Our History
The history of Manar is a story of continued growth–growth in services, in our customer base, and in regional scope. For more than 25 years, Manar, Inc. has been a quality plastic product manufacturer, serving customers in an expanding number of industries.
The company was founded in 1974 by four partners: Wendell Azbell, Gene Nolen, Dick Miller and Kenton Roush. All were experienced in the thermoplastics industry and were involved in daily operations as the company began to grow. Currently, Dick Miller is Chairman and CEO; Gene Nolen serves as President and COO.
The following is a brief timeline of Manar’s growth and expansion:
- 1974 – CEW was founded by Wendell Azbell, Gene Nolen, Dick Miller and Kenton Roush.
- 1977 – Key Manufacturing, located in Madison, IN, was established as a subsidiary.
- 1979 – GTR, located in Edinburgh, IN, was established–primarily involved with the manufacturing of plastic products.
- 1985 – Tennplasco was founded in Lafayette, TN.
- 1989 – ECA was established by Manar to support our growing contract manufacturing business.
- 1991 – Plasfinco, located in North Vernon, Indiana, was established as a dedicated finishing operation, providing wet coat painting, electrostatic shield coating and component decoration.
- 1991 – GTR and CEW merged to form Manar.
- 1993 – Tennplasco was merged into Manar.
In the plastic product manufacturing arena, Manar has a depth and breadth of experience few other companies can claim. We manufacture critical, high-precision components for a number of industries, including aerospace, electronics, automotive/diesel, medical, lawn and garden, plumbing and appliances. We believe our growth is a testimony to our commitment to provide quality thermoplastic products at competitive prices.
