Italian family-owned compounder Fainplast (Ascoli Piceno; www.fainplast.it) recorded EUR 105m in revenue in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 9%. Exports accounted for around 60% of sales – the company exports to over 50 countries worldwide and saw its best international sales performance in northern Europe and the Middle East.

Volumes increased in line with turnover thanks to additional compounding capacity becoming available in 2015, with new production lines and expansion of the available space in the company’s Ascoli headquarters. Fainplast now has a capacity to produce 80,000 t/y of technical compounds for the photovoltaic sector, rail and marine applications and other markets including sportswear, footwear and furniture.

The company plans a further EUR 4.5m investment in machinery, equipment and facilities in an area of 2,400m² at Ascoli Piceno to come on stream in the first half of 2016. This will allow an increase in production capacity of around 3,000 t/y for the company’s “EVAtech” EVA compounds, particularly for use in the footwear industry. Fainplast last raised EVA output in Ascoli Piceno in 2014 (see Plasteurope.com of 06.02.2014).