History of ATEK Plastics

ATEK’s Kerrville facility was established in 1980 and acquired in 1995, out of bankruptcy, by Acrometal (now ATEK Companies) under the name Acrotech Plastics. In 2001, Tom Houdeshell became President of Acrotech Plastics and began implementing methods such as lean principles, decoupled molding, documented process control and management matrixes. In 2006, Acrotech Plastics’ implemented DIII processes using RJG in-cavity monitoring equipment.  In late 2006, Acrotech Plastics’ name changed to ATEK Plastics.

Today, ATEK’s core competencies are focused around manufacturing for the medical device industry, primarily cardiovascular, spinal and emerging medical technologies.

Industry & Benchmarking

ATEK's team is highly focused on continuous improvement and it shows in their industry benchmarking results. 

In 2010 ATEK was ranked in the top 2% for performing plastics processors according to the North American Plastics Industry Study according to Partner and Plastics Industry Practice Leader at Plante & Moran, Jeff Mengel. The NAPI study benchmarks 200 top plastic processors annually on strategy, marketing, financial performance, human resources and operations.

ATEK Plastics was named a finalist for the 15^th Annual Processor of Year Award by Plastics News in 2010.  Being a finalist for such a highly regarded industry award among all plastics processors in North America shows ATEK has overall operational and management excellence. All nominees for the award are evaluated on the following criteria: financial performance, quality, customer relations, employee relations, environmental performance, industry/public service and technological innovations.

In April 2011, ATEK was ranked in the top 1% for performing plastics processors according to Harbour Results.  When Laurie Harbour-Felax and her team visited ATEK’s facility in April 2011, Laurie stated in her report that “Compared to your competition, ATEK runs a leaner, more organized manufacturing facility with outstanding focus on customer service and strategic growth.”

About ATEK Companies

ATEK Plastics is part of the privately held and family-owned ATEK Companies, based in Minneapolis. ATEK Companies distinguishes itself from the competition through its 60-year history, breadth of capabilities, long-term strategic partnerships, responsive culture, and regulatory expertise. ATEK Companies is comprised of four businesses, which include ATEK Plastics, ATEK Medical, ATEK Products, and ATEK Precision Castings. To learn more, visit www.atekcompanies.com.

President of ATEK Plastics

Thomas Houdeshell, a seasoned plastics manufacturer, brings over 25 years of leadership in the medical device industry. His involvement includes all aspects of the business from Quality Assurance Management, Engineering Management, Production Management, to Sales Management. Houdeshell is an expert at implementing lean manufacturing principles training, disciplines and workforce improvements.

In 2001, Houdeshell assumed his role as President of ATEK Plastics. As President, he focuses on developing and improving customer relationships by providing total solutions through production, quality, supply chain management, intense workforce training and engineering.

Experienced in invasive and non-invasive medical device manufacturing, Houdeshell has expertise in extrusion, injection molding, blow molding and assembly. He earned his MBA from Tiffin University and has received extensive training in the area of Six Sigma and Scientific Molding.