By Kerri Jansen
STAFF REPORTER
Published: September 16, 2014 2:26 pm ET
Updated: September 16, 2014 2:50 pm ET
Image By: Mex-Can Plastics
Iker Forcen, left, the owner of Inplax SA de CV, with Michael and George Papp, owners of Papp Plastics, at the groundbreaking for the new joint venture Mex-Can Plastics.
A new automotive parts manufacturer will open in Querétaro, Mexico, through a joint venture between Canadian automotive supplier Papp Plastics and Distributing Ltd. and Querétaro’s Inplax SA de CV.
Mex-Can Plastics S.A.P.I. de CV will house 12 injection molding machines with clamping force of up to 4,000 tons, producing automotive components including Class A painted interior and exterior parts, according to a news release from Papp Plastics.
Papp Plastics, a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier, is owned by George and Michael Papp and based in Windsor, Ontario.
“As with most companies that are moving down to Mexico, it’s been driven by the [automakers],” said Peter McCormack, Papp Plastics’ business development manager. “We have customers that we support and supply here in Canada and the United States, and with them going down there, we want to be in close proximity so that we can support their development in that region.”
The company also operates a joint venture in Colombia and is planning for one in Brazil.
The 60,000-square-foot Querétaro facility, currently under construction, is set to open in December. Its capabilities will also include injection mold development and try-out services. Papp Plastics’ Windsor-based engineering and design team will provide support for the Mexican operation.
“It’s not a transference of work,” McCormack said. “We’ve maintained our company’s presence here [in Ontario]; we’re not moving things [to Mexico]. We’re just expanding and supporting that marketplace with a facility down there.”
Inplax, owned by Iker Forcen, currently operates 30 injection molding machines in Querétaro, topping out at 420 tons of clamping force, according to the release. | 
