news


Realtherm ups profile capacity


Realtherm, a Hungarian extruder of window and door profiles, has expanded capacity at its Nyiregyhaza facility. According to a report in Vilaggazdasag, the total investment was close to HUF800m (US$2.9m) – of which around one-third was accounted for in building costs, and two-thirds in new machinery investment. The company was


awarded a grant of more than HUF350m (US$1.3m) towards buying the production line from the European Union, under the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme, said the report. Márton Sándor, the com-


pany’s owner, said that the existing 2,000 sq m production hall has been expanded, while logistics and storage facilities have been developed.


Realtherm claims to be


a market leader in Hungary, and has ramped up exports to neighbouring countries such as Slovakia. The company currently employs around 70 people, and had sales of around HUF1.4bn (US$5m) in 2015. The company says it has


almost doubled production space, to 4,000 sq m, with the investment.


Realtherm has three


main product lines called Optimum, Balance and Evolution. ❙ www.realtherm.hu


www.pipeandprofile.com


Uponor to expand PEX pipe production in USA


Uponor Inc, the US subsidiary of the Swedish pipe manufac- turing company, is to expand capacity at its North American production plant with a €16.3 million ($17.4m) investment. The expansion of the plant


– in Apple Valley, Minnesota – should be completed by January 2018, and will create an extra 5,440 sq m (58,000 sq ft) of manufacturing space for crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe production. North America accounted


for nearly one third of Uponor’s global net sales in 2016 – a number that has been growing steadily in the past few years. “Uponor Inc continues to


see growth opportunities in commercial and residential


Luomakoski: “Uponor continues to see growth opportunities in North America”


construction in North America, and this expansion is required to meet forecast growth for plumbing and indoor climate systems used in residential and commercial buildings,”


said Jyri Luomakoski, President and CEO of Uponor. In an interim report on 3 May, Uponor said that its capital expenditure in 2017 is expected to approach €60m – within which the Apple Valley expansion is included. Apple Valley is the centre for Uponor Inc’s North American operations, which employ nearly 700 people. In 2016, the company added more than 100 jobs, and plans to add more as a result of the expansion. lUponor has officially opened its first factory in China. The facility, located in Taicang, will be a base for Uponor’s global plumbing solutions in the country. ❙ www.uponor.com


Kohlberg creates Spectrum Plastics from Pexco and PPC


Pexco and PPC Industries, two portfolio companies of private equity firm Kohlberg, are to merge into a new entity called Spectrum Plastics, which will have a heavy focus on medical plastics. The new company will


encompass thermoplastic and silicone tubing extrusion, as well as injection moulding, film and packaging. In all, it will have 20 plants in five countries, and around 2,000 employees. Of this total, 15 plants will be in the medical division, said the company.. Although the group will


specialise in the medical sector – through a combination in expertise of Pexco Medical and Kelpac Medical (part of PPC) – the group will retain their industrial brands for both profile extrusion and packaging. Neil Shillingford, CEO of Spectrum Plastics – and formerly CEO of Pexco – said: “We are thrilled to close this transaction and announce our new, combined company. We aim to support our customers fully with such a broad range of manufacturing technologies and products.” Mauricio Arellano, presi- dent of the medical division,


added: “We now bring an unmatched set of speciality plastics capabilities to the medical device sector, so the opportunity to relaunch our brand – one with a long history in medical devices and strong brand equity with our custom- ers – was compelling.” The brand will formally launch at the Medical Design and Manufacturing trade fair (MD&M East) in New York in June.


Spectrum has plants in the


USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ireland, and Malaysia. ❙ www.spectrumplasticsgroup.com ❙ www.kohlberg.com


June 2017 | PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION 5


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