| Date Submitted : |
August 31, 2009 |
| Topic / Subject : |
Viking Polymers Acquires Hughes Processing |
Message : |
Jamestown, North Carolina, August 28, 2009 – While many suppliers to the building materials trade have been hit hard by current economic conditions, Viking Polymers, LLC is enjoying sales growth that would be considered strong in just about any sector. Looking to bring their successful business model to new applications by broadening their product portfolio, the company recently acquired Hughes Processing of Costa Mesa, California, a compounder that, like Viking, has earned a solid reputation for innovation and exceptional customer service.
According to Viking Polymers President, John Ammondson, “Our long and mutually beneficial relationship with Hughes Processing has added valuable solutions to our customers. We have a great deal of respect for company founder Rod Hughes, as well as his son and business partner, Tom. Like Viking, they are problem solvers who work closely with customers, that seek innovative product performance, increased efficiency and higher added value products. With the completion of this purchase, we foresee excellent opportunities evolving. We are very pleased that Rod will be working with us as a consultant.”
Rod Hughes entered the plastics industry in 1962 and founded his company in 1973. Over the course of his career, he has worked in the formulation and production of PVC, ASA and ABS compounds, developed tooling used in the extrusion process and worked as an independent sales representative for major machinery suppliers. Some of his more noteworthy accomplishments include a patented method of manufacturing ASA compounds, development of a coextrusion feed block for extruding both PVC and ABS, a patented formula for wood-filled ABS polymers, and the development of weatherable cap formulations for a variety of co-extruded materials.
“Tom and I began working with Viking in 2004, when they became interested in the ASA market,” Rod Hughes reports. “Since that time, the two companies have been very successful in custom compound formulating and other projects that address the specific needs of various customers. This acquisition and our continued partnership are natural outgrowths of that success.” In addition to consulting projects with Viking, Rod will continue selling equipment and extrusion tooling.
“At Viking, we firmly believe that innovation is the key to building a strong and growing U.S.-based custom compounding company,” concludes Ammondson. “And the innovations that really make a difference are the ones that solve our customers’ business challenges, whether by creating a product that performs better in application or one that can be produced at a lower cost without sacrificing quality. Strategically this acquisition is a natural fit. It strengthens our core intellectual property assets and adds exemplary products along with state of the art equipment providing a strong growth platform for our expanding custom compounding business.
About Viking Polymers
Founded in 1994, Viking Polymers is a custom compounder specializing in thermoplastic compounds. Committed to a customer-driven business strategy that focuses on problem solving through technical support, product development, excellent customer service and high quality materials, the company has enjoyed exceptional success in the compounding of PVC materials, highly weatherable ASA and acrylic alloys, composite materials and CPVC. They serve a wide range of markets, including building and construction products, industrial goods and specialty materials designed for aerospace and transportation.
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