BIESTERFELD PLASTIC
Distributor improves business slightly in 2005 / Pan-European strategy / Expansion
After posting sales of EUR 418m in 2004, Biesterfeld Plastic (Hamburg / Germany; www.biesterfeld-plastic.com) concluded business in 2005 slightly above this figure, managing director, Rainer Huneke, said in an exclusive interview with Plasteurope.com (www.pieweb.com). Last year´s results reflect the plastics distributor´s position among the leading European players in its field.
Founded in 1989, the subsidiary of Hamburg trader Biesterfeld (www.biesterfeld.com), Biesterfeld Plastic with 230 employees is the second largest division in the Biesterfeld group (annual sales of EUR 1.2 bn and 1,150 employees), behind chemicals distribution. Following its focused expansion strategy over the past few years, the distributor is now represented in 22 European countries.
Biesterfeld is regarded as one of the main driving forces in the consolidation of plastics distribution in Europe. While long-time partner DuPont had 22 distributors for engineering thermoplastics in 1988 in western Europe alone, only four remained in the all of Europe in 2002. Since 2004, this figure has actually dropped to two. Biesterfeld Plastic supplies the countries on most of the continent, while Distrupol supplies the UK and Scandinavia.
The distributor´s strategy is clearly pan-European. Its corporate intranet has been specially designed to take account of this, as it allows employees throughout Europe to communicate with each other, coordinate deliveries logistically, obtain technical support and access all customer data in a clearly structured form. This state-of-the-art system also enables staff to track pricing and sales planning throughout Europe.
Because of this, Biesterfeld regards itself as a true partner to the plastics production sector that to a certain extent can act as the producer´s extended marketing arm. Its experience with Asian companies has demonstrated this perfectly, Huneke told PIE. Biesterfeld thus feels it is well equipped for the export activities expected soon from the Gulf region, especially from Iran to central and eastern Europe. Further growth for the company seems assured, especially in view of its plans for further intercontinental expansion.
Read the full interview with Rainer Huneke
Source: DistriConsult
Founded in 1989, the subsidiary of Hamburg trader Biesterfeld (www.biesterfeld.com), Biesterfeld Plastic with 230 employees is the second largest division in the Biesterfeld group (annual sales of EUR 1.2 bn and 1,150 employees), behind chemicals distribution. Following its focused expansion strategy over the past few years, the distributor is now represented in 22 European countries.
Biesterfeld is regarded as one of the main driving forces in the consolidation of plastics distribution in Europe. While long-time partner DuPont had 22 distributors for engineering thermoplastics in 1988 in western Europe alone, only four remained in the all of Europe in 2002. Since 2004, this figure has actually dropped to two. Biesterfeld Plastic supplies the countries on most of the continent, while Distrupol supplies the UK and Scandinavia.
The distributor´s strategy is clearly pan-European. Its corporate intranet has been specially designed to take account of this, as it allows employees throughout Europe to communicate with each other, coordinate deliveries logistically, obtain technical support and access all customer data in a clearly structured form. This state-of-the-art system also enables staff to track pricing and sales planning throughout Europe.
Because of this, Biesterfeld regards itself as a true partner to the plastics production sector that to a certain extent can act as the producer´s extended marketing arm. Its experience with Asian companies has demonstrated this perfectly, Huneke told PIE. Biesterfeld thus feels it is well equipped for the export activities expected soon from the Gulf region, especially from Iran to central and eastern Europe. Further growth for the company seems assured, especially in view of its plans for further intercontinental expansion.
Read the full interview with Rainer Huneke
| Top 7 Plastics Distributors in Europe 2004 | |
| Company | Sales from distribution (m EUR) |
| Resin Express | 485 |
| Biesterfeld | 418 |
| Albis | 405 |
| A. Schulman | 390 |
| Ashland | 245 |
| Ultrapolymers | 240 |
| Distrupol | 225 |
23.03.2006 Plasteurope.com [204319]
Published on 23.03.2006