Aquapak appoints chief operating officer

Aquapak Polymers Ltd., a polymer-based material technologies producer headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, has appointed Thomas Barrett as chief operating officer (COO).  

As COO, Barrett will be responsible for supporting Aquapak’s expansion as it develops its portfolio of products and applications. 

“Aquapak has enjoyed rapid growth, and, as our product development continues, the complexity of our supply chains and the number of partners we work with will increase,” Aquapak CEO Mark Lapping says. “Tom has a fantastic track record of managing multisite businesses and ensuring they operate efficiently and cost-effectively. We welcome him to the team.” 

Previously, Barret worked for two U.K.-based manufacturing companies, having served as director of operations at Sigma for 15 years and general manager at Rical Group for six years. He has experience in the plastics sector as operations manager of WHS Plastics Ltd., based in Birmingham. 

“Aquapak is an innovative business with a very exciting proposition in Hydropol, which has been developed as an alternative to conventional plastics,” Barrett says. “I am pleased to be part of the growth journey and look forward to working with Mark and the team to help the business realize its full potential here in the U.K. and as it expands globally.” 

As previously reported by Recycling Today, Aquapak says Hydropol, a soluble polymer, can be coated onto both paper and board, has gas and grease barrier properties and additional functionality such as heat seal and increased paper sheet strength. Its solubility allows paper fiber recovery through paper recycling mills.