RTP Company Acquires Customized Plastic Film Manufacturer
RTP Company is pleased to welcome Wiman Corporation, a manufacturer of customized plastic film for the medical, industrial and consumer markets. Wiman, based in Sauk Rapids, MN, was acquired by RTP Company in September, 2006.
The acquisition will enhance RTP Company’s leadership position in the plastics industry by combining its existing Sheet Division with Wiman’s complete line of flexible plastic film products. Wiman also brings its extrusion and laminate capabilities to RTP Company.
“Wiman strengthens our business position in the sheet and film industry by letting us manufacture down to 4 mil film, and quite importantly, we will now be adding PVC to our product mix,” said Hugh Miller, President and CEO of RTP Company. “We feel these new capabilities, plus the synergies created by combining our technical resources, will be of great benefit to our customers.”
Wiman is a leader in the development of specialty films formulated to its customers’ needs using PVC, polyolefins and polyurethane. PVC is an important addition to RTP Company’s Sheet and Film Division because of its unique product characteristics such as flexibility, strength, chemical resistance, versatility, and price. PVC is widely used in the medical industry, a market in which Wiman has emerged as a leader.
Providing outstanding service is one of Wiman’s key strengths and is apparent in the entire Wiman team who feel a tremendous sense of loyalty to its customers. Wiman takes its tagline the flexible company to heart and proves it by working closely with its customers to develop unique products.
Quality, Flexibility and Innovation
Wiman carefully controls and monitors quality by combining and processing materials at its 105,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Wiman has its own in-house blending equipment to produce many grades of plastic film. This unique system gives them the ability to formulate and control the exact ingredients utilized in each plastic film product. Wiman also has advanced laminate technology which allows them to combine a variety of materials in a single, in-line process.
The History and People of Wiman
In 1962, Wiman was founded in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. It was named after brothers William and Manny Fingerhut who combined the first few letters in each of their first names (WI-lliam and MAN-ny).
The brothers began making and selling plastic seat covers for automobiles in 1948 and later started a mail-order business by purchasing car license lists from the State of Minnesota and mailing promotional literature. In the mid-1970s, Wiman expanded to new markets and began manufacturing specialty plastic films that were not readily available from the major plastic suppliers. Federated Department Stores bought Fingerhut in the late 1990’s. Bittner, Ploumidis, and Parsons, then bought Wiman in 2000.
A Leader in the Medical Grade Film Industry
High quality films are available in both flexible PVC and non-PVC formats that can be laminated, printed and RF sealed. Critikon Blood Pressure Cuffs from GE Healthcare. For more information go to www.gehealthcare.com.
Serving Niche Markets
Wiman provides specialty runs and products that are unique in construction, such as helmet liners. Riddell® Revolution® helmet, the first football helmet designed with the intent of reducing the risk of concussion. For more information go to www.riddell.com.
