Aptly named Ring Container Technologies beefs up R&D staff to meet customers’ future needs before the customers even know what they will be.
Ring Container Technologies is not your average blow molder. For one thing, it’s bigger: Based in Oakland, Tenn., the firm operates 20 plants in 14 states, Canada and the U.K. It employs around 850 and plans to reach $600 million in sales this year. It’s also distinctive in its commitment to advancing technology in container blow molding.
“We consider ourselves a technology company,” says Paul Kelley, vice president of product development. “We are committed to research; we have a tremendous product development group. We keep abreast of innovations in the market. We seek to identify what our customers will need in the near future and what their customers will need—and we will be working on it well in advance.”
While other molders may aim to compete by taking advantage of the latest machine and materials technology on the market, Ring Container is focused on innovation. “We don’t want to be a me-too,” says Kelley. “Our foundation is being entrepreneurial.” Over the years, that entrepreneurial drive has produced half a dozen trademarked innovations that set benchmarks in lightweighting, hot filling, recyclability and proprietary barrier technology.
