Across the country, manufacturers are rethinking their dependence on global supply chains and taking a closer look at what domestic production has to offer. In Northeast Ohio, a region where manufacturing has always been woven into the local identity, PharoPLAST is making that case in a direct way. The company is helping businesses find the right balance of cost, speed, and reliability by bringing injection molding back to American soil.
A Legacy Built Over 50 Years
Northeast Ohio has long been home to serious manufacturing. PharoPLAST, formerly known as Innovations in Plastic, has been part of that tradition for more than half a century. Charles Hazle founded the company in 1972, building what started as a single-machine operation into a well-established injection molding resource for the region over the following five decades.
When Hazle was ready to retire, he looked for the right person to carry the business forward. He found that person in Christopher Miedza, a long-time tooling supplier and friend with 30 years of part design experience. For Miedza, the opportunity was personal. He had dreamed of owning his own shop since his college days working as an injection mold operator. In 2022, that dream became a reality. Miedza acquired the business and renamed it PharoPLAST.
Father and Son Driving the Business Forward
Christopher and Simon Miedza at PharoPLAST's Northeast Ohio facility.
PharoPLAST today is a family operation in the most direct sense. Christopher Miedza oversees operations while his son, Simon, leads business development. Together, they are building on the foundation Hazle established while extending the company's reach in ways it has never attempted before.
“I’m the company’s first salesperson in 54 years,” says Simon Miedza, who started on the production floor before moving into business development. “Mr. Hazle grew the company from lunches and general Cleveland connections, and we still service some of those same customers from 40 years ago.”
Simon started on the production floor before transitioning into his current role, giving him a working knowledge of the business from the ground up. That background informs how PharoPLAST approaches every client relationship.
Engineering First, Production Second
An Arburg Allrounder 470 E Golden Electric injection molding machine at PharoPLAST.
What separates PharoPLAST from many injection molding operations is where it starts. Rather than jumping directly to quoting and producing parts, the company leads with engineering and deep plastics knowledge. That approach is designed to support manufacturability, accelerate speed to market, and set up long-term production success.
The company serves clients across a wide range of scales, from Fortune 500 companies to startups that need as few as 50 parts. A dedicated small project division ensures that smaller orders receive the same level of attention as larger ones, even as the company grows.
"My dad has always said that we're a company not 100% focused on the bottom line,” said Simon Miedza. “Clearly, we have to make a profit, but not everything is solely a business decision. Most molders won't give you the time of day for small quantities because getting a project off the ground takes real work. The tooling, engineering, and setup are the same no matter the run size, and the margins on a small order often don't justify all that effort."
Reshoring and the Case for Local Manufacturing
As reshoring gains momentum across American industry, PharoPLAST's model reflects something manufacturers are increasingly recognizing: keeping production closer to home offers real advantages in cost, speed, and reliability. The company's presence in Northeast Ohio is a reminder that injection molding does not have to be a commodity driven purely by scale.
Manufacturing in this region has always had a personal dimension. For the Miedza family, that quality is not a marketing position. It is simply how they do business.
For more information about PharoPLAST or its injection molding capabilities, visit pharoplast.com.
