Teknor Apex acquires PTS; expanding in Europe with 2nd facility

US compounder Teknor Apex Company has acquired Plastic-Technologie-Service (PTS), a German-based custom compounder of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) and engineering thermoplastics (ETPs). The deal, for an undisclosed amount, became final on March 31.

PTS operates a manufacturing plant at Steinsfeld, Germany with more than 20,000 tonnes of installed capacity, as well as a technical support facility. A marketing office 10 km away in Tauberzell includes facilities for training, seminars and discussion with customers of possible solutions for automotive, electrical, consumer product, and other applications. The company has more than 100 employees.

The product portfolios of PTS are diverse. TPEs include block copolymers based on a number of polymer chemistries, TPVs, and polymer blends. ETPs include several types of polyamide plus PBT, polycarbonate (PC), and PC / ABS blends.

“PTS is well known for innovation and is the European leader in developing ‘hard/soft’ solutions that combine elastomers with rigid polymers,” said Suresh Swaminathan, Senior Vice-President in charge of the global TPE business of Teknor Apex. “They will bring to our partnership a range of unique technologies and service capabilities.”

Among proprietary specialities of PTS is a hard/soft technology for over-moulding TPEs onto polar ETP substrates, such as nylon and acetal, and producing a durable bond. Another speciality is radiation-crosslinked grades of ETPs and TPEs.

For the past year, PTS has manufactured TPE and ETP compounds for Teknor Apex under a tolling agreement. Now the PTS compounding facility at Steinsfeld becomes the second manufacturing site in Europe for Teknor Apex, which already compounds TPEs at a facility in Genk, Belgium. Teknor Apex also produces compounds at locations in the US, Singapore, and China. “The acquisition of PTS is a natural fit in the strategic vision of Teknor Apex to support the market with a global footprint and local presence,” said Jonathan Fain, Chairman/CEO of Teknor Apex. “It also brings together two companies that have shared the unique culture of being privately owned and intensively customer-centered.”

PTS was founded in 1986 by Uwe Stenglin, who will continue in his role as Managing Director. As a subsidiary of Teknor Apex, PTS will continue to supply products under its existing brands.