Orlando, Fla. — Aurora Material Solutions came to NPE2024 with an updated name and new products, including sustainable materials.
Earlier this year, the Streetsboro, Ohio-based firm changed its name from Aurora Plastics. "We wanted to rebrand the company and get the message out that we now have a meaningful presence in engineering resins through our two acquisitions," CEO Darrell Hughes said.
In 2022, Aurora merged with Enviroplas Inc., and earlier this year, the firm acquired EnCom Polymers Inc. Both Enviroplas and EnCom were based in Evansville, Ind., and were focused on compounds made from engineering resins. Previously, Aurora's output primarily consisted of PVC compounds.
Aurora's new product focus includes its Ecoplast line of sustainable compounds. The materials can provide energy savings, water and waste conservation, and landfill avoidance.
"We see Ecoplast as a custom solution for our customers," Senior Vice President Matthew Kuwatch said. "These are compounds that can be based on different resins and meet different needs."
Aurora also is working on a 100 percent chlorinated PVC material for window lineals. The material is in development and should be commercially available by the end of the year.
Hughes said the construction market, a major sector for Aurora, has shown "incredible resilience with higher interest rates" in 2024. He added that Aurora remains interested in making more acquisitions.
In total, Aurora has made seven acquisitions since 2017. The firm has been majority owned since 2021 by investment firm Nautic Partners of Providence, R.I.