Nolato

Nolato, with roots in Sweden, settles in Baldwin

Polymer maker finds a perfect fit in Wisconsin

When Swedish polymer manufacturer Nolato looked to expand in the North American market by establishing its first U.S. facility in 2010, company officials found themselves eyeing an acquisition in Baldwin, a small northwest Wisconsin town.

Baldwin’s Contour Plastics, founded in a shed in Hammond some 20 years earlier, had grown its reputation for excellence in the medical device market. That success led Contour Plastics to build a 43,000-square-foot expansion in 2008. The company’s achievement made it a prime target for Nolato in its drive to expand its markets.

Later in 2010, Nolato bought the firm, now known as Nolato Contour, for $22 million. It was a good fit for Nolato, which produces a wide variety of polymer products such as plastic, silicone, and TPE for pharmaceutical packaging; medical containers and supplies; and other components for industrial, medical, and laboratory settings.

Access to North American markets spurs success

Nolato, which today has more than 6,700 employees on three continents, found that Wisconsin was a launch pad for success. By 2019, the company completed a 27,000-square-foot expansion, adding two 5,000-square-foot cleanrooms plus space for materials handling and expansion. Another expansion added 50,000 square feet of warehousing and production support to meet the company’s growing needs, creating 75 new jobs.

In all, Nolato Contour’s capital investment in the expansion earned $475,000 in performance-based Business Development Tax Credits through WEDC.

WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes says Nolato’s success marked an example of firms “choosing to establish or expand operations in Wisconsin because of our positive business climate and dedicated workforce.”

Workforce education influences decision

Russell Steele, president and managing director

In addition to the favorable tax climate, Nolato chose Wisconsin for the employee pipeline that exists here. A high-tech firm such as Nolato demands a skilled workforce, and company officials were impressed both by the quality of Wisconsin’s education system and its willingness to work with businesses.

“As in many areas of the country, workers are scarce,” says Russell Steele, president and managing director of Nolato Contour. “But Wisconsin is actively building links between the education system and employers.”

Nolato is helping in that effort. Steele says the firm participates in the Career Cruising/Inspire program for middle school and high school students, which provides mentoring and career guidance. Steele also praises the quality of Wisconsin’s technical schools and universities.

“The willingness of the technical colleges to listen and provide focused training and internships is powerful,” he says. “Along with the superior quality of engineering graduates from UW-Stout, all of these factors have led us to the decision that Wisconsin is the right place to grow and expand.”