Orion Plastics has made its mark as a trusted leader in the manufacturing of custom extruded plastic sheet products, catering to industries as diverse as heavy gauge vacuum forming and flat sheet fabricating. With a strong foothold in the RV and aftermarket automotive sectors, the company produces specialty engineered ABS, TPO and HMWPE sheets that combine durability with innovative designs to reduce weight and improve fuel economy. Their expertise doesn’t stop there. In 2021, by investing in the production of a crucial component similar to melt-blown polypropylene non-woven fabric, Orion demonstrated its ability to leverage internal expertise and resources to address urgent market demands effectively. This initiative underscored the company’s dedication to supporting Canadians, ensuring the availability of essential PPE when it was needed the most.
Founded in 1999 by Douglas Wayne Minion and his son Shayne, this family-run business was born from a desire to build something special together. What started with the acquisition of RPC Manufacturing quickly flourished into a growing enterprise, spurring expansions and cutting-edge advancements in sheet extrusion. By 2010, Orion had commissioned Canada’s largest extrusion line, capable of producing sheets up to 120 inches wide—serving clients like John Deere and Case New Holland.
Since the last time Business in Edmonton talked to Orion Plastics in 2021, the company has grown significantly.
“I would have to say, 2021 to 2023 were the busiest years we have ever had,” says Stephen Moore, President and CEO. “We increased in our output capacity, shipped 20 million pounds per year of finished product and hit several important productivity milestones.”
This was due, in part, to foresight on capacity issues. Seeing how the company continued to grow and thrive each year, Moore and the leadership team invested into the operations, processes and equipment. With the right tools in place, capacity was no issue and clients continued to receive the outstanding products and services for which Orion Plastics is known.
Moore says, “I joke when people ask what we do; I say we make fancy plastic rectangles. It’s just in jest but the crux of it is, we make flat plastic sheets for the heavy gauge vacuum forming industry and those sheets get made into everything people use in their daily lives.”
Wherever you look, you’ll find these sheets in the items around you. They feature in the automotive and recreational vehicle industries, are a big part of marine and spa products, enhance sports and recreation equipment and much more.
“Our team takes pride in producing the highest quality products in the industry, tailored to our customers’ unique needs,” Moore adds. “We specialize in custom colours across the spectrum — reds, blues, yellows, pinks, greens, metallics and more—designed for a wide range of applications. From automotive-grade low gloss finishes to textured, laminated or high-gloss acrylic cap sheets, we deliver solutions that meet the most demanding specifications. And we’re not afraid to take on new challenges! Whether it’s developing unique approaches or acquiring new technology, we go the extra mile to optimize and create products that exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Through the rapid growth, there remains a firm focus on sustainability.
Moore says, “The plastic products that we manufacture are recycled internally. We have a complete cycle with our customers so whatever they don’t use or what they recover can be brought back and converted into other products for them. Orion is a member representative of APRA – Alberta Plastics Recycling Association, where reducing emissions and increasing competitiveness of Alberta’s industries is the ultimate focus.”
In addition to sustainability, innovation also drives this company forward.
“We just invested in a large digital transformation and new technologies so that all of our lines are fully integrated,” says Moore. “We are using machine learning (ML) to make predictions on maintenance maximum uptimes and optimizing the process to increase the efficiency, quality and stability of our products and processes. We have also embraced technology on our entire enterprise resource program; we’re running full Microsoft stack.”
He explains that Microsoft Dynamics provides one hub for everything from fully integrated finance and inventory management to maintenance, scheduling and barcoding inventory.
However, no matter how much tech is involved, Moore admits that the core of the success is the Orion Plastics team and the passion they have for the company and its clients.
“Our ultimate competitive advantage lies in our exceptional team, built over 25 years of assembling the brightest minds in the plastics industry. I’m proud to say our team is the best — our privately-owned, debt-free business structure gives us unmatched stability and allows us to operate at peak efficiency. We’re all deeply committed to sustainability, from strategic energy management through our solar array to achieving perfect circularity with our products. We also are very intent on how we make our customers’ lives better. Beyond delivering outstanding products, we simplify the supply chain process—ensuring reliable scheduling, timely deliveries and consistent quality. Our goal is to help clients avoid disruptions so they can focus on the bigger picture, like spending valuable time with their families. When you combine unmatched quality, operational excellence and a commitment to customer success, you get a value proposition that’s hard to beat.”
He continues, “Building the best team takes lot of work. We have a lot of great companies in Western Canada; people can choose where they feel they belong. We designed our corporate culture with intention to ensure we attract and retain top talent.”
The intention behind building the team, innovating the products, investing in ML, customer service and process improvement has proven a strong ROI many times over. Currently, Orion Plastics provides the largest sheet line in Canada with the ability to run sheets up to 10 feet wide. They are also renowned for the colour range – another process Orion has leaned heavily into over the past few years.
As yet another year of steady growth gets underway, Moore finds himself just as fascinated with the company and its products as he was when he joined the brand.
“I look out my window and I see a big truck, and I know we are part of that,” he grins. “There is a plastic part used to make the fender flares on one of the Dodge Rams… that was us! And those ended up all over the world!”
The Orion Plastics impact is global, but the large company never forgets its homegrown roots. Giving back to the local community is a big part of the corporate identity, as seen by its support of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, the Soccery Elite Academy and Northside United FC soccer club, and many more.
In 2021, Moore was thrilled to receive a Leaders award. It was also the same year Orion Plastics won a supplier of the year award in the plastics manufacturing category.
For these, Moore is humbled and grateful. He thanks his business partners Nuno Branco and Greg Makar, his Master TEC Chair Emiritus Rick Harvey, the executive group and Catherine Brownlee at Alberta Enterprise Group for mentorship, leadership and innovation.
“I am also grateful for the support of my parents, my wife Megan, daughter Jessica, son Jaxson and mother-in-law Anne for their support,” he adds.
What does the future hold for this agile company?
Moore is happy to say, “In the third quarter of 2025, we’re set to unlock new capacity with the addition of another 10-foot-wide rollstack, increasing our production capability by six to seven million pounds. This will propel us from 20 million pounds of finished product to an estimated 30 million pounds, driving us closer to our ambitious goal of reaching $100 million in revenue. Our current facility has space for further expansion, and we’re actively exploring the next generation of technology to support our growth. Onward and upward…”
35 Calder Place, St. Albert, Alberta T8N 5A6
(780) 431-2112
