Photo courtesy of Polykemi Group
Sweden-based Polykemi Group, a global producer of plastic compounds that uses both virgin and recycled materials, says it has made “steady progress” in the North American market since it began production at its manufacturing facility in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 2023, and plans to expand its scope.
“Earlier than expected, the company has been able to hire new employees for key positions in sales in the U.S. and customer support in Mexico,” the company says, adding that its sales forecast looks promising enough that it plans to increase the facility’s capacity in 2027 to meet growing demand for customized plastic compounds.
Polykemi says three new employees are stepping into key sales and customer support roles. In the U.S., Sonny Nos and Joon Park will join its sales department. Nos has industry experience and will primarily focus on finding new customers in the Southeastern U.S., while Park will work with South Korean customers and end customers in the U.S., focusing on the automotive industry.
The company says Octvavio Ibarra Magallon has been hired for a customer support role with Polykemi Mexico, where he will support Director General Fernando González and, ultimately, sales staff in the U.S.
“Sonny and Joon join us with a great deal of experience from the plastics industry, and Octavio has just graduated from university,” says Johan Hugoson, Polykemi USA CEO. “Together, they will significantly strengthen our position and boost our availability for customers throughout North America. Being able to reinforce our operation in this way after little more than two years is truly satisfying.”
Regarding the upcoming North American expansion, Hugoson points to several contributing factors.
“We’re still quite unknown in the North American market, but all the preparatory work we’ve done in the Polykemi Group in Europe and China has been a great help,” he says. “We’ve been able to expand our collaborations in the U.S. with the international customers we already have relationships within other countries.
“Shortly after opening in the U.S., we also received inquiries from a number of manufacturers of, for example, flood and stormwater protection. This was not something we expected, and the construction industry quickly became a large and exciting segment to work with.”
Hugoson adds that long-term plans also have been realized earlier than expected.
“Most exciting of all is our having established good contacts with major, well-known vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. so soon,” he says. “It was something we wanted to do but hadn’t dared hope would happen so quickly.”
Currently, Polykemi’s Gastonia plant consists of two extruder lines with a combined annual production capacity of around 7,000 tons. The company says it is planning for another new extruder to increase its capacity.
“To be honest, I think we can begin planning for the next extruder as early as 2026, which would mean installation and startup in 2027,” Hugoson says. “The way things are going now, it looks like a serious possibility.”
The family-owned Polykemi Group consists of Polykemi AB, Rondo Plast AB and Scanfill AB, all located in Ystad, Sweden, Polykemi Compounds Kunshan and Chongqing in China, and Polykemi Inc. in North Carolina. The group also has a number of sales offices situated around the globe.