AKRO-PLASTIC
Compounder expands capacity in China / Booming automotive industry is driving growth
 Akro-Plastic´s new facility in Wujiang is scheduled to begin operations in Q3 (Illustration provided by Akro-Plastic) |
German compounder Akro-Plastic (Niederzissen; www.akro-plastic.com) has announced that it is expanding its activities in China. With this in mind, the company will close its plant located between Shanghai and Suzhou and open a new production site in nearby Wujiang, Jiangsu province. Two lines producing some 7,000 t/y of compounds are scheduled to begin operations at the new facility in Q3 2010. So far, the affiliate of the Feddersen Group (KDF, Hamburg / Germany; www.feddersen.de/en) only was able to produce on one line.
The compounder is encouraged by the market growth in China. “Further lines are successively being ordered. The plant is subject to constant expansion," says Ulrich Berlage, managing director of Akro Engineering Plastics (Suzhou). Thanks to China’s booming automotive industry, Akro-Plastic’s business in the People’s Republic grew by 65% even in crisis-marred 2009. Berlage expects the business to grow by 50-70% in 2010. Some 2/3 of Akro-Plastic’s Chinese output goes into the local automotive industry. Other clients include Japanese OEMs and customers from the E&E sector.
Akro-Plastic says the quality of the products manufactured in China is on a par with those produced in Germany. The planning and engineering of the compounding lines was carried out by group affiliate Feddem (Sinzig / Germany; www.feddem.com), which also equips and services Akro-Plastic in Germany. All compounds are developed and tested at the company’s Niederzissen headquarters. “We are proud to use only one data sheet per material for our compounds produced in Germany and China", says Leander Bergmann, Akro-Plastic’s head of marketing.
The compounder is encouraged by the market growth in China. “Further lines are successively being ordered. The plant is subject to constant expansion," says Ulrich Berlage, managing director of Akro Engineering Plastics (Suzhou). Thanks to China’s booming automotive industry, Akro-Plastic’s business in the People’s Republic grew by 65% even in crisis-marred 2009. Berlage expects the business to grow by 50-70% in 2010. Some 2/3 of Akro-Plastic’s Chinese output goes into the local automotive industry. Other clients include Japanese OEMs and customers from the E&E sector.
Akro-Plastic says the quality of the products manufactured in China is on a par with those produced in Germany. The planning and engineering of the compounding lines was carried out by group affiliate Feddem (Sinzig / Germany; www.feddem.com), which also equips and services Akro-Plastic in Germany. All compounds are developed and tested at the company’s Niederzissen headquarters. “We are proud to use only one data sheet per material for our compounds produced in Germany and China", says Leander Bergmann, Akro-Plastic’s head of marketing.
13.05.2010 Plasteurope.com [216208]
Published on 13.05.2010
German version of this article...