Buying a plastics or chemical manufacturer in Orlando and Central Florida

• Supply agreements with repeat customers across several industries, so a slump in boatbuilding or construction doesn't idle the plant.
• Pricing that passes raw material changes through to customers, ideally written into the agreements.
• Well-maintained presses and equipment with spare capacity, and spare parts on hand for the machines that matter most.
• Clear, signed records of which molds and formulas belong to whom.
• A quality system and the certifications customers require, such as ISO 9001, or medical device standards for medical work.
• Process technicians and a maintenance lead with years at the company.
• A clean environmental and safety record, with permits and reports kept current.
• Products or formulas of its own, which earn more than contract work.

• An environmental site assessment of the property, especially where chemicals are stored or spills could have happened. Lenders often require one for manufacturing sites.
• Permits, inspection reports and any violation notices.
• How much of sales goes to the largest customers, and the terms of supply agreements, including how much notice a customer must give before moving work.
• A mold list, signed off by customers, showing who owns each mold and what condition it's in. Worn molds may need costly repair soon.
• Raw material suppliers, and how price changes are passed on.
• Machine age, maintenance logs and energy costs. Molding and extrusion use a lot of electricity.
• Safety records, including injury logs and any serious incidents.
• Product liability insurance, and any claims involving parts that failed in customers' products.

• Who are your largest customers, and do you have written supply agreements with them?
• Which molds and formulas belong to the company, and which belong to customers?
• What do you do when resin or other raw material prices go up?
• What permits does the plant hold, and have there been any inspections or violations?
• What chemicals are stored on site, and how much of each?
• Who runs production and maintenance day to day?
• How close is the plant to full capacity?
• Which products carry EPA, FDACS or DBPR registrations or permits, and whose name are they in?

This region covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter and Marion counties: Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Sanford, Clermont, Leesburg, Ocala and the large retirement communities of Sumter and Lake counties. Tourism is what the area is best known for, built on the theme parks, the hotels, the vacation rental homes around Kissimmee and the Orange County Convention Center. It's far from the only business. The University of Central Florida and the military simulation and training offices near it support a technology base, and health care is a major employer.

Marion County is horse country, with thoroughbred farms around Ocala, and it has added warehouses and distribution centers along Interstate 75. Retirees in Sumter and Lake create steady demand for medical practices, home care, home maintenance and auto services. The building trades, restaurants, and companies that serve hotels and rental homes do well across the region.

Central Florida is inland, so storm surge isn't the worry it is on the coasts. Hurricanes still bring wind damage and flooding, though: Hurricane Ian flooded neighborhoods in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties in 2022. Ask whether the business or its customers were affected.

Tourism keeps demand steadier through the year than in markets that depend on winter residents, with busy stretches around school holidays. Hotels, parks and restaurants compete hard for workers, which pushes up wages for any company that hires hourly staff. New homes have spread fast in Osceola, south Lake and southeast Orange counties and around Ocala, so check whether a company's customers are in growing areas or older ones. Traffic on Interstate 4 limits how much ground a service company can cover in a day.