Nelipak buys medical thermoformer Computer Designs

Nelipak Corp. has added Whitehall, Pa.-based medical thermoformer Computer Designs Inc. and its four sites to the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging operations.

The acquisition was announced April 3 without disclosure of terms.

Plastics News' ranking of thermoformers in North America estimated Computer Designs' sales at $23 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2015, with employment of 123 and operation of nine thermoforming lines. In addition to the Whitehall site, Century Designs production occurs in Liberty, N.C., Tucson, Ariz., and Humacao, Puerto Rico.

In a statement, Mike Kelly, Nelipak president and CEO, praised Computer Designs' founder and CEO Scott McKeever, who "has spent 30 years building a great company with outstanding people and tremendous capabilities."

Computer Designs will operate under the Nelipak Healthcare Packaging brand and expand the company's commitment to the North American market.

Computer Designs operates high-speed in-line thermoforming machines, utilizes proprietary quick-change master tooling systems and has multiple in-house high-speed computer-numerical-control machining centers.

End markets include surgical/medical for packaging precision instruments, electronics using anti-static dissipative and conductive material formulations and various consumer products.

The British Standards Institution certified Computer Designs under the ISO 9001:2008 quality management standard.

Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, a trade name of Cranston, R.I.-based Nelipak Corp., employed more than 600 worldwide prior to the acquisition. Other Nelipak production sites include Phoenix; Venray, the Netherlands; Galway, Ireland; Juncos, Puerto Rico; and San Jose, Costa Rica.

The private equity Mason Wells Buyout Fund III LP of Milwaukee acquired Nelipak for $125 million in 2013 and has funded acquisitions.