Sirmax Opens Its Twelfth Plant

• The Group based in Cittadella (Padova, Italy) opens its new production plant in Poland, a strategic hub for the Northern and Eastern European markets 
• November 28th, 2019 in Kutno, Sirmax inaugurates its twelfth plant which specializes in the production of thermoplastic resins. 

This is the Group's second Polish plant following the one inaugurated in 2006, also in Kutno's SEZ, the Special Economic Zone in the Łodz province. Sirmax has invested around 30 million Euros in this plant, which boasts a production surface of 12,500 square meters to add on to the 20,000 square meters of the original plant – the Group's largest in terms of production capacity. 

The new plant will be reserved for the production of a new family of products: thermoplastic elastomers under the brand name Xelter®. This new range complements the existing product range and presents innovative characteristics which differentiate it from the Group's historical production. This soft and flexible compound is suitable for the automotive market (gaskets or interior components and accessories), for the household appliance market (gaskets and seals) and for all the sectors in which component flexibility and strength are essential factors. 

Xelter® offers a viable, sustainable alternative to vulcanized rubber which is perfect for a wide range of uses and is 100% recyclable.

Three production lines will initially be reserved to elastomers, one of which will be exclusively dedicated to R&D. Alongside these lines there will also be a further four: two lines reserved for the production of fire-resistant thermoplastic resins and two reserved to engineering compounds. Once the plant has reached its full operating speed, there will be 12 additional lines that will increase the Groups' total productivity in Poland to 17,000 tons per year. 

The plant is strategically located to be able to supply France and Germany while simultaneously looking towards Eastern Europe. This makes it a central hub to Sirmax's business. 

“The choice to build our first elastomer plant in Kutno was mainly dictated by its geographical centrality," says Sirmax Group's CEO Massimo Pavin, "as well as by the fact that, after having been directly present in Poland for 13 years, we feel at home. Having a direct presence in the world is important to us: it means we can make our business model international without having to outsource. We can, therefore, always serve our clients to the best of our abilities – they are located all over the world and they require a mix of different products. It is our job to guarantee them the same levels of quality and know-how". 

Sirmax's business strategy is coherently moving towards a multi-product and multi-country approach, as can be seen by the significant investments which have been made towards a second plant in the United States (Ser North America). The construction of this new plant, which began last October, will contribute to the Group's expansion in the area. Also significant in these terms is the company's shift in the direction of a circular economy through its acquisition of Ser (recycled polymers) and Microtec (biopolymers). 

“Sirmax's entrance onto the thermoplastic elastomer market came from the awareness of the fact that tacking rapid change requires a flexible approach," says Stefano Capurro, sales and marketing manager at Sirmax's new TPE division. Our aim is to position our Xelter TPEs at the pinnacle of the market in terms of quality and consistency. Our close collaboration with the Group's divisions in the USA and Brazil, as well as with the Indian Autotech-Sirmax JV, enables us to make our products available to our existing clients in the appliance and automotive sectors". 

“A further 30,000 tons of technopolymer will be added to the 80,000 tons of propylene compound which are currently produced," says Aleksander Tyszkiewicz, general manager of Sirmax Polska. "This is alongside an expected 30,000 tons of thermoplastic elastomers and the same amount of polioleyne. The Sirmax Group confirms its steadiness and its willingness to invest: the thermoplastic elastomer business can offer many opportunities, and with the production capacity of Kutno's second plant and the product variety that we will be able to offer, we can certainly say that we are looking towards a bright future". 

Leonardo Forner 

Press Office and Communication Sirmax Group
Tel. +39 049 944 1120 

SIRMAX S.p.A. Via dell’Artigianato, 42 - 35013 Cittadella - PD - Italy
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Bogusław LEW

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