Ashok Goel has been associated with Essel Propack Ltd. since 1984 and has been instrumental both in establishing the Mumbai, India-based company as the world's largest producer of laminated tubes and in driving its diversification into new markets. Essel Propack, part of the diversified Essel Group, recently has moved into the plastic tubes arena, medical devices and speciality packaging materials.
Today, the company operates 26 plants in 15 countries - the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Russia, Egypt, India, Nepal, China, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
In September 2004, Goel was elected president of Organization of Plastics Processors of India. He continues to be a member of OPPI's executive committee, as well as a member of the managing committee of the Paper, Film & Foil Converters' Association of India. In July 2005, the Indian business publication "The Smart Manager" rated Goel as "one of the 25 truly world-class managers from India."
Essel Propack has been expanding aggressively in the past year. In March 2006, Goel led Essel Propack's foray into medical devices business, by acquiring Campbell, Calif.-based Tacpro Inc. and Singapore-based Avalon Medical Services Pte. Ltd. Then, in August 2006, he spearheaded Essel Propack's entry into speciality packaging materials by acquiring Packaging India Private Ltd., the third-largest manufacturer of such products in India. That firm serves the specialty pharmaceutical, retail and processed food markets.
In November 2006 Essel Propack opened a second plant at its Danville, Va., site, with the aim of targeting the higher-value-added seamless tube market in the Americas. The firm's sales in the Americas currently account for about $250 million of the company's $2 billion in annual sales. The firm's Polish plant is due on stream soon. Essel Propack announced last August it was building a $23 million plant in northwestern Poland to make coextruded plastic tubes, mainly for cosmetics and toiletries markets.