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Polywheels success story enters new chapter with introduction of Windstar By GorD KoLLEk _ hen Frank Milligan needs a problem solved, he puts it on plastic. Milligan is the coâ€"founder and owner of Polywheels â€" an Oakville automotive plastics firm which is currently manuâ€" facturing parts for the Ford Windstar. To be specific, Polywheels is proâ€" | ducing the heat shield assembly for the Windstar‘s fuel tank. _ The heat shield is a plastic buffer coated with bubbleâ€"pack insulation to protect the fuel tank from engine heat. Once the part is made, it is shipped to Detroit where it is assembled onto the fuel tank. The completed part is then returned to Oakville for installaâ€" tion on the Windstar. To do a better job, the company will be moving from its Wyecroft Road location to the former Mack truck plant on the North Service Road. In its new site, it can manufacâ€" ture more than 2,000 heatshields per | day. To say that Milligan and his firm â€" are happy with the Ford contract _ would be an understatement. "We‘re very pleased. It‘s important that Ford â€" as our customer â€" feels comfortable with us," says Milligan. Ford picked Polywheels to do the work because the firm has a reputaâ€" tion of getting the job done right and on time. _ Ford was convinced further after putting Polywheels through one of its audits; an exacting procedure which tells Ford whether a supplier and subâ€" sidiary can handle the job. Polywheels passed the audit. Not only did it land the Windstar contract, it received work on the Ford Ranger. _ Polywheels is also involved in _ three or four other Ford projects, which will take the firm well into 2000. When awarded thé con’rrac’r to manufdcture a fuel tank heatishield for the new Ford Windstar, we went out and j celebrated. But first, we went out and hired 25 more people:â€" Frank Milligan and son Sean with Polywheels heatshleld for the Ford Windstar. Milligan, 57, has been an automoâ€" tive engineer since 1958, when he went to work for GM. During his tenure, he gained plenty of experience in sheet metal and plastics. He left GM in 1970 to start up his own busiâ€" nesses in auto industry related fields. Polywheels was founded by Milligan and his son Sean. Initially, the firm made plastic castor wheels; hence, the name Polywheels, but that was only a sideline, says Milligan. The idea behind Polywheels was to break into the highly competitive automotive market by constructing plastic parts via injection and comâ€" pression molding. To accomplish this task, the firm has 14 presses onâ€"site. The presses range from 50 tons to 1,800 tons, so all kinds of jobs can be accomplished. There‘s even a sixâ€"station rotary injection compression press, a unit designed for high volume, low cost production of smaller items. Polywheels d y oxd (Photo by Riziero Vertolli) The selfâ€"levelling larger presses are equipped with inâ€"mold coating to produce excellent surface finishes. After the part leaves the press, robotic arms equipped with water knives cut and trim the piece to client specificaâ€" tions. Couple this upâ€"toâ€"date machinery with Polywheels‘ quality operating systems, statistical process control, and staff training. "Our staff is a major reason why this company has been successful," says Milligan. "I‘ve been really lucky to be able to gather a good workforce to help us do the job." Milligan says that employees‘ attiâ€" tude is very much like a large family. Because of their efficiency, the comâ€" pany has been able to hold the price line on its products, while successfulâ€" ly marketing its goods on a global basis. Currently, Polywheels has a large distribution network in the United States. We e p’zou.c{ to 5 a /za’af o/ m Manufacturing Ltd. An absolute passion for quality ent class of Miniâ€"van. Kennedy Ford New car sales Manager Rick Grainger says the 1995 Ford Windstar is a completely differâ€" Wednesday, March 23, 1994 â€" FORD â€" F3 (Photo by Peter McCusker) Kennedy Ford has long waiting list of customers asking to test drive Windstar ere used to be a pair of worn E shoes tacked above the service Bk.. department door at Kennedy Ford‘s old location in downtown Oakville. The shoes were unobtrusive; only customers with an intrepid eye would spot them. And few asked their purpose. But if they did, they‘d find out what every Kennedy Ford employee knew by rote at the old Lakeshore Road location â€" put yourself in the customer‘s shoes and ask yourself if you‘d like to endure long waits, expensive repairs, and unanâ€" swered questions about the state of your car‘s health. The shoes are gone now. There‘s no place for them at Kennedy‘s new locaâ€" tion at Dorval Drive and the QEW. But the philosophy which speaks quality and service hasn‘t changed. "The idea that the customer gets a decent product at a decent price has been branded in our mind," says sales managâ€" er Rick Grainger. "The customer is always number one." The sentiment is part of the exciteâ€" ment you‘ll find at Kennedy Ford these days. The longtime Oakville dealership is ready for the official launch of the See Dealership page 6 KENNEDY FORD PROUDLY INTRODUCES Now drive it! * Based on 24 month RED CARPET LEASE. 50,000 km free, .06¢ per thereafter. Frelght taxes, license extra. 2,000 down pmit., end value $14,500. Equipped with 351Â¥ pkg. O.A.C ENNED @ Copl’rol of Ford Country 280 SOUTH SERVICE ROAD W. Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award Winner You‘ve seen the pictures. The brand new Ford Windstar... \ Built right here in Oakville, Sold right here at Kennedy Ford! INTRO SPECIAL $45â€"1646 wwEchort RoAD ROXD SFEERS RORD