An Eastport business that creates one-of-a-kind plastic products by hand launched a new era in its long history this month by embracing new technology.
Maritime Plastics, a custom-machining and plastic-fabrication center on Severn Avenue, formed a joint venture with an aquarium maker to buy a $50,000 computerized KOMO CNC Routing Table machine. According to the owners of both companies, the 8,500-pound machine delivered by truck and moved by crane will help them take on larger jobs and perfect their craft in the 21st century.

Maritime Plastics and Pimped Out Aquariums also are sharing the lease for an extra 2,000 square feet of space to house the massive machine. Several businesses, including Eastport Yacht Sales, also occupy the extra space and help pay rent.

Walking into Maritime Plastics is a bit like stepping back in time. The shop still has its century-old lathe and 1964 vertical-end mill. The vibe is laid back as Black Magic Woman plays in the background. Chauncey, a large black cat who serves as CEO and director of marketing, keeps a watchful eye over the workshop and its visitors.

Maritime Plastics Co-owner Keith Manuel said the new KOMO machine will allow his company to produce what it made by hand in a much safer and accurate way. For example, Maritime Plastics can now create port light trim rings in a fifth of the time, he said.

Jeff Haddock, owner of Pimped Out Aquariums, said he will build several tanks with the machine each month at the Severn Avenue business. He said the new KOMO equipment provides "1,000th-of-an-inch accuracy" to help build 400-gallon tanks. "The quality of fit and finish is impeccable," he said.

Founded in 1981 by Paul Leffler, Maritime Plastics is known as the go-to place for many people looking for everything from custom port lights, hatches and hulls to a new windshield for a Donzi speed boat.

Purchased by Mr. Manuel and Keith Fletcher in 2005, Maritime Plastics also has created parade floats for the Six Flags amusement park company, custom dashboards for planes and robot buoys. Mr. Manuel recently invented a spice rack shaped as an artist's palette.

Mr. Manuel said he saw the potential for growth of Maritime Plastics. When the shop owned by Vogel Marine opened up next door to Maritime Plastics, Mr. Manuel said he decided to take over that space to house the new KOMO machine.

"It was the perfect storm of opportunity," he said.

Mr. Manuel said he still expects 85 percent of the company's annual revenue to come from walk-ins who need help with custom projects. But once the machine is up and running, Maritime Plastics should increase revenue by 15 percent each year as it takes on larger jobs, Mr. Manuel said.

"We're open to see what comes," he said.

Peter Trogdon, president of Weems and Plath, an Annapolis supplier of marine-navigation products, said Maritime Plastics' new machine will help companies like his that "make stuff." The company already provides Weems and Plath with the bases and backings for corporate awards such as nautical clocks, lamps and other products that are presented in the way a "jewelry box holds a diamond ring," he said.

Mr. Trogdon said Maritime Plastics provides custom work, whether you want one of something or 1,000.

"It's a collaborative effort when we say we've got about this much money to spend and they say we'll work with that," he said.

Maritime Plastics is run by a diverse group: Mr. Manuel is an artist and musician, co-owner Keith Fletcher is a former aerospace engineer who designed optics for ground-based lasers during the federal Star Wars initiative. Employee Tony Manlapaz is an auto mechanic who still drag races.

Mr. Manlapaz, who learned to work the machines at Maritime Plastics in his youth, said the KOMO machine provides "unlimited imagination" for products. He already has plans to use it for "car parts of course."

"I'm building a Grassroots Motorsports Challenge car," he said.

Mr. Fletcher said he had "mixed feelings" about the new machine at first.

As it stands, Maritime Plastics doesn't mass produce much, save for calendar stands around the holidays and angel stands for the Caring Collection, which creates stained glass artwork to benefit cancer patients. But Mr. Fletcher said the machine carves out a "new market" for Maritime Plastics.

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/04_22-26/BUS