Battenfeld-Cincinnati USA celebrates 'over-the-hill' anniversary

When a company turns 40, it doesn't have to worry about the crow's feet, laugh lines or gray hairs that are the inevitable signs of aging or, rather, the physical evidence of a life well-lived. Although, unlike humans, who seem to care less about what others think of them as they get older, successful, aging companies generally want to be liked by others — especially their customers — because it can lead to better business.

At Battenfeld-Cincinnati USA, an extrusion machinery maker nestled in the small town of McPherson, Kan., the company is celebrating 40 years of business in the United States. But with each passing year, the wheels of wisdom and innovation are still turning.

President and CEO Paul Godwin, who has been with the company for 17 years and was appointed to his current role this past January, told me during an Oct. 31 phone interview that the 40th anniversary is "really a continuation of the beginning."

"Every year that we move forward in this journey is another new beginning in a way," Godwin said. "Even though we've been doing it for a long time, we always have new challenges each and every day, so it's a continuation of development."

Rewind 40 years to 1977, and the extruder manufacturer was going by the name American Maplan Corp. Still located at the McPherson facility, the company, which was founded by a group of European investors and Austrian engineers, made extrusion lines and twin-screw geometries for pipe, profile and siding.

In 1995, the former Battenfeld Extrusionstechnik GmbH in Germany purchased American Maplan for an undisclosed amount. Fifteen years later, Battenfeld merged with Vienna-based Cincinnati Extrusion GmbH, forming Battenfeld-Cincinnati. The parent company has more than 700 employees worldwide with production facilities in Germany, Austria, China and the U.S.

Time may have changed the company's name and ownership, but today Battenfeld-Cincinnati USA is still making extruders for pipe and profile manufacturers as well as thermoforming sheet extrusion lines for the packaging industry and pelletizing lines.

In keeping up with these digital, internet-driven times, Godwin said the company has an active program for Industry 4.0.

"We've tried to make sure that we have a controls architecture that will allow that continual growth along the understanding of Industry 4.0, and that's what we're doing since there is no true definition," he explained.

All of Battenfeld-Cincinnati's extrusion machinery is equipped with the company's latest BCtouch UX control system. The system has an intuitive menu that the company said "supports efficient planning and preventative maintenance, and fulfills future requirements for connectivity with servers and mobile appliances."

Godwin said in terms of connectability and "smart logic," the company is focusing its efforts on applying more logic to mechanical components, so that the equipment can eventually be part of the decision-making process.

"I've watched the company change over all these years. Some growth, some retraction, some changes in leadership, some changes in personnel," he said.

"I see our group maintaining their leadership from a technology standpoint for many, many years. It's a major focus for our company, and we try to make sure that we're continuously pushing the envelope of what we can do."

Putting aside the aches and pains of aging, sometimes getting older just means getting wiser — well, if you're a company, that is.