Connect and transact with thousands of top North American companies today

Just after World War II ended, plastic materials exploded into the consumer market and Ontario Plastics was born.

Richard L. Hayes and John Spitznagel started the company in 1945 on Dewey Avenue in Rochester, just south of the Greece town line.

The business is still going strong and still in the same location, now led by third-generation family members.

The first molding job for Ontario Plastics was making clothespins.

“Back then, this (field) was kind of brand-new,” said Gerard Reynolds, the company president.

Some of the more notable products Ontario Plastics made in the first decade include “Hot Dan Mustard Spoons” for the R.T. French Co., replica bank giveaways for the former Rochester Savings Bank, and Howdy Doody dolls.

Nowadays, the product lines lean heavily toward medical-imaging equipment and lab equipment and, still, work for Eastman Kodak Co., which once was a major customer. As the camera-and-film giant began a steady descent in the early 1990s, Ontario Plastics adapted.

“We made a conscious effort to diversify,” said Ralph Barnes, the firm’s vice president. “We didn’t want to have all our eggs in one basket.”

Reynolds and Barnes are related to Leo J. Hayes, who in turn was a nephew of co-founder Richard L. Hayes. Leo and his brother, Michael J. Hayes, became owners of Ontario Plastics in 1971. The brothers began an ownership transfer to the next generation — including Leo’s kids and sons-in-law and Michael’s children — in 1995 that was completed in 2007.

Ontario Plastics has 21 injection-molding presses that can handle various-size jobs as well as other equipment, like a 30-ton “vertical machine.”

Along with injection molding, the company’s services include consulting, design and engineering, assembly and packaging. Company officials tout the firm’s in-house aluminum molding expertise and around-the-clock operation.

Ontario Plastics added a software program in 2006 that “runs the company from when the order comes in until the product is shipped out,” Reynolds said.

Plastics, of course, are used in countless fields.

The agricultural market is another big customer, Reynolds and Barnes said. Ontario Plastics has also done work for the aerospace, automotive, consumer products and office products industries, to name a few.

From that founding nearly 70 years ago, the company has stayed in the same location by choice. Its plant, now 35,000 square feet, and warehouse are close to the once-bustling Kodak Park.

“We’ve been here since Day One,” said Barnes, who has worked for Ontario Plastics since 1982. “We’ve put on additions over the years, but we’ve expanded as much as we can.”

Barnes and Reynolds say the company’s experience, dedication and flexibility are what set Ontario Plastics apart. They like to use the term “bend over backwards” a lot, and have a photo on their website of a fellow doing just that.

Just as important, they say, are the quality employees.

“We have some people who’ve been with us a long time,” Reynolds said. “We have one woman who, in September, will have been here 50 years. We have some who’ve worked here 30 years, some 20 years…We kind of make this like an extended family.”

The company also embraces its longevity and colorful history. Still on hand is one of those old Hot Dan Mustard Spoons and part of the mold for another doll that Ontario Plastics once created. They haven’t been able to find a Howdy Doody doll, though, Reynolds said.

Contact: Gerard Reynolds  President Ontario Plastics 2503 Dewey Ave. Rochester

Ralph Barnes Vice President Ontario Plastics 2503 Dewey Ave. Rochester

View All White Papers & Case Studies

Select From Over 500,000 Industrial Suppliers

Find and evaluate OEMs, Custom Manufacturers, Service Companies and Distributors.

Stay up to date on industry news and trends, product announcements and the latest innovations.

Find materials, components, equipment, MRO supplies and more.

Download 2D & 3D CAD Models

10+ million models from leading OEMs, compatible with all major CAD software systems.

Copyright© 2023 Thomas Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved. See Terms and Conditions, Privacy Statement and California Do Not Track Notice. Website Last Modified February 28, 2023. Thomas Register® and Thomas Regional® are part of Thomasnet.com. Thomasnet Is A Registered Trademark Of Thomas Publishing Company.