Page 40 - Plastics News January 2026
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FEATURE NEWS
tered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company is we have been very aggressive with our pricing
IATF 16949 certified, reflecting its commitment and tooling to capitalize on the trend. However,
to quality and industry standards. With over 35 we are equally cautious of these opportunities
years of experience in the plastics industry, Ig- due to the typical known challenges related to
natowski is recognized for his ability to grow transfer tooling (such as if customers don’t elect
and transform companies. He also serves on the to purchase new).” When asked about the cur-
Board of Directors for the Manufacturers Asso- rent economic climate and the influences on the
ciation for Plastics Processors (MAPP). company, Ignatowski said, “Frankly, we are mov-
ing forward with the same growth strategy we
When asked about the outlook for 2026 and the have had in place; however, some of our CAPEX
main challenges Champion Plastics anticipates, decisions have been pushed out due to delayed
Ignatowski said, “Overall, our business is very launches by our customers, combined with cus-
strong, and we continue to see growth. Howev- tomers stretching out payments.”
er, with growth comes challenges, and we care-
fully are planning our next steps to further ex- The Advisory Perspective
pand capacity.” As part of its expansion strategy,
Champion Plastics is investing in new equipment Ted Morgan is a partner at Plante Moran, a pro-
(such as presses), automation (including robots, fessional services firm founded in 1924 that of-
box conveyor systems and lights-out manufac- fers comprehensive audit, tax, consulting and
turing) and a third production shift. Ignatowski wealth management services to clients in di-
said, “In fact, we tried to add a third shift earlier verse industries, including plastics and automo-
in the summer but were unable to find properly tive. Known for its “one-firm” approach, Plante
skilled talent and elected to purchase an addi- Moran combines industry expertise with a peo-
tional press to be our ‘virtual third shift.’” With ple-first culture to deliver lasting value.
that, Champion Plastics is not facing any market Morgan said, “Effectively managing the impact of
challenges; however, Ignatowski said, “the tariffs tariffs on business will need to become an ‘insti-
are creating some headaches, predominantly tutionalized process’ as tariffs appear to be here
related to its offshore tooling strategy. In sum- to stay at least for the short to medium term. The
mary, we anticipate capacity, skilled labor and four key tenets for accurately managing tariffs
tariffs to be our key challenges.” are 1) Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Code,
2) Customs Value, 3) Country of Origin (COO)
Looking ahead to 2026, Champion Plastics has
observed a significant uptick in reshoring activi- and 4) International Commercial Terms (Inco-
ty. However, like many plastics processors, it has terms). Having a solid grasp on these is critical
yet to see tangible results and is approaching to minimizing financial burden and risk to your
the market with cautious optimism. “Our biggest business.” Secondly, Morgan shared that labor
opportunities are the growth potential,” said continues to be one of the top operational chal-
Ignatowski, “including existing customers, new lenges – and is an area where plastics proces-
customers and new market expansion (mostly sors have the most control. While resin usually
non-automotive, and we are targeting non-inva- is the highest gross cost, processors have much
sive healthcare). Regarding reshoring activities, less control over it than over their labor costs.
40 PLASTICS NEWS January 2026
