Building on their existing collaboration in the field of thermoplastic elastomers, Italian compounder SO.F.TER. (Forli; www.softergroup.com) has tasked Dutch chemicals distributor IMCD (Rotterdam; www.imcdgroup.com) with marketing its engineering plastics portfolio in the Benelux states as well. SO.F.TER.’s global commercial director Riccardo Meucci said the unified distribution of both engineering plastics and TPEs would offer customers “a set of complementary and scalable products.” He added that clients also benefit from purchasing economies and production synergies for applications that require the use of both rigid and soft materials.

The agreement took effect in January 2016. The two companies’ collaboration in TPE sales within the Benelux region dates back to the 1990s. IMCD was also appointed the exclusive distributor of these two SO.F.TER. product families in South Africa in 2014 (see Plasteurope.com of 16.01.2014).