Clariant Masterbatches Division said it will move its international headquarters from France to Easton, Md., in December, and on Oct. 9 announced the acquisition of Poly Colors, a 7-year-old supplier of custom masterbatches and compounds.
Poly Colors of Auburn, Maine, supplies customers on the Eastern seaboard, including injection and blow molders and film, fiber, sheet and profile extruders. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
In November, Poly Colors will relocate from its 10,000-square-foot facility in Auburn to a new, 25,000-square-foot building in Lewiston, Maine. Growth at the company made the move necessary, said Michael J. Smith, vice president of marketing for Clariant Masterbatches Division.
Clariant would not disclose sales for Poly Colors. However, in 1996, Poly Colors posted a 60 percent rise in sales over the previous year, and 1997 sales already are 50 percent above 1996 numbers, according to Clariant.
Poly Colors will adopt the Clariant name, and will be the seventh North American business for the Clariant Masterbatch Division. Poly Colors will continue to run its two twin-screw extruders, and will add more as needed. The unit plans to add about 10 employees to its staff of less than 20.
Scott Neal, who founded Poly Colors, will remain as general manager of the unit.
Clariant Ltd., the Muttenz, Switzerland-based parent, became the world's largest supplier of masterbatches when it merged with Hoechst AG's Specialty Chemicals Division in July. The international headquarters for Clariant Masterbatches is moving from Huningue, France, to a new, 6,000-square-foot building in Easton, where it will employ about 20. Clariant did not disclose the cost of the move or the building.
Clariant Masterbatches' other North American units are Bay Resins, Clariant (Mexico) SA de CV, PMC, Polymer Color, Resco Colours and ReedSpectrum. The units have 12 manufacturing sites in North America.
