E.J. Krause & Associates Inc., a U.S.-based exhibition and conference organizer in Asia, the Americas and Europe, has acquired Plastimagen México, that country's largest plastics industry exhibition, for an estimated $5 million.
In the past 20 years, Oprex SA de CV of Mexico City organized and produced the show 14 times, under the direction of Elena Maribona.
Maribona could not be reached for comment. But Alfredo López Machorro, managing director of Mexico's National Association of Plastic Industries, known as ANIPAC, said Maribona wanted to retire and had contracted E.J. Krause, which operated last year's Plastimagen México.
``It will benefit the industry in Mexico,'' he said of the deal, which he put at about $5 million, ``as E.J. Krause will make the show more international. This is very important because it is directed at transformers.''
More than 600 companies from 22 countries will exhibit at the show's 15th edition in Mexico City in April, EJK said in an e-mailed statement. Machorro said he expects floor space to increase 6-7 percent in 2008 over last year, when it was about 226,000 square feet.
EJK said it expects next year's exhibition to host more than 28,000 professional attendees from more than 20 countries.
``We are extremely proud to acquire this successful and established international event for the EJK commercial and business portfolio in Mexico,'' said Ned Krause, president and chief executive officer of E.J. Krause, which is headquartered in Bethesda, Md.
Paul St. Amour, the company's vice president for Latin America, said the plastics industry is an integral part of other industries, including petroleum, packaging, electrical, consumer, construction, medical, automotive, agricultural and furnishing.
``That is why Plastimagen México is an event with international flair and a marker of new business,'' he added.
In EJK's statement, Maribona said, ``Now that E.J. Krause & Associates has acquired Plastimagen, I am sure that it is going to be in the hands of experts and that EJK will surpass the expectations not only of the exhibitors, but also the attendees.''
Plastimagen México will be held April 8-11 in Mexico City, and will ``showcase the latest in machinery equipment, plastic transformers, synthetic resins, molds and tools, as well as recycling technology and preliminary chemical components for the plastics industry,'' said EJK.
The U.S. company already organizes several other industrial exhibitions in Mexico, including Expo Manufactura and World of Concrete Mexico, a joint venture with trader show organizer and publisher Hanley Wood.
It manages Expopack Mexico on behalf of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute in Arlington, Va.
Plastimagen was started in 1987, when it covered less than 13,000 square feet and had few exhibitors.
EJK said it also is planning ways of serving the northern industrial region of Mexico.
It was founded in 1984 and claims to be one of the largest privately owned exhibition management companies in the United States. In addition to its Bethesda office, EJK has locations in Mexico City; Beijing; Hong Kong; Dusseldorf, Germany; Paris; Tokyo; Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Seoul, South Korea; and Madrid, Spain.
It produces 60 or so events in 16 different industries such as manufacturing, paper and forestry, environmental, telecommunications, information technology, security, food and beverage, sports, construction, petroleum and power transmission.
