Sales are growing after the end of a non-compete agreement

Milacron and SMS are touting the success of their respective extrusion machinery businesses following the end of a non-compete agreement between the two companies. Milacron sold its Cincinnati Extrusion business to SMS in 2000 and signed a deal preventing it from selling extrusion equipment outside of the US until January 2006.

In the first quarter, Milacron said 25% of all its extruder sales were outside the US, with sales logged in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. SMS, meanwhile, said Cincinnati has already achieved E10m in sales in the US since the start of the year. It said this is evidence that its extruders for profile, pipe and sheet are in line with market needs.

Milacron has taken steps to establish a global sales and distribution network. A regional office has been opened in Shanghai, China, and technical sales and marketing manager Steve Jones, from the UK, has been appointed to help the business grow in Europe.