Our Company’s Mission

East Iowa Plastics is dedicated to providing high quality, individualized service for our customers.

We are committed to continuous improvement in everything we do to achieve our goal of providing the best overall value to each customer. By doing so, we will build mutually beneficial, long lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers, and employees.


Our Company’s History

East Iowa Plastics, Inc. was incorporated November 1, 1997, and is owned by Bret and Jean Kivell of Aurora, Iowa.

East Iowa Plastics has evolved over thirty years. Our company became the outstanding thermoforming facility it is today as a direct result of the experience, technology, and innovative product lines incorporated by the company's predecessors. Our history is a reflection of the recent advancements and growth in the thermoformed plastics industry.

1983
Our history lends much to both the strengths and products of East Iowa Plastics. Initially conceived in 1983 as Superior Plastics, a division of Triangle Plastics, Inc., our products consisted of Superior WeatherBestTM 9", 12", and 15" wide louvered shutters, window awnings and door canopies. Our products were primarily marketed in the Sears Catalog as the "better" shutter and our sales exceeded 1 million pair by late 1986. We received the Sears Source of Excellence award in 1986 and 1987. At this time all products were manufactured on a 3-Station Comet Rotary.

1987
This year saw the merger of our plant with a Phillips Petroleum plant located in Hopkinsville KY under a corporate office of Duraco Products, Inc., located in Streamwood, IL. It was during our "Duraco Products of Iowa, Inc." days that the 5th Wheel Lube Liner (an original Phillips product) was moved to this location for manufacturing and marketing. Additionally, the thermoformed Pakster Poultry feed trays and ventilation inlets which were out-sourced by Phillips, became a new product line for Iowa. With the addition of these product lines came the purchase of a Heartland Small Single Station thermoformer and a 10,000 square foot warehouse, connected to the back of our original 20,000 square foot manufacturing facility. This new machine offered us the ability to quote and produce many custom thermoformed items. Due to successful shutter sales, raised panel style shutters were added, as well as a wider selection of colors - the original Black, White and Brown were joined by Colonial Blue, Brick Red, and Hunter Green.

1990
Continued growth of production and new ownership brought the Independence plant and the Hopkinsville plant together as KenTech Plastics, Inc. in 1990. At this time there was a change in handling the Sears Catalog business from truckload quantities of palletized shutters sent to one of seven distribution points, to a direct-to-customer shipping method. Our additional investments included the purchase of EDI software with the ability to transmit purchase orders, advance shipping notices, invoices, and functional acknowledgments to Sears. The addition of EDI also invited several other catalog companies to feature our WeatherBest shutters, awnings, and canopies (Fingerhut and Montgomery Wards Direct). At this time we also installed a shipping manifest system which enabled the processing nearly 400 packages a day - drop shipped directly to the customers' location. The demise of the Sears Catalog dramatically affected our plant but we quickly recovered the loss of sales by growing our custom manufactured products and Pakster production and sales. A direct result of our quality service and products to Sears was the invitation to be featured in several of the new Sears Shop at Home Catalogs.

1995
As a result of our accomplished sales in building products at both the Independence and Hopkinsville locations an acquisition of KenTech was completed by ABT Building Products Company of Neenah, WI. in 1995. Along with their interior lines of molding and wallboard and exterior lines of hardboard siding, ABTco had accomplished the ideal of offering a full line of exterior shutters to their customers.

The growth of the custom products and the Pakster line of poultry products necessitated the addition of a 15,000 square foot warehouse and the purchase of two additional machines. A MAAC Large Single Station thermoformer now allowed us to manufacture parts as large as 10' X 8'. A Brown In-Line Extruder and Thermoformer was moved from the Hopkinsville plant and installed in Iowa. Manufacturing and marketing of the Pakster Egg Flat was transferred to our location. Additionally, we were custom manufacturing large parts for several larger companies.

1997
This continued growth of the custom thermoforming products, Pakster products and Lube Liner products, as well as a change in direction for ABTco, placed our company for sale in October, 1997. Initially, Mr. Bret Kivell, of Kivell Engineering Services, was contracted as a consultant to do a Financial Review of this plant for the purpose of determining a fair selling price. Upon completion of the review, the company was purchased by Bret and Jean Kivell and the company became East Iowa Plastics.

East Iowa Plastics Today

The success of East Iowa Plastics today is measured by its sustained expansion. We continue to grow our customer base for custom thermoforming and we are constantly researching new and better production techniques and materials. Equipment modernization and investments in new equipment and highly qualified staff allow us to efficiently deliver the products needed to serve our customers. "If you need it, we can make it!"

The past few years has also seen the expansion of our own product lines. New proprietary products include decorative top caps for our WeatherBest shutter line, innovative ventilation inlets for poultry houses, the best plastic egg flats in the industry, light hoods to help farmers become more efficient and a new style of feed tray. The housing and livestock industries we serve recognize East Iowa Plastics' as an innovative manufacturer who can turn ideas into reality. We can help turn your ideas into reality.

East Iowa Plastics is successful because we recognize the importance of cost effectively providing our customers with superior products and service. Today and tomorrow, we are here to help our customers also be successful.