Asahi Kasei Plastics North America Merges with Asahi Kasei Asaclean Americas to Further Improve Best-In-Class Manufacturing Services
March 15, 2023
Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.
Asahi Kasei Plastics North America (“APNA”), a leading international compounder of advanced engineered polymers and polypropylene, and Asahi Kasei Asaclean Americas (“AKAC”), supplier of the world’s best-selling purging compounds and concentrates, are merging effective April 1, 2023. The combined company will operate as APNA and be headquartered in Fowlerville, Michigan.
APNA Headquarters in Fowlerville, MI
The merger creates a plastics-focused powerhouse with customers spanning the automotive, industrial, and consumer industries. Following the integration, the company will have over 350 employees with four locations in North America to support the diverse needs of customers in different segments.
“The merger will provide significant internal and external benefits for our employees, customers, and communities,” states Todd Glogovsky, President and Chief Operating Officer of APNA. “We expect to drive value creation and synergies between APNA and AKAC to leverage both companies’ strengths. We have a strong team with industry expertise to serve our partners’ needs while expanding our growth.”
The leadership at both APNA and AKAC see this merger as an opportunity to enhance their strategic growth plans while better-serving customers. Several opportunities have already been taken advantage of, such as the production of Asaclean products, new product commercialization, and warehousing of raw materials and finished goods. The goal is to improve the customer experience by providing both the production material and the materials that clean the resin in one place to reduce downtime and deliver efficiencies. By consolidating relevant resources, customers can streamline items such as invoicing and product support through one partnership.
“This partnership benefits our mutual customers through areas such as connected customer service and technical support while maintaining the relationships that have been cultivated for years,” states Phani Nagaraj, Vice President of AKAC and incoming Vice President of Commercial for APNA after the merger. “From a product and customer experience standpoint, nothing changes. The Asaclean products will deliver the same quality and consistency that has been trusted for nearly 30 years.”
“We are excited about the opportunities this merger will create for our customers worldwide, as well as opportunities for employees,” states Glogovsky. “Together, we will be able to achieve a more dynamic structure that provides alignment in key areas for a strong, successful business model. The new organization creates a foundation for continued domestic and international growth.”
Additional information about Asahi Kasei Plastics North America can be found at www.akplastics.com, and information about the Asaclean product line will continue to be located at www.asaclean.com.
About Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.
Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (“APNA”) is a leading manufacturer of innovative, high-performance, engineered polymers and chemically coupled polypropylene resins in North America. The product line includes Xyron (modified polyphenylene ether), Thermylene (specialty chemically coupled polypropylene), Leona (nylon 6/6, 6/6+6i), Tenac (homopolymer and copolymer acetal), Thermylon (nylon 6, 6/6), and Asaclean (purging compounds and concentrates). APNA currently has four locations in North America and over 350 employees. For more information, visit www.akplastics.com.
About Asaclean® Purging Compounds
Asaclean is the worldwide leader in commercial purging compounds. Their product line features mechanical, chemical, and concentrate grades scientifically engineered for optimal performance based on process and resins. Asaclean purges are optimized for injection molding, extrusion, film and sheet, blow molding, and blown-film applications. Asaclean benefits include faster changeovers/reduced downtime, effective removal of color/carbon contamination, reduced screw-pulls, lower scrap/reject rate, increased productivity, and greater cost savings. Manufactured and distributed by Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Asaclean products are backed by the technology and resources of the parent organization, Asahi Kasei Group. For more information, visit www.asaclean.com.