December 2, 2004

Two Wisconsin Companies Partner in China and announce the opening of their Joint Venture between Non Metallic Components Inc. (NMC) and Han Ke Wu Jiao (Han Ke).

Reedsburg, WI, December 1st, 2004 - A new and unusual Joint Venture in China was officially opened in November, 2004. The new Joint Venture is between Non Metallic Components Inc. (NMC), a U.S. plastic molder with headquarters in Poynette, Wisconsin and Han Ke Wu Jiao a Chinese company owned by Hankscraft in Reedsburg, Wisconsin.

The joint venture’s 32,000 square foot plant, located in Suzhou, China, has four injection molding machines purchased earlier this year. By the end of 2005, the plant is scheduled to have a total of thirteen injection-molding machines. Currently, the plant is molding high tolerance products made from engineering grade materials.

NMC is an ISO9002 and QS9000 certified injection molder of high tolerance and high quality engineered plastic products with plants in Poynette, Cuba City and Rib Lake, Wisconsin. NMC produces both individual parts and sub-assemblies for a wide variety of customers throughout the US and Mexico.

Han Ke Wu Jiao (Han Ke) is a WOFE (Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise) operated by Hankscraft Inc., a US company headquartered in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Han Ke was formed to produce motors, electronics and sub assemblies in April, 2003. Hankscraft has been in business for over 50 years and has manufacturing plants in Reedsburg and Random Lake, Wisconsin.

Stuart Varner, President of NMC stated, “The reason NMC opened a plant in China was simple, there was a demand from existing customers to locate operations near plants that our customers already have there. It was obvious that our customers could not get the level of quality and dependable service that they desired in China. So, they requested NMC to set up operations over there.” NMC’s customers require tight tolerances on their highly engineered parts that are made in a variety of sizes.

“In looking for a partner, we thought the best benefit for our customers would be to partner with a Chinese company that was not an injection molder. We are the molding experts and want to instill our technical abilities in the operations of the plant. We found another Wisconsin company, Hankscraft Inc., that has a WOFE (Han Ke) in China. They were already successfully operating in China. Even though Han Ke manufactures small motors, electronics and various metal assemblies, we felt it was a fit that could benefit our customers in the long run,” Varner said.

“With our molding capabilities and Han Ke’s capabilities in electronics, motors and assembly we now have the ability to offer customers a complete package. We are now a one stop shop for products with components that are normally molded at one location and shipped to another for assembly,” added Mr. Varner.

“The core business in our plant in China is making sub fractional electric motors and electronics,” said Dan Braun, President of Hankscraft Inc. and Chairman of Han Ke Wu Jiao. “The plant also does contract assembly on a variety of parts and products. NMC was a natural fit because we have had numerous requests from our customers for injection molded products. NMC needed to be operating in China and they have the technical plastic molding experience we were looking for in a partner. Since we have the operational expertise that they were looking for over there, starting a joint venture worked out perfect for both companies,” Dan Braun stated.

“In all, this project has gone smoothly,” Dan Braun stated. “We speak the same language and we know each other’s strengths,” Stuart Varner added. “Two American companies working together in China actually makes sense. Customers from both of our companies benefit because they can work with us here in the U.S. communicating in English, and enjoy lower Chinese manufacturing costs and the possibility of tapping into the Chinese market,” Dan Braun said.

Han Ke’s General Manager is a U.S. born citizen from Wisconsin. He lives in China, is fluent in Chinese and oversees all operations in China. “Hankscraft’s and NMC’s customers are the winners. They get the benefits of dealing with a source in the US that communicates with them here as well as in China. When someone starts looking for new parts or needs to make design changes, we make sure everyone is on the same page and gets the same answer,” Dan Braun stated.

Home        Contact us         Site map