Ampacet building in Mexico, buys Polish firm

Ampacet Corp., a major producer of color and additive concentrates, has purchased a Polish concentrates and distribution firm and is constructing a plant in Mexico. “We have to be global and have to be able to offer these products,” President and Chief Executive Officer Robert DeFalco said in a June 16 phone interview.

The Polish acquisition is Sembodja Polska Sp.zo.o, a Warsaw-based firm that has distributed Ampacet products for more than 10 years. Sembodja Polska operates three concentrate production lines in Warsaw making small-lot custom color masterbatches and compounds for film, extrusion and molding applications.

The firm also operates warehouses in Warsaw, Poznan and Micholow distributing commodity resins for several materials makers. Sembodja Polska employs 20 and has annual sales of about $10 million.

Tarrytown-based Ampacet bought Sembodja Polska from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, manufacturer Sembodja BV. Terms were not disclosed. The purchase is Ampacet’s third in Europe in the past three years. In 2003, the firm bought concentrates makers in England and Italy.

In Mexico, Ampacet is building a 40,000-square-foot plant in Querйtaro. The plant will have multiple twin-screw extrusion lines, a color lab and office space and is set to open by the end of the year. Plant operations will include a blending station.

The new plant largely will provide material for Mexican rigid and flexible packaging markets. Those markets currently are served by Ampacet plants in the United States and South America.

Counting the plants in Poland and Mexico, Ampacet operates 17 plants worldwide. The privately held firm employs 1,400 and has annual sales of more than $625 million, with almost 900 million pounds of concentrates capacity.

DeFalco said Ampacet will continue to explore adding manufacturing sites in India, Russia and several other locations.