ENTEK Manufacturing, the leading U.S. based manufacturer of twin-screw extruders and replacement wear parts, is providing complete turnkey plant expansion services for ENTEK International, who is adding a 77,000 square foot addition to their existing 136,000 square foot battery separator production plant in Lebanon, OR. The new addition is being designed to house two new continuous-operation production lines. Each line will include an ENTEK 133mm twin-screw extruder with all related downstream equipment. The first new line is planned to be operational by January 2013.

“ENTEK Manufacturing is managing 100% of this project,” said Dr. Kirk Hanawalt, ENTEK President. “This includes manufacturing all of the machinery and equipment that will be used in the plant, as well as managing the overall design and construction.” While mostly known for their twin-screw extruders and replacement wear parts, ENTEK Manufacturing has been providing turnkey plant management services for several years. Established initially as a sister company to ENTEK International in the 1980’s to provide machinery and turnkey engineering support, the company began marketing its twin-screw extruders, wear parts and turnkey services to the plastics industry in the 1990’s. Job Creation The initial phase of the two-year project will bring up to 20 new jobs at ENTEK International, and has already brought at least 30 new jobs to ENTEK Manufacturing, with more on the way. The new processing lines will substantially increase capacity as ENTEK International continues to further penetrate the market for automotive battery separators, and pursue sales to more battery manufacturers. “This project, combined with our overall growth in the plastics industry, has led us to our best year in history,” said Hanawalt.