More Syrup, Please! Flexible Tubing Makes the Sweetest Products Possible.

Flexible plastic tubing works in even the stickiest of situations.

It’s March and we’re talking maple syrup!

Maple is a big deal where we live. New York is the #2 maple-producing state in the country, with over 2,000 maple sugarmakers and the largest resource of tappable maple trees in the United States.

Our home in the Finger Lakes is rich with maple farmers and producers. And plenty of hobbyists who tap trees on their properties, including some of our very own employees!

If you love maple syrup on your pancakes, enjoy a piece (or two) of maple candy, or use granulated maple sugar in your favorite recipe, learn how flexible plastic tubing brings these products from the tap (or spile) to your plate.

From sap to syrup, tubing is there

Finger Lakes Extrusion products are trusted by maple farmers and processors throughout the Northeastern U.S.

That includes Vermont, which produced over two million gallons of maple syrup in 2023, making it the top producer of maple syrup in the nation.

“It’s a huge market,” said Erica Wright, President of Sales for Finger Lakes Extrusion. “We serve customers in the top five states for maple production –  Vermont, New York, Maine, Wisconsin and Michigan, and beyond that to Minnesota.”

Flexible plastic tubing is used from start to finish in maple production, in the equipment used to harvest and then process the tree sap. 

If you’ve ever visited a commercial maple farm, you’ve seen the vast network of tubing strung from maple tree to maple tree in the woods, or sugarbush. This maze of tubing allows the sap to flow downhill toward a collection tank or directly to the sugarhouse. A vacuum pump system using tubing might also be used to increase the yield of sap per tree.

Our PolyFLEX™ 50 is used to collect sap from the tree. It’s translucent milky white in color to monitor flow, can withstand a range of temperatures, and has strong resistance to environmental stress-cracking.

Most of our tubing is used in processing and bottling. ClearFLEX™ 70NP and BraidFLEX™ 70N help transform the watery sap into syrup and other maple products. Tubing helps move and agitate the sap throughout the processing system as it’s made into syrup and then transferred to the bottle.

BraidFLEX 70N is specially-designed for higher-pressure applications with its added inner polyester braid. 

Our products comply with the highest standards of food safety, offer exceptional clarity to monitor flow, and because they are flexible, are easy to install and fit around corners, making them suitable for nearly any operational set up. 

As always, we can customize the tubing to meet individual customer needs, including colors and imprinting. If you need it fast, we have over 250 standard items in stock and ready to ship.

We love all the work we do for our customers, but when it comes to maple syrup production, it doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

Natalie LeGrett

Customer Account Specialist

Natalie is a 2011 graduate of St. John Fisher College with a bachelor’s degree in business management and concentration in Human Resources. After 14 years of working in the Staffing Industry as a Recruiter and other various roles she was looking to switch gears and start a new career path. She had ties with Erica as she assisted in staffing temporary staff to FLEX for years. She decided not to return to the corporate world after maternity leave and start at FLEX where she has been a Customer Account Specialist. She is passionate about her family and two sons who always keep her on her toes; we enjoy creating memories as a family and enjoying the sunshine every chance we get! 

Keith Ellsworth

Production Manager

Keith has been a member of our team since 2007. With a degree in Business and a minor in Computer Science along with decades of mechanical experience, Keith brings a great deal of knowledge to the company. Keith coordinates all production activities and works with customers to help develop products that fit their needs. After years of racing stock cars and taking his motorcycle to track days, this busy Dad of two treasures the days when he gets to ride his motorcycle to work.

Phil Scott

President of Operations

Phil has been a member of our team since 2009. Phil is a 2008 graduate of SUNY ESF with a degree in Conservation Biology. After gaining hands on experience on the extrusion lines during the summers of his college career, Phil decided that working at FLEX™ was better suited to him than a career in the environmental field. Phil handles all building and equipment maintenance and purchases. He is our resident outdoorsman, most passionate about white tail deer hunting and management.

Erica C. S. Wright

President of Sales

Erica is a 2006 graduate of SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Mathematics with a minor in Business Studies. After 4 years in Corporate America working as an actuary, she was looking for a change. Finger Lakes Extrusion offered her that change and in 2009 she made the switch. Erica handles all finance and human resource functions at Finger Lakes Extrusion along with sales travel and quoting. All of these functions guarantee that no day is the same – her favorite characteristic of the job. Triathlons and lake life with her family are Erica’s most treasured moments.