Plymouth, Wis.-based Plymouth Foam has a new global partner in Schaumaplast LP, which manufactures engineered particle foams at five sites in Germany, Poland and the United States.
The partnership comes a month after Plymouth Foam increased its material offerings to include engineered bead foams. The company added expanded polypropylene (EPP) and expanded polyethylene (EPE) to its lineup and plans to offer expanded thermoplastic urethane (E-TPU) next as it moves beyond its traditional automotive and packaging markets.
Schaumaplast, which was founded in Reilingen, Germany, in 1964, had been mostly serving the packaging and construction markets with expanded polystyrene until it began selling engineered particle foams like EPP and E-TPU about 10 years ago. EPP is used in safety components for cars, protective packaging and seat cushions while E-TPU is used for playground floors, raceways and footwear.
Both companies are family owned and their partnership was three years in the making, according to Plymouth Foam President and CEO David Bolland. The two businesses will remain independently owned and operated but they will leverage complementary skills and collaborate as a single company, he added.
“When we first met, it was quickly evident that our companies shared similar cultures and core values,” Bolland said in a news release. “Creating the partnership structure was relationship-building as well, as we were both singularly focused on creating benefits for our mutual stakeholders without losing the flexibility and efficiency of independent, family-owned organizations.”
The businesses also complement each other in terms of geography, organization and market segments. Officials at the two companies expect to pool resources and expertise to accelerate the rollout of innovations for their mutual customers.
“Both of our organizations are focused on continuous improvement and have already been sharing ideas on materials, processes and future developments,” Schaumaplast President and CEO Bernhard Hauck said in a news release.
Schaumaplast has its headquarters and a production site in Reilingen. Other facilities are in Nossen, Germany; Luchow, Poland; and Phoenix.
Plymouth Foam has operations in Becker, Minn., and Gnadenhutten, Ohio. The business leases space in Ohio from Progressive Foam Technologies Inc. as part of a joint effort in which each company retains its own ownership and identity but shares facility costs, technology and expertise.