MOSCOW (MRC) -- A. Schulman, Inc., a leading international supplier of high-performance plastics compounds and resins, has announced the appointment of Tony Daponte as the company's first Research & Development Director Masterbatch for the Asia-Pacificregion, reported the producer in its press release.
In this capacity, he will collaborate with the existing application centers in the region and assist in the development of a R&D facility dedicated to harnessing the technical know-how in APAC.
Since 2001, Daponte has served as the company's R&D Director Masterbatch for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In this role, he has contributed to the ongoing development of innovative products and value-adding properties that support A. Schulman's diverse solutions portfolio. In 2012, he also was named the Managing Director for the company's facility in Bornem, Belgium.
Bernard Rzepka, President and Chief Executive Officer of A. Schulman stated, "This action aligns with our aim to further develop our R&D capabilities with global and local reach. Our network of Innovation & Collaboration Centers is essential in providing our customers with market-leading technologies thus providing differentiation and value for them."
As MRC wrote before, A. Schulman Inc. plans to spend 5 million to EUR7 mln (USD5.5 mln to USD7.7 mln) on a new masterbatch facility in Turkey, to tap into market growth in the region. The facility, in the greater Istanbul area, will have annual production capacity of about 40 million pounds of the company’s additive, white and breathable masterbatches for the food and industrial packaging markets, the company said. It’s expected to be in production at the end of the Fairlawn, Ohio-based company’s 2016 fiscal year, which closes Aug. 31, 2016.
A. Schulman is a global plastics supplier, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, and a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins, which are used as raw materials in a variety of markets. A. Schulman has 33 manufacturing facilities globally. A. Schulman's fiscal third-quarter earnings fell 69% amid continued sluggishness in European markets and higher-than-expected costs in Latin America, where the company has been consolidating its Brazilian operations. A. Schulman reported net sales of approximately USD2.5 billion for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2014.
MRC