For Justin Short, who has been with Alltrista Plastics LLC for 24 years and now serves as Operations Manager, continuous improvement and a focus on efficiency across all areas are essential to driving the company’s growth and development. That’s why, for over 20 years, his trusted partner for compressed air production has been Mattei Group.
“Our company started as a small, independently run business, then we were acquiredby a U.S. group and shifted toward medical molding with clean rooms. At the time, we were using an outdated compression system,” explains Short. “About two decades ago, we discovered Mattei Group thanks to Lee Lodge, now Area Managerat Mattei Compressors and formerly a service technician. Expertise,professionalism, and speed in solving any issue are some of the qualities that set Mattei apart—and they’ve maintained these standards over the years.”
Today, Alltrista is a leading name in rigid packaging and customized plastic solutions for the pharmaceutical, consumer health, and industrial sectors, with operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico. Its main U.S. facility is located in Greer, South Carolina, while its UK entity is registered in Christchurch, Dorset.
The company specializes in injection molding, blow molding, technical component design, and contract manufacturing, with a strong focus on the stringent safety standards required by pharmaceutical and medical industries. Among its most recognized products are medicine bottles and certified child-resistant caps—critical elements for consumer safety. In this context, it’s clear that every component must operate efficiently, including compressed air production.
“Currently,our company has six Mattei units, 3 fixed speed compressors and 3 variable speed compressors (a Blade 22, a Blade 22i, an Optima 22, two AC 22 and one RVD37i) , two for each of the three clean rooms,” Short continues. “The quality of the equipment and service is so high that we’ve never had a reason to look else where for a supplier. The speed with which we receive spare parts and support from Mattei truly makes a difference.”
From a technical perspective, Short explained that the compressors used in the clean rooms are all inverter-controlled—a choice that directly impacts energy costs.“Mattei has been instrumental in helping us identify the most suitable units to reduce electricity consumption, thanks to variable-speed machines,” he noted.
Rotary compressors, equipped with inverters and variable-speed technology, are designed to operate at the lowest possible energy cost. The general rule is to use a variable-speed compressor for applications where the unit runs between40% and 70% of its nominal capacity for extended periods.
This is therationale behind Alltrista’s latest purchase, as Lee Lodge explains: “Were commended an RVD 37i—a 37 kW variable-speed compressor with direct drive, touch screen controller, and cloud connectivity for remote monitoring. It’s robust, built to last, and designed to cut energy costs.”
Short added that variable-speed compressors are a corner stone of the company’s sustainability strategy: “They adjust their output and energy consumption to match actual compressed air demand, avoiding waste and helping us contain energy costs, which exceed one million pounds annually. Reducing these costs is an absolute priority.”