NEWS | INTERVIEW
taken in this direction in 2019 with the acquisition of the Italian bio-polymer start-up Plantura, which develops durable and biodegradable and bio- based compounds. A new production line for these products has already been installed at Ferrara. “We have integrated the com- pany into Benvic but we have kept the brand-name and the Plantura name is now a brand for all our biopolymers,” he says. Currently in start-up
phase, Plantura’s production volumes today amount to around 1,000 tonnes annually. However, Mertens sees much bigger opportu- nity. “If we start a project like this…it is because we are convinced that we can develop interesting partner- ship projects with custom- ers,” he says. “We have serious projects in the pipe.”
Seizing opportunity The decision by Celanese in 2020 to consolidate its Engineered Materials compounding business in Europe into its site at Forli in Italy, which it acquired in 2016 together with a plant at Ferrara when it bought the SO.F.TER Group, presented another opportu- nity for Benvic. In January this year, Benvic
acquired the site, which is located just 50m from its existing Ferrara operation, together with the three businesses serviced from it: PP compounds for the appliance industry, TPEs for the footwear sector, and SBS infill for artificial turf applica- tions. “The acquisition has given more capacity to develop all our activities, but
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at the same time we have acquired some interesting businesses,” he says. Looking forward, Mertens sees Benvic’s future strategy defined on its technology offer. “We want to offer customers the best solution. Our goal is to use the best product at the best place,” he says. “In some cases PVC will be the best one, in some cases it will be something else. This is a big change for the group.” Preparation for this
approach has included a reorganisation of its activities into four broad groupings. The first, and largest, is ProVinyl, which brings together the flexible and rigid PVC solutions from its three historical sites with the Dugdale and Alfa PVC businesses. It claims more than 2,500 formulations in this product area. The Extended Material
group is focused on applying Benvic’s market and application expertise gained through PVC compounds to other material solutions and markets, such as halogen- free cables. “We are one of the leaders in Spain for
COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2021
polymers for cables but were only involved in PVC compounds,” Mertens says. “Now we continue to supply those compounds but we started one year ago a new business linked to halogen- free compounds.” This new family of polyolefin-based com- pounds is marketed as Linkflex. The first products are formulated for low voltage cable applications but the range will be extended to datacom and industrial cables in the future. Linkflex products are produced on a new line installed at the company’s plant near Barcelona in Spain. The Plantura brand covers the company’s bio-based and compostable com- pounds, while Benvic Medical brings together its compound know-how for the medical and pharma sector with the plastics processing expertise of the Modenplast and Luc & Bel units.
Focused expertise The four new product groups will be supported by focused technical resources. “When we start a new
Left: Benvic aims to capitalise on its cable sector expertise developed in PVC with its new Linkflex HFFR cable compounds
activity we want to concen- trate our knowledge and competence globally in one site,” Mertens says. “For halogen-free, because the first market is in Spain we started that business in Spain. It’s the same in Italy for Plantura. Now Ferrara will be the main centre for the new activities and will develop for the group.” While Benvic supplies compounds outside of Europe through distributors, over the past four years its acquisitions have focused on extending its European manufacturing presence. However, Mertens says the company’s ambitions for the future look beyond the continent of Europe. “It is clear that our
strategy is linked to new product and new develop- ment but it could also be linked to geographical expansion. Today, we are a leader in PVC in Europe and we will maintain a big part of our business in Europe. But we are also looking for opportunities outside. We can imagine in the future that Benvic will be a world- wide company,” he says. �
www.benvic.com
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IMAGE: BENVIC
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