The success story of Phillips Plastics Corporation® began in 1964 in a northern Wisconsin creamery, when co-founders Robert Cervenka and Louie Vokurka had a vision for a molding company. This vision, along with a press dubbed “Lester” and a handful of people, helped create what has become one of the largest and most respected injection molders in the country. Today, Phillips boasts annual sales of over $240 million, employing 1,400 people in 14 locations, occupying over 718,000 square feet.
Timeline
1964
- Robert Cervenka and Louie Vokurka established Phillips Plastics Corporation in Phillips, Wisconsin
1965
- Annual sales reach $250,000
1967
- The original Custom facility opens in Phillips, Wisconsin producing control knobs for automobiles, dishwashers, fans, dehumidifiers, and dryers
1968
- In its first four years, employment jumps from 30 to 44 people
1969
- Annual sales increase to $500,000
1973
- Precision Decorating opens in Medford, Wisconsin, providing full-service design, manufacture, decoration, and assembly of high volume, injection molded components
- Annual sales exceed $5 million
1983
- Design Development Center opens in Hudson, Wisconsin, specializing in part design and development, design evaluation, prototype tooling and molding, and model making
1984
- Annual sales rise to $26 million
1985
- Multi-Shot opens in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, concentrating on multiple-shot injection, and plastic-to-plastic and plastic-to-metal insert molding
1987
- Corporate Center opens in Phillips, Wisconsin, to support the company’s banking, finance, and legal services
1988
- Technology Center opens in Prescott, Wisconsin, concentrating on examining new products and process opportunities, and evaluating, designing, and building automation systems and components
1989
- Annual sales reach $75 million
1990
- Short Run opens in New Richmond, Wisconsin, focusing on low-volume manufacturing
1992
- Annual sales increase to $100 million
1995
- Origen® Center opens in Menomonie, Wisconsin, to support training, new business incubation, and advanced manufacturing capabilities
1996
- Metal Injection Molding opens in Menomonie, Wisconsin, specializing in metal injection molding technology to produce complex metal components
- Another Design Development Center opens in Santa Clara, California providing design, prototyping, and program management services
1997
- Annual sales climb to $150 million
1998
- Medical Molding and Assembly opens in Menomonie, Wisconsin, focusing on high-volume medical device molding and assembly
- Magnesium Injection Molding opens in Menomonie, Wisconsin, concentrating on manufacturing parts that are higher quality than die-cast magnesium
2000
- Custom facility operations move into a new, state-of-the-art building in Phillips, Wisconsin, to provide services for medium to high volume injection molded components and assemblies
- Annual sales top $216 million
- Phillips employs 2000 people
2004
- Phillips Plastics Corporation celebrated 40 years of custom injection molding
- Captrate, a new company offering the marketplace a grease filtration product developed at Philips’ Technical Center, is created.
2005
- Magnesium Injection Molding moves to a new location in Eau Claire
- Micro Molding begins in Menomonie, creating part sizes no larger than .150” x .150” x .150” (3.81mm x 3.81mm x 3.81mm)
- Phillips employs over 1600 people
2006
- Received "Hall of Fame" status from John Deere, a 30 year-old customer, after five consecutive years of "Partner Level Status".
