Austrian masterbatch specialist Gabriel-Chemie (Gumpoldskirchen; www.gabriel-chemie.com) has opened a subsidiary in Spain to boost its presence in local markets. Gabriel-Chemie Iberica is located in Madrid and, in a first step, will build a laboratory and production facilities for colour masterbatches. No further details about the investment were disclosed. Jose Luis Santamaria Palacios, who is responsible for operational management, will develop the business in Spain, Portugal and North Africa with sales director Rafael Becedas Diez.

The company has been exporting colour and additive masterbatches to countries on the Iberian Peninsula in recent years and hopes the establishment of local sales and production will generate further growth and enable it to react faster to market needs.

Spain is Europe’s seventh largest plastics market with an annual consumption of roughly 2.7m t/y of polymers (2015), according to Gabriel-Chemie.