The expanded language options available on the website of Plaskolite (Columbus, Ohio / USA; www.plaskolite.com) are a clear indication of the company’s plans to break into the European sheet market. Customers are now able to find out more about the PMMA and copolyester sheet producer on its new German, French and Spanish websites.

Although Plaskolite currently manufactures sheet at five plants located in North America, this regional production is set to change. In 2012, the company set up a joint venture with Turkey’s Isik Plastik (Kocaeli; www.isikplastik.com.tr), which is due to commence production in Malatya / Turkey this year (for earlier coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 03.10.2012). The jv’s initial capacity will stand at 1,000 t/y of PMMA sheet, which will be distributed across Europe by subsidiary BTS International (Doetinchem / The Netherlands).

Isik is capable of extruding 20,000 t/y of sheet and film (mostly PS, ABS, PP, PA, PMMA and PET), and also manufactures 18,000 t/y of plastic packaging and masterbatches. Its 240 employees last posted sales of USD 60m.

In 2012, Plaskolite bought Bayer MaterialScience’s (BMS, Leverkusen / Germany; www.bayerbms.com) North American PETG sheet (“Vivak”) activities – see Plasteurope.com of 05.07.2012. The US producer operates plants in Columbus, Zanesville (Ohio), Grand Saline (Texas), Compton (California), Olive Branch (Mississippi) and Monterrey (Mexico) – having acquired the latter two sites during a 2007 acquisition from Lucite. A total of 475 workers are employed at its operations.