Materials maker Ingenia Polymers has opened its first European plant in Obernburg, Germany.
The plant opened April 1. In a news release, officials with Ingenia in Houston said the plant "marks a major milestone in [the firm's] growth."
Ingenia now has eight global production sites. Officials said the Obernburg plant is strategically situated near Frankfurt and is close to raw materials supply and to major customers.
They added the new facility will supply Ingenia's polyolefin additive masterbatch concentrates including slip, antiblock, light stabilizers and non-PFAS products, as well as sustainable solutions. The firm's premium titanium dioxide and engineered white concentrates and premium dispersion black concentrates also will be available.
CEO Thanassi Lefas said in the release that the expansion to Europe "was a natural next step" for Ingenia. "Europe has been in our sights for several years now," he added. "Ingenia has built strong customer and supplier relationships in Europe over the last dozen years or so."
According to Lefas, some of those relationships were pulled from existing business with customers in North America and the Middle East that have operations or headquarters in Europe. Ingenia also has seen significant demand for what he called its "flagship products," including Superlink-brand cross-linkable compounds for rotational molding.
"We felt that now was the time to invest in Europe," Lefas said. The expansion in Germany is being complemented by sales managers there and in France and Turkey, as well as by customer and technical service functions.
"Our customers expect us to bring the same level of service, technical support and quality that they are used to to our German operations," Lefas said. "We are on track to meet those expectations."
The new German plant comes just a few months after Ingenia expanded its plant in Brantford, Ontario. The newly expanded Brantford facility features additional warehouse space and upgraded office areas.
Ingenia was founded in 1986 by John and Maria Lefas — Thanassi's parents — as a joint venture between Wedco Technologies and Polyvector Corp. The Lefas family were Greek immigrants who moved to Canada in 1979. John Lefas had worked for ExxonMobil, formerly Imperial Oil, in Sarnia, Ontario.
In 1998, Wedco Technologies acquired the JV and the company was renamed Ingenia Polymers Corp.
In addition to compounds and concentrates, Ingenia offers services including blending and size reduction. Markets served by the firm include rotational molding, pipe and film.