Viking Polymers acquires Hughes ProcessingViking Polymers acquires Hughes Processing

(Jamestown, NC) has acquired the assets and technology of Hughes Processing (Costa Mesa, CA) for an undisclosed amount. According to Viking Polymers President, John Ammondson, “Our long and mutually beneficial relationship with Hughes Processing has added valuable solutions to our customers. We have a great deal of respect for company founder Rod Hughes, as well as his son and business partner, Tom.” Rod Hughes will stay on with the company as a consultant and also will continue selling equipment and extrusion tooling.

While retaining Hughes’ California facility would have established Viking’s presence on the U.S. West Coast, the buyer decided that it would be more cost effective to move the production equipment to its NC facility, according to Kristen Smith, technical coordinator at Viking Polymers. Viking’s publically announced compounding capacity is in excess of 50 million lb/yr.

Hughes founded his company in 1973; the company specialized in the formulation and compounding of PVC, ASA, and ABS, with Viking’s interest in the company growing in 2004 when it worked with Hughes on ASA compounding. Hughes also developed a patented method of manufacturing ASA compounds, developed a coextrusion feed block for extruding PVC and ABS, owns the patent to a formula for wood-filled ABS polymers, and worked on weatherable cap formulations for a variety of co-extruded materials.

Viking, founded in 1994 and with 60 employees, serves a range of markets, including building and construction products, industrial goods, and specialty materials designed for aerospace and transportation. Despite its dependence in large part on the B&C market, the compounder reports it has seen double-digit sales growth every year of its existence. —[email protected]