LINDAR expands, creates first-of-its-kind product line

BAXTER - If you've opened a plastic food container housing cookies, doughnuts, strawberries or deli sandwiches, the manufacturer may be right in the lakes area's backyard.

LINDAR, tucked in a striking office building and manufacturing facility a few blocks off College Road in Baxter's Industrial Park, may still be unsung in its own backyard. But the innovative company is expanding, is looking to add employees and is forging new products.

Founded in 1993, LINDAR is a leader in the plastics products, packaging and industrial original equipment manufacturing industries serving customers worldwide.

Its clients cover a who's who of industry leaders.

LINDAR manufactures paint trays and liners and wallpaper water trays. It makes bakery, deli and produce packaging and has one of the largest line of cupcake containers from a single serving to a 24-pack.

Using thermoforming technology, the company manufactures plastic parts for medical, construction, agriculture and recreation industries. Products range from snowmobile windshields to garden tiller shrouds to medical equipment.

Breaking ground in the industry

This summer, LINDAR released a first of its kind in the food packaging industry in a selection of food containers that are tamper evident, called Simply Secure. The containers for such as a two-piece pie and cake, cupcake or muffin containers come with special perforated tabs that make it obvious if the container has been opened. The tamper-evident containers were three years in the making. LINDAR launched the packaging at an international show in Las Vegas in April.

"Our Simply Secure packaging reassures customers the food they're buying is safe to consume, while maintaining the visual appeal of the product inside the package," said Dave Fosse, LINDAR's director of marketing in a prepared statement.

In Baxter, LINDAR completed a 33,000-square-foot addition two months ago. The expansion predominantly houses the OEM side of the business, or original equipment manufacturing. Customers include Toro as LINDAR makes commercial lawn tractor hoods. It also manufactures high-end tractor cabs, medical cabinets, wash basins for sterilizing medical surgical instruments.

The company also invested in technology that will make it faster and able to increase capacity for higher volumes.

"We're really gearing up for some nice growth in OEM," said president and CEO Tom Haglin.

Food packaging business sees major growth

In the last year, LINDAR added more than 50 new packaging items. The company developed patents for its new tamper-evident packaging line.

"We've really seen some major growth in our food packaging side of the business," Haglin said.

And technology to increase cycles by tenths of a second adds up helping them make more parts per hour. Efforts to increase capacity have gone hand-in-hand with work to remove waste and find new ways to use what plastic material is leftover in parts manufacturing. Scrap is ground up and sold back to suppliers for raw material.

"We continue to look at technology to keep driving costs down," Haglin said.

Innovation and problem-solving are key aspects of LINDAR's identity. It's what brings industry giants like Walmart to their door. Walmart is able to tell its suppliers it wants LINDAR's packaging, which has helped drive growth.

That growth came as LINDAR looked at how its packaging worked on multiple levels from how it could be stacked for modular transport in semi-tractors, how it looked and displayed product on store shelves and how tamper-evident packaging would appeal to customers.

"This will be our best year ever from a sales standpoint," Haglin said.

The multi-million company is a bit unique in the industry by doing both packaging and OEM in house when others often provide one or the other. Another area company, Lakeland Mold Co. was purchased by Tom and Ellen Haglin, owners of LINDAR, about two years ago. Doing both has provided greater economic stability. The food packaging business is busy this time of year through the early part of the winter. Right now LINDAR's food product customers are gearing up for Thanksgiving. The OEM side of the business, with its agriculture customers, are busy from November through June.

Haglin said the company has a good mix of cross-trained employees to work with both.

So key for the company is continuous improvement, a management position was created for that task alone. But Haglin said the company culture is built around expectations that everyone is looking at ways to improve everyday.

LINDAR gains ISO certification

Last summer, LINDAR became International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified, which opened doors to new opportunities with bigger customers such as Donaldson Co. An ISO certification tells clients the service, system or product meets specific requirements. Bobcat came in the following week after LINDAR gained its ISO certification.

Even through the recession, LINDAR's didn't lose its customer base. In 2007, the company had its biggest year to date. The following year was soft but business was already picking up in 2009. Now it is expecting 20 percent growth compared to last year with a lot of new products in the mix.

Haglin said they have 12 job openings they haven't been able to fill, particularly for machine operators who handle two automated lines with computerized equipment and workers with electrical mechanical backgrounds. The work environment is clean and bright and layoffs aren't part of the company's history. The company recently completed office renovations.

They are looking for employees who will troubleshoot and problem-solve. The company is also looking to expand its sales staff. For the first time this summer, LINDAR added two college interns. Haglin said the experience worked so well he can see them doing it every summer.

Growth envisioned

Looking to the future, LINDAR purchased 3 acres of property adjacent to its Hastings Road site in Baxter.

Haglin said the company doing worldwide business right here remains largely hidden in its own community, but he said that's OK. Being a small company with giants for customers allows LINDAR to be focused on service and quality and be nimble to make changes quickly turning around client changes in hours instead of weeks.

"Speed to market is a big piece," Haglin said.

Haglin said LINDAR's culture is one of self-driven employees who are provided with opportunities to advance and who are empowered to bring forward their ideas and responsible to point out something that isn't working.

"We are very proud of our team," he said, noting the ability of people to work together and want to do more. They don't take themselves too seriously. One employee came back after being out on the road to find his office set up in the elevator.

As for the future, Haglin said they see an economy that is moving and strong with LINDAR continuing to grow and expand.

"I'm a big promoter of change and doing things differently beyond how we do it today. You won't hear 'we've always done it this way,' here.

"We're just excited for where we are going."

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2/2: Tom Haglin, owner of LINDAR with his wife Ellen visits the factory floor where containers are being created at the Baxter company. Founded in 1993, LINDAR is a leader in the plastics, packaging and industrial original equipment manufacturing industries serving customers worldwide. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls