Styrolution, Plastichem build African alliance

Styrolution provides styrenics to a broad range of industries, including packaging.

Speaking at a press conference during Propak Cape, Styrolution’s Jens Kathmann, VP EMEA ABS-Standard, proudly introduced Plastichem as Styrolution’s exclusive South African representative, and outlined the strategy for future growth.

‘With Plastichem as our stand-alone representative in South Africa I’m already seeing positive developments and I’ve had a chance to visit several satisfied local customers. I’ve been in this business for 20 years and I’m committed to Styrolution’s growth. I’m also hopeful that we’ll be number one in South Africa very soon!’ he commented.

Sales are determined by five global megatrends – demographic change, energy and resources, health and nutrition, mobility and communication, and housing and construction  –  and the packaging sector accounts for approximately 31% of Styrolution’s sales, especially in speciality styrenics, which is experiencing a 23% global growth. In polystyrene sales alone, more than ten-million tons were sold worldwide in 2010.

‘A key driver at Styrolution is a passion for results,’ Jens told his audience during the Cape Town presentation. ‘It’s a chain reaction between chemistry and customers and Plastichem shares our values and strategy.’

Passion and commitment

Established in 1999 and operated nationally, Plastichem is run by MD, Helmut Oellermann, and co-founder, Stuart Gibson. It’s a partner for many leading polymer and elastomer producers and has positioned its services and skills to provide seamless supply chain management to customers. These services also focus on strong technical capabilities and being able to offer local expertise for all polymers and application areas.

Plastichem has five core operational areas  –  supply chain management, commercial sales, technical business development and projects, field support and customer services, and administration  –  each driven by a highly-qualified and experienced team.

‘For the last three years we’ve driven the BASF brand in South Africa and now we’re ready to take this opportunity with Styrolution,’ announced Helmut during the conference. ‘We share the passion to serve our customers well and our strength lies in our commitment and strong technical capabilities.’

Closing the event, Stuart Gibson offered a brief overview of the Thread Management operation in Mauritius, which handles, among other principals, direct Styrolution shipments to customers in sub-Saharan Africa. ‘We have established a platform to service the Southern African Development Community region and will now expand further into this region, developing long-term relationships with our customers, partners and principals alike,’ Stuart said. ‘As always, our focus is on creating a cost-effective supply chain with the highest-quality, innovative solutions,’ he concluded.