Strategic Partnerships Speed Time-to-Market Process

Westminster Tool Inc. (Plainfield, CT)—a precision injection mold manufacturer for plastics and composites in industries like aerospace/defense, medical device/pharmaceutical and consumer packaging products–has found forming strategic partnerships with key suppliers crucial to bringing its customers’ products to market faster.

According to Westminster Tool Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mark Ypsilantis, these partnerships will allow the company to remove customization when possible. “We strive to be a provider of turn-key manufacturing solutions for our customers,” Ypsilantis emphasizes. “We are capable of maintaining such missions and consistently satisfying our customers through implementation of scientifically proven processes and standardized components. Our ultimate goal is to validate production solutions on time for OEMs and their contract manufacturers.”

Ypsilantis believes that the gap between design and production validation can be reduced and controlled when applying the practical manufacturing approach that the company shares with companies like OMNI Mold Systems® (Lisbon, CT), Target Precision® (Harmonsburg, PA), and Roehr Tool Corporation (Hudson, MA).

The company uses OMNI’s Versa-Slide® slide components, Target Precision’s customized mold bases, and Roehr Tool’s Dove Tail (DT) collapsible core technology to standardize some of its processes which reduces leadtimes, ensures completed parts are ready for production as quickly and efficiently as possible, and uses the latest in technology for their molds.

Maximizing B2B relationships has been at the core of Westminster Tool’s business philosophy for years, Ypsilantis continues. “We view these partnerships as an extension of our business,” he explains. “It is how we separate ourselves from the competition. Our partnership with OMNI allows us to address speed-to-market issues and incorporate some standardized components into our mold design to deliver a project on time. Through our work with Target Precision, early on in the order placement process we are able to commit to aggressive delivery dates for customized mold base projects—as their shop is essentially an extension of our own when we are collaborating on jobs. In the case of Roehr, we see their unique products as game changers in the industry. Roehr’s DT technology offers fast cycle times and simplified mold design with a mechanically actuated, collapsible core.”

This partnering philosophy deviates from the typical moldmaking model of keeping all operations in-house, Ypsilantis maintains. “A lot of companies are reluctant to consider partnering with a company and not keeping capabilities in-house,” he states. “We have chosen to partner with companies that are experts in their core competencies—which leaves us to the designing and manufacturing of the often complex internal mold components. Though we have the same manufacturing capabilities as many of our chosen partners, these strategic relationships have allowed us to invest in R&D and pursue new technologies which ultimately provide comprehensive manufacturing solutions to our customers.”

Westminster Tool also has partnered with its competition. “We have had an influx of work and are very busy, which is great,” Ypsilantis states. “Recently we approached two of our core competitors and are looking at them as partners to help us deliver a few key projects. That was tough for us. In the past moldmakers wouldn’t talk to one another like this. They would be afraid of losing business—and that is always a risk—but we don’t look at it like that. We are now delivering projects and showing capacity as a company—you would wonder how we do it. It is all through partnering.”

“We are always looking for companies that can improve our offerings to our customers,” Ypsilantis concludes. “We won’t hesitate to invest in a technology we believe in.”


For More Information
Westminster Tool, Inc. (860) 564-6966
mark-y@westminstertool.com / westminstertool.com

OMNI Mold Systems LLC / (888) 666-4755
sales@omnimold.com / omnimold.com

Roehr Tool Corp. / (978) 562-4488
information@roehrtool.com / roehrtool.com

Target Precision / (814) 382-3000
info@targetprecision.com / targetprecision.com