Cleveland — Concentrates makers are looking into new markets and geographies.
"We'll continue to go deeper into packaging, health care and outdoor products," Chroma Color Corp. CEO Shruti Singhal said Nov. 4 at Compounding World Expo in Cleveland. Singhal spoke on a panel that also included executives from Americhem Inc. and ATC Plastics LLC.
Singhal added that sustainability "is a core value" for McHenry, Ill.-based Chroma.
Americhem will look to expand more into other geographies, including Asia, according to Matt Miklos, vice president with Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Americhem. "We want to take our technologies to different areas," he said.
"Recycling gets bigger and bigger every year for black masterbatches," said Tom Stevning, managing partner with Indianapolis-based ATC.
He added that ATC has fared well during the COVID-19 pandemic, posting record sales years as demand for its products has grown. "All of our equipment is new or fairly new," Stevning said. "I don't see any lasting impacts [from COVID-19] down the road."
Miklos said the pandemic has led Americhem to take a closer look at planning, training, knowledge transfer and automation. "We might be able to do more at our workstations with less labor," he added.
Throughout the industry, the pandemic has led many people "to reassess their careers and what they want to do in the future," according to Singhal.
"It's important to create a good environment for people coming out of college if you want to attract talent," he said.