Rubbermaid Inc (European HQ: Rubbermaid Europe SA, 13 rue Robert Stumper, L-2557 Luxembourg) has ambitious goals for the European market. Up to the year 2000, the US group hopes to double its sales here, according to marketing director Chris Groothuizen. Rubbermaid aims to "take up the battle" with principal competitor Curver BV (PO Box 16, NL-5050 AA Goirle), its former partner in the joint venture Curver Rubbermaid BV. After withdrawing temporarily from the European market in 1994, the US plastics group intends to recover market shares through the launch of new and intelligent products. Part of this strategy are the acquisition of a 75% stake in Polish converter Dom-Plast SA (ul. Zlota 6, PL-76200 Slupsk) and the takeover of Injecta P1astic SA (F-01103 Oyonnax). See Plasteurope.com No 24, 1995.

Over the next year and a half, Rubbermaid expects to close much of the gap to the Curver group in Europe, Groothuizen told PIE. In 1996 alone, some 100 new products will be introduced. At the "Ambiente" trade fair in Frankfurt earlier this year, Rubbermaid showed its "EZ Topps" line of refrigerator containers with easy-to-open tops. Bottles with safety caps to prevent spills, storage boxes for clothing and boxes to store small parts, as well as garden huts and office containers on wheels, were also on display.

READER SERVICE: Collection of Rubbermaid press releases, including some in English: PIE-No. 39034. – Company profile "75 Years of Rubbermaid" (English): PIE-No. 38581 – Brochure "Creating Global Value" (English): PIE-No. 38729.