Founder Lloyd Johnson created Jet Plastics in 1948 as Jet Specialties. From his service in the U.S. Navy as one of the developing members of the Jet assisted take off program; Lloyd was presented with the opportunity to fulfil the demand for polyethylene tubing for the emerging Jet aircraft industry in the western United States. He purchased his first extruder and Jet Specialties was born.  As the company quickly outgrew the original facility in downtown Los Angles, Jet Specialties became Jet Plastics and the company was moved to our current headquarters facility on Eastern Avenue in Los Angeles, CA in 1951.

 

Jet Plastics entered into sheet extrusion business in the early 1960’s and was the first sheet extruder on the west coast. Jet had agreements with Dow Chemical to produce polystyrene sheet and with Eastman Chemical to produce Uvex butyrate sheet.  Jet continued to produce polystyrene sheet until selling the sheet business in 2003. Many prolific names and enterprises in the plastics industry can attribute a portion of their success to Lloyd Johnson and Jet Plastics.

In 1985, the dynamic plastics market persuaded Jet Plastics to purchase Plasticos Especializados of Baja California in Tijuana Mexico who’s purpose then was to fulfill large fabrication orders. The harmonious integration of Jet Plastics and Plasticos Especializados allowed Jet Plastics to develop a and offer a more complete service array to our valued customers at more competitive prices. Since the acquisition, most of Jet Plastics’ production, including specialized production, is conducted at the Plasticos Especializados’ 40,000 sq/ft factory on the Mexican border. This state of the art facility was built in 1998 and was specifically designed for the extrusions process.

Display Products was launched as a Point of Purchase component and stock extrusion distribution retail outlet. The contribution of Display Products has allowed Jet Plastics to have better flexibility and greater insight into the customer’s needs which has translated into deeper refinement of our product, process, and delivery. Display Products now offers a fully functional e-commerce website with thousands of items in stock and available for same day shipping.

As we continue to evolve with our customers and the plastics industry, we do so from a solid foundation built on our rich history and tradition of innovation and service.