A supplier of plastic compounds and resins, A. Schulman of Akron, Ohio, has unveiled plans to build a masterbatch production facility in Türkiye to serve food and industrial packaging customers in the Middle East and North Africa.
The company plans to lease existing industrial facilities in the greater Istanbul area, which it will convert into a state-of-the-art production plant at a cost projected to be in the range of EUR 5 million to EUR 7 million. This new facility is expected to be in production by the end of fiscal 2016, producing the company’s premium additive, white, and breathable masterbatches for food and industrial packaging applications.
Drawing attention to Türkiye’s large domestic market and close proximity to other emerging markets, Heinrich Lingnau, Vice President and General Manager - Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) of A. Schulman, said that the company had managed to achieve several strategic objectives by investing in the country.
"First, through this timely investment, we will be ideally positioned to participate more fully in the accelerating growth occurring throughout Türkiye and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Likewise, it creates a strategic platform from which we can increase our share in this fast-growing market,” he noted.
"We are very excited to establish a strong, local presence in Türkiye, which is fast becoming the premier gateway for commerce between East and West," said Frank Roederer, Business Director of Masterbatch Solutions, EMEA at A. Schulman. "We believe the highly skilled labor force in the Istanbul area, as well as the underlying cultural fit we find in Türkiye, will provide us with a strong competitive advantage over the long term."
A. Schulman employs approximately 3,900 people and has 42 manufacturing facilities globally.