British masterbatch manufacturer and composite manufacturer Gaolai Group is expanding its business in China, investing US$2 million to upgrade the factory and introducing a new management team.
The Merseyside-based company has appointed a general manager of the China business and launched a series of products for Chinese customers at the end of April using Chinaplas.
Craig MacDougall, General Manager of Gaolai Plastics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., manages Changshu's day-to-day business and helps the company expand its business in the Asia Pacific region.
MacDougall said: 'Gao Lai clearly stated that to develop Chinese and Asian businesses, I am very happy to join Gaolai at such an exciting time.'
Currently, sales in Asia account for around 8% of the company's sales.
Gao Lai CEO Russell Livesey told reporters at the press conference on the eve of Chinaplas: 'We believe that China will be the most promising market for us.'
MacDougall, a veteran who worked at Ogilvy & Mather Europe for 22 years, joined Gloria in March.
At Chinaplas, the company demonstrated T-TEC, a series of amorphous and semi-crystalline engineering polymers that can withstand continuous operating temperatures above 150 degrees Celsius.
T-TEC is suitable for PPS, PPSU, PPA and PEEK as well as various standard and custom colors.
In addition, Gloria also showed E-TEC, a product line with 11 conductive and static dissipative (ESD) compound grades.
E-TEC reduces static build-up and discharge of electronic products during packaging, storage and transportation. Other applications include chair casters, footwear and storage compartments. Available in PP, PE and PS versions.
The Changshu plant was put into operation in 2016. Gao Lai invested $2 million in the plant last year and plans to invest another $2 million in high-temperature equipment this year. The sales of the Gaolai Group have tripled since 2008, reaching 45 million last year. Sterling ($61 million). The group's total annual capacity is 30,000 tons, including its two plants in the north of England.
The Gaolai Group was founded in 1967. The company became part of the Israeli Tosaf Group in 2004 with its sister companies in Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, Israel and the United States.
The Tosaf Group has 11 manufacturing facilities worldwide. Its US facilities include Adtec Colorant in Arlington, Texas and Tosaf in Bethesmer, North Carolina.
The Tosaf Group specializes in the production of black, white and color masterbatches, compounds and high performance additive masterbatches. The group has more than 1,000 employees worldwide.