Rare Air Flite Atomic Melmac by Plastics Incorporated, Saint Paul, Minnesota and Their Demise

This cool creamer and sugar set is a rarity that comes to you from AttysVintage on Etsy.

More modern airline look styling comes to you from long defunct St.Paul Plastics, of Minnesota. They did a lot of  airline ware, perhaps most all the plastic airline dishes circa 1960s-1970s until their demise. This Air-Flite is indicative of modern styling but it is unclear if this was in actually an "airline set" or made for the consumer.

The Air Flite line bears the Plastics St. Paul round circle mark that is on all their wares.

These are brought to you by WillisLisa

Here are normal styled melmac tumblers that were made by Plastics Inc. for National Airlines. Some are "two-tone" but one is older and made of solid color melamine.  If you saw these out and about, you may not realize they were actually airline ware, as they look more like regular plastic bathroom tumblers.  Remember, meals on airlines were just small portions and so the inflight airline ware tends to be a little on the small side.

Sadly what was once a huge plastics company, with offices employing many people both in their Headquarters at 224 Ryan Avenue in Saint Paul, and in their non-unionized Coon Rapids location would soon be gone.   Don Pilla, a union worker, Machinists Lodge 459 died on March 29, 1979 when a truck crossed the picket line and struck him. What is left now, just a parking lot and the memories of a bloody union strike gone bad.

Ironically, Saint Paul, Coon Rapids and other neighboring towns in Minnesota continue to be plastic production hubs and in the United States. In fact, Plastics Incorporated Coon Rapids location which was at 9534 Foley Blvd has continued to serve Plastics companies, one of which being named Tyco Plastics.  

Know of anyone who worked at Plastics Incorporated? Let us know!

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