Company History

Performance Plastics was founded in 1982 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since inception, we have partnered with our customers to leverage the performance advantages of high temperature thermoplastics.

In 1997, the company was acquired by Tom Mendel who brought his passion for solving customers’ most difficult problems along with his two decades of technical and management experience. Since that time, Performance Plastics has expanded its engineering and thermoplastic manufacturing bench strength with key team additions.  Additionally, in 2015 Tom brought in MCM Capital, a microcap private equity firm, as a value added partner and source of additional capital to accelerate Performance Plastics’ growth.

In 2022 Performance Plastics was added to the Pexco family of companies.  Based in Atlanta with multiple plants across the United States and Mexico, Pexco is a North American leader in the design and fabrication of engineered plastic components. Pexco www.pexco.com  offers a full range of custom design, engineering, and fabrication services, across its manufacturing operations.

Our facility has recently been expanded and we have made significant investments in state-of-the-art tools in the form of the latest in electronic injection molding presses, robotic handling, automated vision inspection and quality equipment to facilitate our goal of being a world class manufacturer and designer of ultra and high performance thermoplastic components.

Performance Plastics has molded PEEK since the material was first introduced in the early 1980’s and we have extensive experience injection molding Torlon, various fluoropolymers (e.g. PFA, FEP, PVDF, ETFE, etc.) and other high performance thermoplastic compounds.  Further, our company is one of the few able to injection mold fluoropolymers using 8 cavity, high volume molds with hot runner systems to produce thin walled intricate parts.

We Facilitate the Design Engineers Desire to Create Better Products.

We help you understand and apply high performance plastics. There is no magic to what we do. It is the result of hard work based on the complimentary knowledge, skill set, passion and determination of our Engineers. It is the way we are wired. We thrive on the challenge of doing what no one else has done. We become your partner from design through production. It starts with an almost supernatural attention to details, asking, listening, analyzing data so we know everything we can about your application before we even consider recommending a solution. We can quickly evaluate ideas to see what does or doesn’t work. From 3D CAD models, we can machine samples from stock materials, create resin cut or layered prototypes or provide soft, bridge tooling to prove your ideas work before you make a significant capital investment.

Our People Make the Difference

Unmatched technical knowledge, tenacity, and solutions-centered mindset integrate individual expertise with decades of ‘in the trenches’ experience applying and molding high performance plastics materials. We know what we do is unique. Since the 1980s we have pioneered the requirements and processes that would allow the benefits of high performance, injection molded plastics into repeatable, sustainable and cost-effective hig volume applications to become fact rather than fiction. Our materials knowledge – especially with fluoropolymers – is world class and our suppliers incredibly supportive. Our expertise in sophisticated tooling design and materials insures the best mold solution for each application. And, when it’s ready to move into production, it’s the same detail focus that we apply to the upfront engineering. It’s all about consistency – the right temperatures, times, pressures, cycles and a variety of other details that have to come together to create the perfect part.

We Help You Design It and Make It

Having one partner for your most complex part requirements provides simplicity and accountability from design through production. Our combination of high performance material properties knowledge, proprietary manufacturing processes and unmatched engineering support are what differentiates us from the commodity plastics manufacturers. They do the easy stuff. For us, the tougher the part, the better we like it.