Doubling what they believe to be the highest output BOPS (biaxially oriented polystyrene) line currently in China, Parkinson Technologies (Stand 3/E57) has received an order for a turnkey 20,000-tonne system from a group of investors who will locate a facility in Cixi City within the Ningbo industrial trade area. Supplied by Parkinson subsidiary, Marshall and Williams, the production system will be located in a new factory currently under construction, with a goal of sheet production by early 2009. Signing the contract on Wednesday, Oct. 24 at the K, Peter Termyn, Parkinson CEO, and M.D. Chen, owner of the Lamo Group, will undertake a formal ceremony next month. In addition to the Lamo Group, the other primary Chinese investor is the Zheijang Cixi ShuangFu Group, and they will call the new business Ningbo Brilliance Plastic Film Pty. Ltd.

This is the first line Marshall and Williams sold into China in 12 years, according to Alman Chow, Asia manager for Parkinson. The largest line previously sold in the country was also from Marshall and Williams. Before it joined Parkinson, Marshall and Williams, opened its first office in China in Hong Kong. After moving to Tianjin, the company settled in Shenzhen in early 2003. With this sale, Chow says the company will now have six BOPS lines sold in China and one for BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene).

Chow says that in recent years the BOPS market in the country has shifted from a 70/30 import/export split to 50/50. Primarily used for food-clamshell packaging, high-quality BOPS has tremendous room for growth in the Chinese market. Right now nearly 90% of the thermoformed clamshell packaging in China uses polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and only 10% is in BOPS. Chow says that BOPS has been growing 25-30% annually since 2003.

Parkinson Technologies, which in addition to Marshall and Williams includes Parkinson Winders and Key Filters, supplies winding and web-handling equipment, including center turret, fixed position, surface, horizontal surface, and automatic and manual unwind winders, as well as cast-film systems, screen changers, and a technology lab.