Association News

2007 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN TORINO, ITALY
A schedule and registration form for the 2007 EPDA Annual Conference in Torino, Italy, 17 to 20 May, at the NH Santo Stefano are now available online at www.epda.com. Register now!

Auction items are still needed. Please contact Wendy Schantz at wschantz@epda.com if you have an item you would like to donate.

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2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SAMARA, RUSSIA
The Board of Directors would like your feedback on the EPDA Annual Conference in Samara, Russia. We have begun to investigate the travel costs and time for Samara, and we would like to know if the costs or time involved will affect your decision to attend.

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CALL FOR LEADERSHIP AND AWARD NOMINATIONS
Are you ready to reap personal satisfaction and benefits from your involvement in EPDA’s leadership activities? Here’s your opportunity to help lead the association dedicated to furthering the profession of plastics distribution. We want to hear from you if you are interested in serving on EPDA’s Board of Directors or as a committee member.

Is there someone in the association who you feel should be honored? The EPDA Awards Program was established in an effort to recognize members and associates of the European Association of Plastics Distributors who have performed exceptional, extraordinary or outstanding service on behalf of the association and the plastics distribution industry. The EPDA Award of Merit, presented at the annual conference, is EPDA’s most prestigious award in recognition of an individual’s outstanding work on behalf of the plastics distribution industry and the association.

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Company News

EPDA members are invited to submit news on their company and products for publication in EPDA’s E-Update newsletter. News may be submitted in any language, to be translated by EPDA staff, and may include photographs. Please e-mail news (in a Microsoft Word document or as text in an e-mail) to epda@epda.com. Please note that submissions may be edited for length and clarity.

“THE IAPD MAGAZINE” TO INCLUDE UHMW-PE ARTICLE BY EPDA MEMBER
Stay tuned to the April/May issue of The IAPD Magazine, which will include an article written by Stefan Willing, sales director at Wefapress Beck & Co. GmbH. The article is entitled “Going Extreme Ultra High — a Very Versatile Engineering Plastics.” In it, Willing explains the innovation and advantages of UHMW-PE and how this plastic material can “go extreme” in many very demanding applications and environments.

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MAAGTECHNIC ACQUIRES REVOL GROUP
As of 1 January 2007, the Daetwyler company Maagtechnic has acquired retroactively four operating companies of the Revol Group in France and in the Czech Republic. In the business of manufacturing and distribution of polymer and fluid technology, Revol generates annual sales of around 40 million Swiss francs (24,5 million Euros) with a workforce of some 190 employees. With this acquisition, Maagtechnic increases its market share in Europe, strengthens its range of products and services and expands its capacity for the processing of polymer components.

Maagtechnic is a leading technical distributor, manufacturing and service company. It will now employ a workforce of about 750 in Switzerland, southern Germany, France and in the Czech Republic. As a development partner, the company offers technical advice and engineering services for customer-specific solutions.

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Product Showcase

Articles reporting on plastic products are prepared from information furnished by
members of EPDA. It should not be assumed that the publisher has reviewed or tested any of the products. For more information, contact the companies listed.

PERSPEX DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES PERSPEX® VARIO
Perspex Distribution Ltd., the UK’s leading distributor of Perspex® from Lucite acrylic sheet, is the first to introduce the latest Perspex® innovation to the United Kingdom point-of-sale, retail display, lighting and interior design markets.

Perspex® Vario is a new cast acrylic sheet product with a subtle fluorescent edge combined with a delicate hint of colour across the surface of the sheet. This unique combination gives a sense of movement and energy to the material, especially when shaped, which will add a completely new look and feel to point of sale displays, retail merchandising and internal signs.

Perspex® Vario is available in six near transparent colours inspired by the
tropics. Tropical Yellow, Caribbean Peach, Honolulu Pink, Lagoon Green, Cascade Blue and Passion Flower Violet offer variations of light and shade which are almost endless, with a surface colour which appears to changewhen seen from different angles. Perspex® Vario is available from all UK branches of Perspex Distribution in standard sheet size 3050 by 2030 mm and in 5 mm and 8 mm thicknesses. Other sizes may be available on request.

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PRODUCT SHEETS ON POLYSTONE® PLAY-TEC AVAILABLE IN EIGHT LANGUAGES
Röchling Engineering Plastics has announced that its latest “flash” product sheet on Poly­stone® Play-Tec has been published in eight different languages. The creative Polystone Play-Tec sheets are available from stock in 12 colours. Six single-coloured and six two-coloured (three-layer co-extruded) sheets are available, from which Röchling Engineering Plastics can make up per order according to the customer’s needs. For the customer, this means shorter delivery times and greater flexibility when planning and designing your products. Polystone Play-Tec is a homogeneous, coloured plastic sheet. Scratches are therefore almost invisible. The sheet does not absorb water, does not swell and does not de­laminate. These outstanding properties make Polystone Play-Tec the ideal choice for applications where painted or glazed ply­wood or MDFs (medium density fiberboards) have been previously used. Polystone Play-Tec sheets offer creative potential. Typical applications of the plastic sheet include play and recreational equipment, kindergarten furniture and equipment, design elements, signs and displays, wellness and swimming pool equipment.

Go to www.roechling-plastics.com for more information.

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UNITED KINGDOM LEADS ROTO MOULDING MARKET
Rotational moulding is one of the smaller processes for thermoplastics. For 2006 it accounted for less than one percent of polymer consumption in Europe involving just over 300 companies, according to Applied Market Information Ltd.’s latest report on the industry.

Since AMI produced the first edition of its guide to rotational moulders in Europe in 1991, the industry has enjoyed significant growth, which has seen the number of companies involved increase and their annual consumption of polymer grow to nearly 250,000 tonnes. The distribution of rotational moulders across Europe is notably different compared with most other plastics processing, with the United Kingdom and Ireland having the largest number of moulders. Much of the early development work on rotomoulding was done in the United Kingdom, which partly explains the popularity of the process there.

For more information, visit www.amiplastics.com.

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GLOBAL REPORT ON REINFORCED PLASTICS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Research and Markets Ltd. has announced the release of its Reinforced Plastics — Global Strategic Business Report. This report analyzes the worldwide markets for reinforced plastics in thousand tons.

The major end-use segments discussed are transportation; construction; corrosion-resistant equipment; marine; electrical and electronics; consumer products; and aircraft and aerospace/defense. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Latin America and the rest of the world. Annual forecasts are provided for each region for the period of 2000 through 2013.

For a complete index of this report go to:  
www.researchandmarkets.com/product/eb6ea8/reinforced_plastics_global_strategic_business.    

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For a list of all events, please visit www.epda.com/industry.cfm

EPDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
17 to 20 May 2007, Torino, Italy
A preliminary schedule and registration form for the 2007 EPDA Annual Conference in Torino, Italy, 17 to 20 May, at the NH Santo Stefano are now available online at www.epda.com. Register now!

51st IAPD ANNUAL CONVENTION
3 to 7 October 2007, Dallas, TX, USA
The IAPD Annual Convention features the latest information on trends and events in the plastics distribution industry. Manufacturers of plastics materials display their products at the IAPD Plastics Exhibition, and seminars and workshops educate and inspire. Networking opportunities are provided for meeting people from around the world who work in the industry. Registration information will be available later this spring. Watch www.iapd.org for details.

K 2007
24 to 31 October 2007, Düsseldorf, Germany
K 2007 will present the full panorama of offerings on the global plastics and rubber market. More than 2,900 exhibitors will turn out for the global industry’s No. 1 trade fair. EPDA is compiling a list of member exhibitors. Add your name to the list by e-mailing epda@epda.com.

An EPDA member reception will be held on the evening of 30 October 2007. Please mark your calendars. More details will follow at a later date.

Exhibitors:

• GEVACRIL® ACRYLICS  www.gevacril.com Hall 05, Stand F28
• Traid Villarroya Hnos. S.L.  www.traidvillarroya.com Hall 07, Stand 72A09
• Zell-Metall GmbH www.zell-metall.com Hall 05, Stand G27-6

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Copyright 2007
European Plastics
Distributors Association
Beethovenstraße 12
63846 Laufach Germany
Phone: +49.6093.9942852
Fax: +49.6093.994077
epda@epda.com
www.epda.com