By Plasteurope.com correspondent

German thermoplastic elastomer supplier Kraiburg TPE (Waldkraiburg; www.kraiburg-tpe.com) has opened a UK subsidiary, to be headed by Michal Mucha, formerly a key account manager at plastics processor Coba (Fleckney, Leicester, UK; www.coba.com).

Kraiburg’s UK business will operate out of a sales office in Stafford, with a dedicated warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent. The firm said Mucha was “primed to further extend the company’s presence in the UK market.” He will be supported in the role by Philip Jahn, technical sales manager EMEA, who has been in charge of Kraiburg’s UK operations for the past four years.

Related: Kraiburg launches TPE compounds for automotive with minimum 73% recycled content

Kraiburg said a team had been put together to run the UK operation that includes sales, sales support, logistics, technical support, and controlling, although it didn’t specify the number of staff likely to be employed. It said its partnership with UK materials supplier Abbey Polymers (Stafford; www.abbey-polymers.co.uk), the firm’s UK sales agent for the past 15 years, will be continued.

According to information provided to Plasteurope.com, Kraiburg operates 11 subsidiaries, with 668 staff, worldwide. In 2023, it delivered total turnover of EUR 215 mn.

Kraiburg TPE told Plasteurope.com it had been producing TPE with recycled content since 2010, manufacturing products containing high proportions of post-industrial recyclate, post-consumer recyclate, or bio-based materials.

It said it has been investing heavily in the expansion of its sustainable product portfolio, both locally and globally, and later this year plans to launch what it called “a new, highly developed TPE alternative”.