Teknor Apex announces changes in Europe

As part of its international expansion and diversification program, Pawtucket, RI-based compounder Teknor Apex Co. has created Teknor Apex Europe Ltd. as a holding company for its custom-compounding business in Europe. Teknor Apex, which has 13 global manufacturing locations and sells into 86 countries, opened the first European unit, called Teknor Apex UK Ltd., in England, at Oldbury, West Midlands. The business is led by Managing Director Simon Hubbard, who comes over from Chem Polymer, a manufacturer of engineering thermoplastic (ETP) compounds and also a Teknor business. Hubbard will oversee Teknor Apex UK’s manufacturing, marketing, and sales activities, including the ETP, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and vinyl-compounding businesses.

Beginning in this industry in 1976, Hubbard joined compounder AlphaGary in 2001 as managing director of its European operation. He came to Chem Polymer and Teknor Apex in 2006.

Teknor Apex UK will begin small-lot manufacturing of TPE compounds in the first half of 2008 at its Oldbury site, which is already used for engineering thermoplastics (ETP). On the sales and marketing side, the company is working to expand representation through a network of agents, with the ultimate goal to cover all of Europe. Teknor will phase out the Chem Polymer name, which was associated with the ETP operation, but keep the resin trade names of Chemlon and Beetle.

Teknor Apex had already expanded its global reach with the acquisitions of Singapore Polymer Corp. and Chem Polymer, as well as the launch of Teknor Apex Suzhou in China. The company produces ETP compounds in the U.K., U.S., and Singapore, with plans to bring ETP manufacturing to China, and it now has TPE compounding in the U.K., joining the U.S., Singapore, and China. In vinyl, Teknor Apex compounds flexible and specialty rigid PVC in the U.S., Singapore, and China.—[email protected]