Tip Top Plastics – Where it all began!

In honour of Tip Top Plastics turning 72 this year, we thought we would take a journey down memory lane! Tip Top Plastics wasn’t always Tip Top Plastics! The company actually began as Tip Top Leather Goods, under the direction of Henry and John Lednar in 1952 in a small shop front in North Melbourne. Henry and John made the leather components of shoes, and didn’t change the company name until they started to manufacture plastic soles for shoes in 1954.

After rebranding as Tip Top Plastics, Henry and John moved to a bigger shop front on High Street, Preston in 1954. The father and son team made shoes for IMPS, Corvin Shoes and Cadet Shoes and before long bought the shop next door, giving them two shop fronts on High Street Preston. The heavier work load called for a Sales Manager, so they welcome Charles Levi. Charles worked as a Sales Manager and all-rounder with Tip Top Plastics until he retired in 2018.

On 29^th January, 1965 the hard working trio moved into the Blanch St, Preston factory and purchased their first plastic injection moulding machine, and thus, the Tip Top Plastics we know today was born! Over the years, the team expanded, as did the work, and in 1985 the company welcomed Andrew, John Lednar’s son. Tip Top Plastics manufactured popular 70’s kids’ toys; Demolition Derby and Toltoys Frisbee, while holding contracts with well known Holden, Toyota, Tupperware, Nylex, Decor, Ford, Vulcan and Hoover!

Tip Top Plastics thrived in the Preston factory until 2018. Preston had become a residential neighbourhood and Tip Top Plastics needed a new home. 2018 saw some of Tip Tops’ biggest challenges; moving 17 machines and 53 years worth of equipment and ‘stuff’ to the new factory in Campbellfield. The resilient team at Tip Top Plastics managed to continue operations while setting up a new factory from scratch and moving.. no easy feat! Tip Top opened the doors of their new Campbellfield factory in 2019 after a gruelling year!

Still very much a family business, Andrew Lednar works proudly alongside his wife, sister, son, daughter and nephew to mould items for the mining, construction, aviation, military, heating & cooling and retail industries. Tip Top is pleased to say that most employees have worked with the company for at least 20 years, making them family too! Tip Top Plastics is proud of their Exactapak product line, which is now available for purchase direct from the manufacturer online.

Here’s to another 70 years!