BASF
Small business activities: New European distribution strategy for plastics
As of November 2002, BASF AG (D-67056 Ludwigshafen; www.basf.de) will transfer its European small business activities in the technical and Styrol plastics to external sales partners. The countries involved are Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, UK, Ireland and Italy. The plastics business of the Swiss BASF company Bascom AG (CH-8820 Wädenswil) will be sold to the company Albis Impex AG (Brüchstr. 136, CH-8706 Meilen; www.albis.com). The plastics small business activities for the other countries mentioned will be handled by the newly- formed distribution company Ultrapolymers N.V. (B-1702 Dilbeek; www.ultrapolymers.com). This new company will consist of Ravago S.A. (Luxembourg; www.ravago.com), the management team of the new company and KBC Investco. This change affects the following BASF companies Nordisa in Spain and Margo in Portugal as well the plastics sector of both Cheadle Colour and Chemicals in UK/Ireland and of BASF Trading Chemicals in Italy.
In future the delivery of plastics to small customers and in small quantities will be handled by the three large distributors: Albis, Schulman (www.aschulman.com) and Ultrapolymers. Europe will be divided as follows: Albis: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, northern Europe countries Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as central and eastern European countries Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary – Schulman: France as well as Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – Ultrapolymers: UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In Italy, BASF will continue to work with some other third-party distributors.
With the restructuring Ravago S.A. and its subsidiary EP Compounding, Vilallonga, will take over the BASF Styrene-copolymere compounding plant in Tarragona, Spain.
“The three companies are not only strong, pan-European plastic distributors they are also the largest European compounders. This is why they were BASF´s preferred partners,” explained Christian Fischer, Sales Europe. This arrangement is an important part of the new European business strategy for plastics. For each market sector BASF seeks out the best solution to ensure customer satisfaction. This new arrangement offers the small quantity and niche product sectors a tighter working relationship between BASF and the business partners. The customers in these sectors will receive a faster and more flexible service as the business partner is active in distribution and compounding.
In future the delivery of plastics to small customers and in small quantities will be handled by the three large distributors: Albis, Schulman (www.aschulman.com) and Ultrapolymers. Europe will be divided as follows: Albis: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, northern Europe countries Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as central and eastern European countries Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary – Schulman: France as well as Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – Ultrapolymers: UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In Italy, BASF will continue to work with some other third-party distributors.
With the restructuring Ravago S.A. and its subsidiary EP Compounding, Vilallonga, will take over the BASF Styrene-copolymere compounding plant in Tarragona, Spain.
“The three companies are not only strong, pan-European plastic distributors they are also the largest European compounders. This is why they were BASF´s preferred partners,” explained Christian Fischer, Sales Europe. This arrangement is an important part of the new European business strategy for plastics. For each market sector BASF seeks out the best solution to ensure customer satisfaction. This new arrangement offers the small quantity and niche product sectors a tighter working relationship between BASF and the business partners. The customers in these sectors will receive a faster and more flexible service as the business partner is active in distribution and compounding.
03.10.2002 Plasteurope.com [15556]
Published on 03.10.2002