Southern California fastener supplier Index Industries has acquired an Illinois plastics manufacturer, company officials announced.
WTS Solutions, located in Hinckley, Illinois, provides custom-formed thermoplastic materials for the industrial fabrication market. Index said that the addition of WTS — and its press forming and proprietary pattern development operations — would advance its efforts to add more vertically integrated manufacturing.
Index Thermoplastics, one of the company’s three brands, supplies the “custom sheath and holster industry.”
“This acquisition isn’t simply about adding equipment; it’s about bringing another critical manufacturing process under one roof,” Index Industries President and CEO Shane Bearly said in a statement. “We believe the future belongs to companies that control more of their supply chain, innovate faster, and continually add value beyond distribution.”
WTS founder Paul Warren, the company said, would support Index under a consulting role, including helping with technology transfer, process development, pattern creation and manufacturing initiatives.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“After spending years developing this process, it was important to find a company that would continue building on what we’ve created,” Warren said. “Index has been our primary partner for many years and understands both the technology and the market.”
