening of its 120,000-square-foot facility northeast of E-470 and Peoria Drive, near American Furniture Warehouse. The company, a division of Gordon Holdings Inc., moved from its original home in Montrose to Douglas County to be closer to transportation corridors and Denver International Airport.

Roughly 30 employees are transferring from Montrose and more than 200 more jobs will be added over the next three years. The company is already advertising manufacturing technician positions.

Officials broke ground on the expansive building in July 2011 and toasted the grand opening Aug. 3 with local dignitaries and business leaders. Operations are scheduled to get under way Sept. 1.

Ed Pilpel, president of Polystrand, said the move greatly increases the company’s capacity to keep up with growing demand from shipping container producers and tractor-trailer manufacturers. It has created materials that reduce the weight of shipping containers, and is turning heads in various industries.

Techstrand, a subsidiary that creates composite fibers for ballistic armor, aerospace units and mainstream automotive uses, is looking to dive further into deep water pipes and its former forte, skis and snowboards.

“We want to get back there to where we started,” Pilpel said.

It took Polystrand roughly 22 years to get to where it is today, but it has become a recognized leader in manufacturing composite materials and looks forward to faster processing at its new plant, the largest of its kind in the world.

“It is the most technologically advanced state-of-the-art production facility for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites,” Pilpel said.

The company’s mantra with the new facility has been “welcome to the next generation of composites,” and its president said Polystrand will continue to be at the forefront of new technologies.

For more information on open positions, go to www.polystrand.com.