Article Photos

A Webster City manufacturer has announced a new business arrangement with an Australian firm that may mean more a few more jobs for area workers.

Vantec, Inc., a plastic injection molder and value-added services provider, in Webster City, has been awarded business from Atlantis Water Management.

According to Sherri Hotzler of Vantec, Atlantis was looking for a quality, plastic injection molder to produce their components for North America. Atlantis Water Management has many solutions for rainwater harvesting, storm water harvesting, roof gardens, vertical gardens, horizontal and vertical drainage, she noted. Vantec will start producing some matrix panels to start with.

"We feel there is a good fit with the two, family-owned businesses and know how passionate the founder of Atlantis Water Management, Humberto Uriola, is about creating 'Green Cities Today'," said Hotlzler.

Vantec was one of only a handful of plastic injection molders visited after Atlantis' initial rounds of possible molders, and bid packages.

"We were thrilled to be chosen!" said Hotzler. "We expect to see many of their systems used in future projects throughout the US, especially where water conservation is extremely important, due to lack of precipitation."

An Atlantis system is built under the new Yankee Stadium, so that the irrigation of the field can be reclaimed and used again. With all the importance in going 'green,' and more incentives to do so, Hotzler said Atlantis has a wonderful product with great future growth potential.

Vantec is uncertain of how many jobs will be created at this time, but Hotzler said the company hopes to be able to bring some people back to work in the near future.

Gary Sandholm, director of Webster City Area Development, said the news of the new project for Vantec was "exciting."

"There was a tremendous selection process by Atlantis. They were extremely impressed with Vantec, and rightly so," Sandholm said.

"This a sign of what some of our comapnies in Webster City are doing. They are competing successfully on the national and international level."

Vantec received the initial information that there was an Australian company looking for a supplier partner, in the Midwest, from Sandholm, and from the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

"We replied to the IDED that we were interested in learning more and in throwing our hat in for the position. That was about a year ago, and now they have transferred four of their molds to Vantec to begin production," Hotzler said.

"Vantec has a number of other potential projects on the horizon, which we are very excited about. It just takes time to get to production from the initial contact phase in a project. We have felt very lucky to be included in a number of major project opportunities and are confident that we will be successful in acquiring more new business," Hotler said.

Vantec offers press sizes from 55 ton up to 1,760 ton. To learn more about Atlantis, or Vantec, these websites: www.atlantiscorp.com.au or www.vantecinc.com

Contact Anne Blankenship at editor@freemanjournal.net or call 832-4350.