Polymer Contours, Inc. of Allentown is a textbook example of how an entrepreneur can grow a business through ingenuity and perseverance.
The custom plastic injection molding company outgrew its space at one of the Lehigh Valley’s business incubators and purchased a facility across town that is 10 times as large and offers plenty of room for continued growth. 
“It’s been a pretty cool journey,” President and CEO Tyson Daniels said.
As a full-service injection molding company, Polymer Contours specializes in production focused on custom plastic part design/engineering and full mold design/build capability. The company offers several value-add services such as insert molding, heat staking, pad printing, prototyping, custom packaging, and assembly.
Polymer Contours manufactures components that are used in medical devices, electronics, boats, consumer goods, and adhesives, among others. It services a diverse range of markets including medical, consumer enclosures, construction, industrial, and marine.
The company is part of the Lehigh Valley’s thriving advanced manufacturing ecosystem. Manufacturing makes up 16% of the region’s record $50.2 billion Gross Domestic Product. More than 700 companies produced a collective output of $8.1 billion in 2022, the most-recent data available.
Polymer Contours purchased a 43,000-square-foot building on North 16th Street in Allentown and renovated it during the pandemic, when demand for plastics exploded. Daniels moved his company there last May and is using 15,000 square-feet of the space, leasing the rest for now.
Daniels was intentional about keeping the business in Allentown.
“I love the Lehigh Valley,” he said.
"I chose Lehigh Valley because this is where I started my journey, and the manufacturing community is strong here. I want to be a part of growing it even stronger and eventually giving back to the very same community that propped me up – I really don’t see myself anywhere else.”
He is continually investing in automation, which eliminates the need for his team to perform mundane tasks and increases profitability.
That profit is invested in his team. He said he is committed to creating family-sustaining employment and making opportunities for his team to grow their careers and develop their skills.
“I want this thing to run without me,” Daniels said. “To do that, you have to take care of your people.”
“Our number one strength is culture,” he said. “My team loves what they do and it’s because they have full autonomy coupled with a landscape to learn and grow along with the organization. This is how you build true ownership.”
Daniels hadn’t intended to enter the plastics business. A native of the Poconos just north of the Lehigh Valley, he managed a high-end catering facility in New York City where he ran events ranging from social parties such as weddings and Bar mitzvahs, to product release events for Bud light, Hennessy, as well as movie premier parties frequented by movie stars, celebrities, and professional athletes.
The recession in 2008 ended that run. After not being able to find any means of supporting himself in New York, Daniels moved to the Lehigh Valley and took a role as general manager for the first franchise of Five Guys, overseeing a single location. He worked his way up to Director of Operations for seven locations and was recognized for national sales growth several times for “most improved restaurant.”
In 2012, Daniels came outside to find his car sitting on the ground with no wheels He collaborated with a friend to invent an anti-theft device for the automotive industry. He and his friend also created an injection molding product for the aviation industry called “The Penpal,” which was made overseas and sold here in the states. The development of these two products is where he learned about injection molding. That led him to purchase Polymer Contours.
Located at the time at the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, a business incubator operated by the Allentown Economic Development Corp., Polymer Contours had only two machines and one customer.
Today, less than a decade later, it has grown to 10 employees with 11 injection molding machines and more than 35 customers.
"AEDC is always proud when a successful manufacturer graduates from our incubation program. The fact that Polymer Contours chose to stay in Allentown makes it truly special," said R. Scott Unger, Executive Director at Allentown Economic Development Corp. 
Daniels said he is committed to giving back to Allentown and Lehigh Valley. He hosts student tours at Polymer Contours to give students a glimpse into advanced manufacturing. His company plans to participate in “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing,” a program by the Manufacturers Resource Center where middle school students produce videos about manufacturing companies to learn about and promote what they do. Daniels is committed to bringing manufacturing to the forefront of the conversation.