About Us

Seaway Plastics Engineering & Wright Engineered Plastics

Seaway and Wright are two well-known custom plastic injection molding companies serving as low volume specialists in highly regulated industries. Having decades of experience, the two companies work together and use their shared expertise to manufacture solutions for those in medical, aerospace, defense, and industrial electronics. The two utilize their deep knowledge of the complexities in these industries to create quality parts from concept to completion. This includes valuable service such as collaborative engineering partnerships and post-molding services that many injection molders do not offer — especially to low volume orders.

Seaway and Wright’s mission is to create parts and assemblies the world can depend on. Whether it’s for a heart valve in Montana or a detection device overseas, Seaway and Wright strive for the highest quality in all their products and services.

Seaway Plastics’ HQ and satellite campus are located in the Tampa Bay area, and Wright Plastics is located in the San Francisco Bay area, now able to serve the entire USA as their premium plastic molding company.

Our Beginning in Detroit, Michigan

Our story starts with two teenage brothers working for different plastic molding companies in Detroit, Michigan. In 1973, the enterprising young brothers Len and Jerry Bahalo opened Seaway Plastics, and just a few years later, they hired Paul Yellinick, a specialist in injection molded parts and product design. He was quickly promoted to plant manager not long after hiring.

During this time, Seaway Plastics Engineering was recognized as a pioneer in the prototype injection molding and low-volume production market. After the Bahalo brothers sold the company to Yellenick, Yellinick then decided to take the company to Tampa Bay, Florida.

Seaway Plastics Moves to Florida

In 1986, Seaway Plastics Engineering chose Tampa Bay, Florida, as its new home. The small town of Port Richey (just north of Tampa) had a growing industrial sector and access to an experienced pool of talent in mold manufacturing, product design, and part design.

Yellinick only had a few injection molding machines and the knowledge he’d gained while working in Detroit. He had to gather the most dedicated people he could find to build the operation from the ground up. Staking the right talent, his team worked as one, and the company became successful quickly.

Smock and Bernard Buy the Company

By 1996, Seaway had grown from a few small warehouses to one large, consolidated space. Yellinick was ready to retire, but he wanted the business to go to someone he could trust to protect its legacy.

At the same time, Tim Smock and Paul Bernard, veterans in the plastic injection molding industry, were looking for an opportunity. They were excited about the progress Seaway Plastics Engineering had made over the last decade, and they saw a lot of potential for its future.

Smock was a former sales agent for Revere Plastics in Detroit, so he knew what Seaway could do based on the history of its founder. Bernard, an operations expert, delighted in the Tampa Bay manufacturing company’s capabilities and its likelihood for growth. They decided to buy Seaway Plastics Engineering and combine their skills to make the business even more successful.

Seaway Expands Production by Acquiring Excalibur

Over the next 16 years, Seaway Plastics grew into a full-scale industrial business. In 2012, Smock and Bernard decided to expand the The Bay Area company’s production capacity to meet an exponential increase in demand. Seaway needed more space, and Excalibur Manufacturing in Brooksville, Florida, caught their eye.

The former Excalibur plant became Seaway’s Brooksville facility, the second part of Seaway’s eastern presence. By acquiring Excalibur, Seaway added over 30,000 square feet of combined warehouse and manufacturing space to its operations. This increased the company’s tooling abilities, high-volume production potential, and post-production services. Seaway’s customers then gained access to more post molding services and complete product assembly capabilities.

Seaway Adds New Tools and Software

As operations continued to grow, Seaway Plastics Engineering added a 950-ton machine. This gave the plastic molding company the ability to craft large parts that normally needed to be handled at specialized factories often located overseas. This lowered costs for customers, while also allowing the company to meet the needs of customers from more industries including the automotive and marine industries.

In 2015, Smock and Bernard decided to sell and retire. They transferred ownership of the company to Tonka Bay Equity. At the same time, Seaway continued its lifelong commitment to innovation by adding an ISO 7 Clean Room to provide businesses in the medical industry with the cleanest parts available.

The following year, Seaway invested in the IQMS system to maintain customer records and streamline the customer journey. This software allowed the company to keep up with a growing customer base and an expansion of orders, while also improving its customer service.

Seaway Manufactures Lifesaving Medical Supplies

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the country came to a standstill. Seaway Plastics, thought, was deemed essential and stayed open to provide the medical industry with lifesaving supplies. Throughout this trying year, Seaway worked to support the local community and national businesses, while also maintaining safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Seaway Acquires Wright Engineered Plastics

That same year, Seaway decided to expand operations from the East Coast to the West Coast. To make that possible, the company acquired Wright Engineered Plastics, a plastic molding company in the San Francisco Bay area. Seaway then had a strong presence on the West Coast through Wright Engineered Plastics in addition to its locations on the East Coast in Florida.

Wright had been around since the late 1960s, and the acquisition added several expert functions to Seaway’s operations including two-shot molding, over-molding, and expanded automation capabilities. Additionally, Wright’s FDA registration increased the company’s ability to handle the needs of businesses in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

By adding Wright’s capabilities to their own offerings, Seaway also became able to offer a wider array of post-injection molding services such as ultrasonic welding, EMI shielding, pad printing, laser marking, full-service painting, product assembly, and more to Wright customers. Now together, Seaway Plastics Engineering and Wright Engineered Plastics are ready to meet the needs of businesses from every industry.

Seaway Commits to Premier Services

Seaway-Wright is committed to continued growth to meet the advancing needs of today’s businesses. Our expanded capabilities and facilities are ready to serve customers from the East Coast to the West Coast. We look forward to providing our clients with the premium services they have enjoyed with us through the years, while also always striving to do more. Here’s to innovation!

Get started on a plastic molding project today! To talk about your injection molding needs, contact us. We look forward to answering your questions and getting to work on your project.

Testimonials

Lab Equipment Manufacturer

“Thank you again for the quality parts and the prompt turnaround. It is a breath of fresh air to deal with a supplier who delivers what they say they will when they say they will.”

Seaway Plastics Customer

“Seaway Plastics Engineering plays a key role in providing us with materials, components, and/or services required to manufacture and distribute our products to support the medical equipment industry and other critical infrastructure products. The sustainability of our collective supply chain is one of the keys to beating this virus and sustaining our economic freedoms.”

Medical Device Manufacturer

“I have to say, you are so easy to work with, so fixing any problem or expediting product is always such a breeze. I know I can always count on you getting done what needs to be done.”

Industrial Electronics Manufacturer

“I reviewed the parts dropped off today. They look beautiful, and I wanted to thank you and your team for beating your normal turnaround time. I’m sure the customer will be very happy with the parts, especially because they’re early too!! Thanks again for all your support.”