What would you say of a business that’s earned the trust of OEM companies like Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Volvo, Kenworth, John Deere, Kawasaki, Bobcat, and PACCAR?
Manufacturing success comes down to a combination of factors, from producing quality products on time and budget to having the best staff for the job and being where your clients are. Located on the outskirts of Oldcastle, Ontario, Mega Mold International Inc. is in what was favourably known as ‘Moldcastle’ for many years, due to the many shops of that type in the area.
“We’re just outside the busy part of Oldcastle, so ease of access is phenomenal,” says Mega Mold President David Thibert. “Our customers are mostly U.S.-based, and we’re close to the U.S.-Canada Border (with Ambassador Bridge serving as the busiest border crossing between the two countries and more than 40,000 commuters, tourists, and truck drivers carrying $323 million worth of goods crossing the Windsor-Detroit border each day), Windsor Airport if they fly in, and the 401 highway.”
For decades a respected presence in the area, Mega Mold is the source of plastic injection molding tools. Working with clients in automotive, industrial, and consumer markets, the company is known across North America for its expertise, capabilities, and best-in-class products.
With approximately 32,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 10,000 square feet of office area, this ISO 9001:2015 certified company is committed through and through to exceeding customer expectations, “and continually improving the effectiveness of its quality management system.”
One-stop convenience
As a full-service shop, Mega Mold International builds molds from the concept stage all the way to finished goods exclusively in-house, making projects easier to navigate for clients. Investing in CNC equipment and other machinery over the years, Mega Mold’s tools include products from IMSA, Toshiba, Promac, Millutensil, ONA, and other well-known manufacturers.
Now with a staff of around 50, the company’s team includes designers, engineers, financial officers, program managers, estimating and sales, office administrators, toolmakers, mold makers, gundrill operators, CNC operators, journeymen, and apprentices. Experienced in all areas of plastic mold design, Mega Mold’s many capabilities include insert molding, standard injection, prototype tooling, gas assist, and multi-shot rotary, to name a few. These technologies and others allow the company to create different parts for customers in both automotive and non-automotive sectors.
“Every mold we build is a custom-mold build,” says Thibert, and the company also handles prototyping. Specializing in interior and exterior trim, high-gloss body panels, step pads and end caps, fenders, hoods, and wheel liners, Mega Mold also creates front fenders and cosmetic parts for ATVs, tractor fenders, front bezels for watercraft, and more.
Mega Mold strives to service a breadth of customers across different sectors, and these ratios vary with market shifts. “Over the last few years, we are probably 60 percent to 70 percent automotive,” says Thibert. “In past years, like 2018, I would say we were 65 percent non-automotive. Currently, I would say we’re 50/50,” he shares.
No matter the sector, Mega Mold has the trained team and equipment needed to get the job done right. This includes years of experience with program management and engineering/mold flows, four cranes up to 66,000 pounds, and 24/6 repair services.
“Our specialty is in the 1,500- to 3,000-ton range, with mold weights being anywhere from 15,000 to 40,000, where the bulk of our work would be,” says Thibert. “From mold size, it would be valued in press tonnage, from 100 tons to 4,000 tons, which go in weight from 400 pounds to 80,000 pounds.”
To enhance its customers’ lives as much as possible, Mega Mold offers many mechanical and technological advantages. These include file transfer and all accepted file types, fiber internet with 1.5GB service, large high-speed 5-axis CNC capabilities, accurate coordinate measuring machine (CMM) checking, fully licensed Cimatron Engineering Design Stations, and more, resulting in short lead times and unmatched quality.
Corporate citizenship
In its mission statement, Mega Mold says its ambition is “to be a respected and dependable source for plastic injection molding tools, employer and corporate citizen to our customers, employees and the community in which we live.” The company continues living up to its goals for the betterment of clients, staff, charitable endeavours, and the natural environment.
Every year at Christmas, Mega Mold chooses a charity to support. These have included the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), and Good Fellows, which supports initiatives ranging from school breakfast programs to providing kids with shoes and boots. Last year, the company supported Windsor-based Transition to Betterness (T2B), a charity formed in 1997 that refurbishes hospital oncology rooms to make them feel less clinical and more like home.
“Transition to Betterness is a pretty big charity locally,” says Thibert. Mega Mold supported T2B’s unique Back the Pack initiative. This sees to it that each child entering the Oncology Program receives his or her own new backpack filled with educational toys and other items chosen specifically for them.
According to T2B, “The program is designed to not only give these children their own personal toys while in isolation, but to also use their backpack to go to and from the hospital as needed for treatment. The children’s backpacks are replenished one time per year.”
Recognizing the importance of environmental initiatives, Mega Mold recently outfitted the shop at its main plant with all-new LED lighting—a significant investment. The company recycles its turnings and is investigating other sustainability measures, including using eco-friendly coolants.
Investing in the future
To ensure the company’s success today and in the years to come, Mega Mold International is allied with the Canadian Tooling & Machining Association (CTMA), an association which represents, promotes, and supports the country’s tooling and precision metalworking sectors.
And to ensure staff will be well-trained, the company has built relationships with local high schools and colleges, including St. Clair College—where David Thibert sits on the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) as a volunteer—which helps the College with its program offerings, ensuring they’re current and relevant to both student and business/community needs.
“We’ve had a lot of input for the last five or six years as a committee into the instruction of students,” says Thibert. “I would suggest we’ve changed the program and benefited the industry with maybe 10 industry professionals.”
To be sure, Mega Mold is a respected fixture in the community and continues proudly serving customers in Canada and the U.S.—not only with its breadth of expertise, but with its commitment to its customers and to building community capacity.
