Compounder Akro Plastic (Niederzissen / Germany; www.akro-plastic.com) specialises in polyamides. Driven by a significant increase in turnover of the company's own brands, production this year will go up by a further 4,000 t to over 31,000 t. In parallel with this, masterbatch sales (colorants, carbon black, additives) from its "AF-Color" operation (www.af-color.com) have spiralled by around 56%.

In 2006 the company's strategy had already led to a 20% increase in volume sales of its own lines, whereas contract production rose only slightly. In 2007, the growth also came predominantly from its own brands. Around two thirds of the compounded product now goes into external orders, but a third is used in the company's own brands.

Akro Plastic is part of the Feddersen Group (Hamburg / Germany; www.kdfeddersen.com). It grew sales in 2006 by just under EUR 3m compared with the previous year to reach EUR 32.8m. Results from ordinary business activities amounted to EUR 1.13m. The company's strategy is focused not only on wide-ranging research and development activities but also on offering comprehensive technical service support from its own testing laboratory.