In November 1978, production of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) began at Victrex with a handful of employees and limited markets; 30 years later, the company celebrates the high-temperature material with more than 500 employees globally and annual production capacity of 4250 tonnes. Initially gaining a foothold in Western Europe and the U.S. within the automotive and transportation sectors, the material’s use has since spread to Japan and, over the last decade, China, with high growth markets like India, Russia, and Brazil currently targeted. In that time span, Victrex has also expanded its control over the material supply chain, including the 2005 purchase of Degussa AG’s benzophenone difluoride (BDF) business—a key PEEK feedstock. This followed a previous acquisition of the primary manufacturing stage of BDF in 1999. Since the materials launch, Victrex has seen new competition enter the fray, including Degussa and Solvay Advanced Polymers. For more information about Victrex and its 30-year anniversary, visit www.victrexpeekturns30.com or www.victrex.com.