Polyamide 6.6 producer Ascend Performance Materials (Houston, Texas / USA; www.ascendmaterials.com) has completed its acquisition of Italian firm Poliblend (Mozzate; www.poliblend.it) and masterbatch specialist Esseti Plast (Mozzate; www.essetiplast.com). The acquisition, announced in February 2020, expands Ascend’s portfolio into other engineering plastics, recycled resins and masterbatches (see Plasteurope.com of 14.02.2020). The deal was put on hold as Covid-19 cases spiked in Italy and then in the US.

Ascend said its experience as a large-scale, fully integrated PA 6.6 manufacturer coupled with Poliblend’s portfolio of recycled and virgin PA 6.6, PA 6 and POM as well as Esseti Plast’s extensive masterbatch operations will offer customers more choices for quality, high-performance materials on a global scale.

The deal includes a production facility in Mozzate, which will become Ascend’s second plant in Europe. The acquisition also includes Poliblend Deutschland, a distribution facility in Germany. “We now have production, product development and testing capabilities in North America, Asia and Europe, giving us additional scale to respond to our customers,” said Ascend president Phil McDivitt. Furthermore, a product developed for a customer in Europe can be quickly replicated and produced across the globe to meet shifting supply chain needs, he added.