SO.F.TER. to Open New Plant in U.S. for the Production of Engineering Plastics and Thermoplastic Elastomers

News provided by

Jun 25, 2013, 10:00 ET

FORLÌ, Italy, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, SO.F.TER. U.S. will offer the U.S. market a comprehensive product range, with personalized services and strong customer focus

The SO.F.TER. GROUP, one of the world's largest independent compounders with headquarters in Forlì, Italy, announces the construction of a new operation in the United States. The new business, based in Lebanon, Tennessee, will be dedicated to the production, development and sale of engineering plastics based on polyamide, polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers and other advanced solutions for the U.S. market. Based on its extensive expertise and broad list of approvals developed over the last 30-plus years, SO.F.TER. expects to have a strong presence in the automotive, appliance, construction and electrical markets.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130625/623176 )

Mark Rodden, who brings more than 15 years of managerial experience in plastics compounding, will serve as Managing Director of SO.F.TER. U.S. "We are excited to be part of this project that will bring the SO.F.TER. GROUP to the United States," he said. "SO.F.TER.'s product portfolio is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. SO.F.TER.'s experience, financial strength and long-term view will enable us to focus on customers with a one-to-one approach, based on flexible and tailored solutions."

"The foundation of SO.F.TER. U.S. is a step of paramount importance in our internationalization strategy," said Riccardo Meucci, Global Commercial Director of SO.F.TER. GROUP. "In addition to the size and breadth of its markets, we believe the U.S. has excellent prospects for growth. Moreover, the U.S. operation completes our presence in the Americas and complements our presence in Mexico and Brazil. Now, indeed, we can be considered as a global supplier, providing the same high quality products all around the world."

The debut of SO.F.TER. U.S. on the U.S. plastics market will take place in October with a presentation at the SPE Automotive Conference to be held in Detroit from 6 to 9 October 2013, while the official launch will be held at the K2013 in Düsseldorf (16 to 23 October) where the Group Management will be available to meet clients and journalists.

KEY FACTS

SO.F.TER. U.S. site is located at 3120 Highway 109 North, Lebanon, TN 37090. It consists of 21 acres (85,000 square meters). Initial construction will be approximately 100,000 square feet (9,300 square meters) with an installed capacity of 50 million pounds (23,000 tons). Ultimately the site is planned to expand to more than 250,000 square feet (23,000 square meters) and more than 150 million pounds (68,000 tons). The equipment installed initially will result in approximately 50 new jobs with ultimate site employment expected to exceed 150. The initial investment is expected to be $11.5 Million (€8.8 Million).

COMPANY

The SO.F.TER. GROUP (http://www.softergroup.com) is one of the largest independent compounders in the world. The company's product range includes thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic vulcanizates and engineering plastics. Thanks to its technological know-how in a broad range of materials, SO.F.TER. can offer its customers innovative, tailor-made solutions with a high specialization in the automotive, domestic appliance, construction, footwear and sport sectors. The SO.F.TER. GROUP, with a turnover of €250 Million in 2012 ($330 Million) has its headquarters in Forlì, Italy and counts another three manufacturing plants in Italy, a sales office near Stuttgart (Germany) and two commercial and production units in Latin America (Mexico, Brazil).

Products and brands. Thermoplastic Elastomers: Pibiflex® (TPC) Forprene® (TPV), Forflex® (TPO), Laprene®, Sofprene® (TPE-S), Sofpur® (modified TPU), Forgrin®, Terra®, Holo® (TPE for artificial turf infill), Pavprene® (bitumen modifier). Engineering Plastics: Tecnoprene®, Polifor®, Carboprene®, Talcoprene® (PP), Pibifor®, Pibiter® (PBT), Nylfor®, Nivionplast® (PA6, PA66), Abistir®, Retelan® (ABS), Blendfor®, Reblend® (PC/ABS), Stirofor® (HI-PS), Cabofor® (PC), Norfor® (PPE), Sanfor® (SAN).

MORE INFORMATION
Riccardo Meucci, Commercial Director, SO.F.TER. GROUP, [email protected], +39-335-1089063
Mark Rodden, SO.F.TER. US Managing Director, [email protected], +1-812-205-5855

MEDIA CONTACT
Roberta Ragonesi, Marketing Communications Manager, SO.F.TER. GROUP, [email protected], +39-0543-790411