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August 2010
uick lead times and an experienced staff continue to help Keystone Plastics meet the various needs of its customer base. The company specializes in the extrusion of polypropylene filament for use in the brush and broom industries. “We are able to produce from .008 to .095 polypropylene fiber,” Keystone Plastics Vice President Michael Naftal said. Keystone produces a full range of polypropylene filaments that come in a variety of diameters, crimps and colors. It manufactures heavy filament for the street sweeping industry, while finer diameter filament is used for industrial and household brush applications. The company’s 66,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in South Plainfield, NJ. Keystone Plastics relies on an experienced staff to provide key knowledge about the company and the various markets it serves. For instance, Keystone Plastics Sales Manager Jack Moran has been with the company for nearly 25 years. “Jack is knowledgeable about our customers’ needs and demands, and has a technical background which he uses to assist the industry in finding the proper products to suit different needs,” Naftal said. “We don’t have a high employee turnover rate by any means. Many of our people have been here 20 or more years. Therefore, our customers are able to speak with the same people and form important relationships. “It’s important for us to limit our lead times to two to three weeks.” According to Naftal, representatives of Keystone Plastics are very willing to work with customers in order to improve efficiency and determine which products work best for each application. “By doing this, we can become a better supplier,” he said. Company officials also reinvest in Keystone Plastics with new equipment and product line updates. When it comes to challenges, Naftal added that purchasing raw materials remains a top concern due to pricing issues. Price increases, however, have subsided somewhat during the past couple of months. Founded in 1945, Keystone Plastics President Marvin Naftal has maintained the company as a family business with his
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
two sons also involved. Michael Naftal serves as vice president and has been with Keystone since 1990. Brian Naftal works in operations as well as sales and has been with the company since 1993. Contact: Keystone Plastics Inc., 3451 South Clinton Ave., South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Phone: 800-635-5238; Fax: 908-561-3404. Web Site: www.keystonesweeperbrushes.com.
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s demand for “green” products continues to increase, officials at fiber/filament supplier Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. de C.V., of Mexico, have been busy filling natural fiber orders from various brush manufacturers. The company supplies such natural materials as tampico fiber, rice root, palmyra as well as mixtures that include unión fiber (tampico with palmyra), polypropylene, PET, horsehair and hog bristle. Distribuidora Perfect’s Rodrigo Ripstein explained that many of these fibers/filaments are used in brushes that are designed for polishing, washing, waterproofing, painting and other chores. A key characteristic of several types of natural fibers is their resistance to high temperatures. Natural fibers/filaments also continue to meet today’s growing environmental demands. As Ripstein explains: “What is more eco-friendly than a brush containing a wood block and natural filament?” These types of products, he noted, will naturally decompose over a period of time once their productive lives are finished. In other words, they will not take up space in a landfill for an extended period of time. “Products that meet ecological demands continue to grow in popularity and provide a good opportunity for our company,” Ripstein said. One of Distribuidora Perfect’s more popular items continues to be tampico, which the company supplies in natural color or can dye to other colors. Ripstein added that tampico is a natural fiber that comes from Mexico. “Along with dyeing tampico, we can mix it with other materials such as palmyra, bassine, rice root, wire, nylon and polypropylene,” he said. It’s Ripstein’s opinion that there is no
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good substitute for tampico fiber, as it possesses several essential qualities. These qualities include a good memory, meaning the fiber will bounce back to its original shape after being bent. Other benefits include a long life, good absorption and abrasive qualities, and being able to withstand high temperatures. Ripstein added that Distribuidora Perfect has enjoyed a busy year thus far in 2010, and works to deliver shorter lead times along with quality customer service. He remains optimistic about the future. “I think the future is very good for all natural fibers since the world has placed a greater awareness on the environment,” Ripstein said. Distribuidora Perfect was founded in 1946 as a brush maker for the Mexican market. It remains a specialist in producing such products as paintbrushes, paint rollers, power brushes and scrub brushes. It began processing tampico fiber approximately 28 years ago and started selling it to other companies 9 years ago. Contact: Distribuidora Perfect, S.A. de C.V., Calle 4 # 32, Fracc. Ind. Naucalpan, Edo. De Mexico, Mexico, C.P. 53370. Phone: 011 52 55 53 87 04 23 AL 30; Fax: 011 52 55 53 58 89 29. E-Mail: rrk@brochasperfect.com.mx. Website: www.brochasperfect.com.mx.
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s the world economy shows signs of improvement in 2010, demand for all types of synthetic filaments produced by Hahl Inc., of Lexington, SC, has increased, according to Terry Hogan, Hahl’s sales manager for North America. Hahl manufactures synthetic bristle, nylon (6, 66, 612, 610), polyester, polypropylene, abrasive fiber Abrafil 612 and Hahlbrasif 6 for the brush industry. “Our products are used in the brush market for many applications. These brushes are predominantly found within the technical brush market as well as the professional cleaning market,” Hogan said. Hahl Inc. sells many products from a generic list of stock that meet the needs of most customers. For individual orders, the company sells as little as one box to several thousand pounds. “In addition to our generic stock items, Hahl Inc. manages many custom stock programs for individual customers. This