Premix Group Opens AI-Powered U.S. Plant for Conductive Plastics
Premix Group, a Finnish family-owned company specializing in electrically conductive plastics, officially opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Apple Creek, North Carolina, in June 2025. Funded through a $79.9 million U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Health and Human Services (HHS) contract to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical diagnostics and other high-performance applications.
The plant, located in Gaston County near Charlotte, produces advanced polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) compounds for extrusion and injection molding. These materials enable high-precision liquid level detection for pipette tips, safer handling and storage, and protection against uncontrolled electrostatic discharges (ESD). Beyond diagnostics, the facility serves automotive, defense, electronics, and industrial packaging markets.
The company has positioned the site in North Carolina as part of a broader U.S. push to localize critical materials. "Establishing a manufacturing presence in the United States is about more than production—it's about building resilient supply chains and trusted partnerships," said Jaakko Aho, CEO of Premix Group.
Premix received a U.S. government contract to build the site after demonstrating supply chain reliability and product consistency. Hanna Ristola, Managing Director, stated, "Our work in building resilient supply chains and consistent product quality pays off as the U.S. government awarded Premix the contract to build a local manufacturing site."
Domestic Production and Tariff Advantages
Jyrki Taiminen, Head of Premix USA Operations, joined in April 2025, just as new import tariffs were announced. "In the big picture, the turbulence has been more of a plus than a minus for us," Taiminen says. Using U.S.-sourced raw materials gives Premix a competitive advantage by helping customers avoid import duties, making "Made in USA" a key selling point.
The plant's location supports logistics, with proximity to ports, Charlotte International Airport, and the research-focused biotech corridor of Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill.
Automation and Quality Control
The Apple Creek facility is designed for high-speed, high-precision compounding. Automated systems monitor melt temperature, carbon black dispersion, throughput, viscosity, and conductivity. Modern extruders and mixers incorporate real-time sensing to maintain consistency across large batches, supporting production for over 200 million PCR tests per month.
Automated material handling reduces manual labor, increases safety, and ensures reproducible compounding. Connected conveyors and PLCs synchronize feeding, conveying, and packaging, while sensors and online spectroscopic tools provide real-time quality feedback. An onsite lab supports production, co-creation, and toll compounding, complemented by Lean Six Sigma-inspired process management.
AI-Powered Formulation With PERTTI 3.0
Premix's proprietary PERTTI 3.0 ("Premix Recipe Tool for Technical Insights") leverages 40+ years of formulation data. The platform predicts material properties, ranks existing recipes, and simulates thousands of virtual formulations to optimize tensile modulus, impact strength, processing ease, cost, and conductivity.
"Machine learning itself isn't new,” says Ville Mylläri, Product Development Manager of Premix. "What's changed is the accessibility. With the rise of open-source tools, even specialized manufacturers like us can now build powerful AI models with relatively low cost and high flexibility."
PERTTI integrates with the plant's automated systems, converting AI-generated recipes into pilot-scale control setpoints and feeding test results back into the database for continuous improvement. This approach accelerates development, reduces waste, and improves first-pass accuracy.
Applications and Market Impact
- Diagnostic Plastics: Produces carbon-black enriched compounds for pipette tips, ensuring precise liquid-level detection and consistent moldability.
- Electronics and Packaging: Conductive concentrates prevent ESD risks while balancing conductivity, cost, and recyclability.
The plant's full annual capacity is around 20,000 tonnes of conductive PE and PP materials, with room for expansion. Premix plans to grow U.S. operations turnover by $32 million over three years, adding to a global turnover of $45 million in 2024. The U.S. team currently employs 14 people, and is expected to reach 30 to 35 by early 2026.
Machine learning itself isn’t new. What’s changed is the accessibility. With the rise of open-source tools, even specialized manufacturers like us can now build powerful AI models with relatively low cost and high flexibility.
- Ville Mylläri, Product Development Manage — Premix
Industry Impact
Domestic production ensures faster delivery, higher reliability, and resilience against global supply disruptions. Customers benefit from shorter lead times, lower costs associated with tariffs, and materials designed to meet rigorous performance standards. Beyond healthcare, demand for electrically conductive plastics is rising in automotive, mining, defense, and other industries driven by electrification trends.
Premix Group's North Carolina facility demonstrates how AI-driven R&D, advanced automation, and strategic U.S. production can meet the growing demand for conductive polymers. Supported by federal funding and Lean Six Sigma quality practices, the plant strengthens domestic supply, shortens lead times, and illustrates how AI and automation are reshaping polymer manufacturing.
