Our History

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Board of Directors:

David Kietzke - CEO, Corporate Shareholder
Mike Kietzke - Executive VP, Corporate Shareholder
Chris Kietzke - CMO, Corporate Shareholder
Mark Casey - President N.A, PP East Shareholder
John Maglione - CFO

Related Companies:

Professional Plastics, Inc. is a family-owned distributor and fabricator of engineering plastic shapes (Sheets, Rods, Tubing, Films, Parts). Established in California in 1984, the company operates 22 full-service distribution and fabrication facilities in the USA, Singapore & Taiwan. The company currently employs more than 500 people through it's various divisions, and generates more than $ 250 million in annual revenue.

History

Professional Plastics was founded in October 1984 by Larry, David & Mike Kietzke with two initial California locations; Anaheim & Santa Clara. The Anaheim location served as the companies' headquarters, and was managed by Larry Kietzke, and his eldest son David. The Santa Clara location was managed by younger-brother Mike, who was soon joined by & Delia Smith who has remained with the company for the next 40 years.

In the early years, it was all hands on deck for the Kietzke family. As a father of six, Larry had a home-grown workforce who were eager to help. Larry's wife Patricia ran the companies' computer system. Their 20 year old daughter Lori handled the bookkeeping, while 16 year-old son Chris handled shipping and receiving after school. Their son-in-law handled the fabrication, and a few years later, youngest son Rich joined the team. Their daughter Pamela also worked in the accounting department for a period of time.

Expansion

From 1984 to 1986, the company grew quickly enough to add a third location in Phoenix, Arizona. The company experienced steady growth over the next several years, and by 1992, Chris had completed college and joined Mike in San Jose. At this time, the company sharpened its' focus on high-performance materials such as: Vespel®, PEEK, and Kynar® used in the semiconductor industry. In 1993, youngest brother, Rich joined Mike & Chris in San Jose, eventually expanding the business through new product lines & market segments. In the ensuing years, rapid growth in the semiconductor industry helped fund further expansion of the company. From 1992 through 2001, the companies' revenue grew drastically and the company added locations in more than a dozen markets nationwide. Revenue climbed from $ 7 million in 1992 to more than $ 57 million in 2001. While Larry, David & Mike continued to manage the California locations, Chris moved to Texas establishing locations in Austin, Houston & Dallas before returning to California and joining the companies' ownership group in 2001. Between 1996 and 2003, the company also added key executives such as Scott Patten (COO - retired), Keith Sremaniak (CFO - retired), and Mark Casey (President N.A.). Mr. Patten was instrumental in the companies' expansion into the Northwest USA (Washington, Oregon, Montana), and Mr. Casey was instrumental in the companies' expansion to the Eastern USA (New York, Cleveland, Atlanta & Tampa). By 2002, Chris Kietzke had turned his focus to international markets eventually opening locations in Singapore (2007) & Taiwan (2013). In August 2019', Professional Plastics acquired Adapt Plastics and Hi-Tech Polymers of Rockford, Illinois allowing Professional Plastics to provide a one-day shipping lane to 95% of USA metro areas. In 2021, Mr. Casey was promoted to President of Professional Plastics' North American operations.

The Rise of E-Commerce

Professional Plastics recognized early that this emerging technology had the capability to revolutionize it's business. In March 1997, the company launched www.professionalplastics.com , and embarked on a long-term plan to become the online leader in it's market segment. The company invested heavily into developing the most comprehensive, e-commerce website in the plastic shapes industry. They also developed proprietary price calculation tools, and the website became an instrumental part of the Professional Plastics global expansion. Today, ProfessionalPlastics.com ranks as the # 1 website in the plastics distribution industry, and hosts more than 3 million visitors per year. Our secure website portal processes more than $ 125 million per year in business transactions with our customers, while providing real-time order confirmations and shipment tracking details.

Value-Added Services

In the early 2000's, the company began to diversify it's business beyond it's traditional semiconductor and aerospace markets. Under the direction of Dave Kietzke and Mark Casey, the company began investing in fabrication equipment, and making a number of strategic acquisitions. Those efforts led to the purchase of more than 50 cnc panel saws, routers, machining centers, slitting & sheeting equipment, centerless grinders, vacuum-forming equipment, injection-molding equipment, and cnc laser cutters used for the production of fabricated parts. In 2012, Professional Plastics acquired Planet Plastics (Chino, CA), a plastics fabrication company, and it's sister company Paragon Plastics (Santa Ana, CA) a retail plastics supplier. In 2016', Professional Plastics acquired the assets of Amron Manufacturing, a thermoplastic and foam molder specializing in aircraft interior seating components such as arm rests. In August 2019', Professional Plastics acquired Adapt Plastics & HiTech Polymers of Rockford, Illinois; fabricator of precision-machined plastic parts & molded urethane seals and rollers used in the food processing industry. In 2020', Professional Plastics acquired SciCron Technologies of Amarillo, Texas; a specialty coater of proprietary ESd, Anti-Fog, Anti-Glare, and Hard-Coated products used in cleanroom equipment and the semiconductor industry. Professional Plastics has also achieved ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and AS 9100 certification at multiple locations.

Professional Plastics Today

Professional Plastics and it's subsidiaries now employ more than 500 people in 22 locations worldwide. The company is a distribution partner for industry leaders such as; Mitsubishi MCAT (formerly Quadrant EPP), Plaskolite, Roehm-America, Rochling, Norplex-Micarta, Saint Gobain, Simona, Vycom, and Corning Macor. Professional Plastics is currently the fourth largest supplier of engineering plastic shapes in North America while remaining 100% family-owned, and operated. Upon Larry Kietzke's retirement in 2006, David Kietzke assumed the title of CEO, and Mike Kietzke assumed the title of Executive Vice President. Chris Kietzke is the Chief Marketing Office and Asia Business Director. David's sons; Brent (Special Projects Manager) and Jeremy (Corporate Operations Manager) have joined the company, as did Mike's son Daniel (Purchasing). Mark Casey is President of North American operations, and John Maglione is the Chief Financial Officer. The company has been fortunate enough to have many dedicated long-term employees, including more than a dozen with 30+ years with the company. None of this success would be possible without the dedication, effort and entrepreneurial spirit of our incredible staff. Their efforts have helped Professional Plastics become the fastest-growing Top Ten Plastics Distributor in North America.

In Memorium of Patricia Kietzke: Our Dear Mother passed away peacefully on Friday January 28th, 2022 (read more)

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