On May 1 Evonik Industries established a joint venture, Evonik Acrylics Africa (EAA), with the South African plastics processor Ampaglas Plastics Group for extrusion of PLEXIGLAS® sheet products. The new company is headquartered in Elandsfontein, Johannesburg.
‘In Ampaglas, we’ve succeeded in winning over southern Africa’s largest producer of extruded plastics as a partner,’ says Gregor Hetzke, head of Evonik’s Performance Polymers Business Unit. ‘Our aim in doing so is to further consolidate our good market position through local production in attractive growth regions.’
The goal of the joint venture, in which Evonik holds a 51 percent stake, is the production of high-quality PLEXIGLAS® sheeting and its marketing, particularly in the growth markets of the African continent. The focus here lies on the building and architecture market segments, the design-oriented lighting technologies segment, and furniture, shopfitting, and exhibition booth construction.
‘The new company combines the advantages of both its parents: production of innovative products by high international quality standards, coupled with high flexibility and short response times as a result of local production,’ says Michael Tra?xler, head of Evonik’s Acrylic Polymers Business Line. Evonik ensures a continuous supply of raw materials from its production sites for molding compounds in Germany, China, and the U.S.
Barry du Toit, CEO of Ampaglas Plastics Group, welcomes the joint venture. ‘Evonik Acrylics Africa will significantly raise the bar for extruded acrylic products in South Africa. The result will be high- quality end products in our target markets. With EAA, we want to be able to speedily and comprehensively meet increasing demand in market segments that are important to us.’
