Argotec Restructures TPU Film Business
GREENFIELD, MA, USA - July 22, 2009 - Argotec, Inc., of Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA, today announced the restructuring of its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU/PU) business. President and chief executive officer, Bruce Wilby, stated, "Rather than focusing just on products we can make and market, we are concentrating on better matching our film extrusion capabilities, technical expertise and resources with the applications of our customers - strength to strength."
Polyurethane film is typically used in applications where vinyl or other lower priced polymers cannot meet the customer's performance specifications. "Our customers recognize Argotec as providing the cleanest, highest quality TPU films available in the industry today," Mr. Wilby stated. "They frequently come to us looking for solutions to design challenges that commodity film producers often say are next to impossible," declared Mr. Wilby. "But that's our bread and butter. It has been since the company was founded in 1988."
"First," he explained, "our plastics engineers interact closely with the customer's design engineers to develop a film with the physical properties and surface finish characteristics needed to meet the parameters of the application. Then," Mr. Wilby continued, "our engineers are made available to work with the production engineers at the customer's location to ensure that our films perform properly in their fabrication and manufacturing processes."
Steve Wolkenbreit, co-founder and co-chairman, added: "From the beginning it has been our philosophy to listen to the customer, stay focused on problem solving, and keep technical service as the number one priority. That hasn't changed. What has changed is the way we integrate groups of like products and resources. This allows us to better approach customer challenges from an application-oriented perspective structured around our six primary markets." Each has its own brand, literature and self-contained sections on the company's web site, www.argotec.com, subdivided as follows:
ArgoBond(TM) optical interlayer films and edge seal tapes for laminated glass applications
ArgoGuard(TM) tough, weatherable, high gloss aliphatic films for paint and metal protection
ArgoMed(TM) viral barrier films with antimicrobial infection control technology for medical devices and wound dressing applications
ArgoGraph(TM) printable, conformable, high-gloss overlaminate films for graphics applications
ArgoFlex(TM) textile laminating films for bonding fabric layers together, air and water containment, and waterproofing applications
OmniFlex(TM) waterproof-breathable films with antibacterial odor-control technology for performance apparel and footwear applications
In addition, Argotec also packages its complete offering of polyurethane film & sheet under the ArgoThane(TM) brand for unique applications requiring a high degree of customization, but which are not necessarily linked to one of the core markets listed above.
Further describing this new configuration, Mr. Wilby explained that Argotec asked its customers and development partners what they needed most in a film supplier. "Their answer was clear," he stated. "They wanted a partner willing to invest the time and resources to help make them successful. We feel," he went on," that the investments we have made in capital equipment, facilities and people, along with restructuring our business in a way that allows us to more effectively focus those resources on solving the customers' design and production challenges, is a clear answer to that call."
Argotec is a privately held company that extrudes custom-engineered, high-performance, polyurethane film and sheet in thicknesses ranging from 0.2 to 125 mils, and in widths up to 86 inches. In addition to flat-die, cast-on-carrier and blown-film-extrusion technologies, the company also has expertise in extrusion coating, multi-layer constructions, and closed-cell polyurethane foam sheet extrusion. Argotec sells its products globally, primarily to glass laminators, adhesive coaters, plastics converters and fabricators, textile laminators, as well as directly to finished goods manufacturers.
Further information may be obtained by calling (413)772-2564, faxing (413)772-2565, e-mailing info@argotec.com, or visiting the Argotec website: www.argotec.com.
Bruce Wilby, president & ceo of Argotec, Inc
Steven Wolkenbreit, Argotec co-founder & co-chairman of Argotec, Inc.
Argotec polyurethane film & sheet is custom engineered to meet the specific application needs of its customers (shown on a polyethylene carrier)
Argotec's seven cast-on-carrier and flat-die extrusion lines are housed in an 8,000 square-foot hard wall clean room and enclosed in their own Class-10,000 soft wall clean room to ensure extremely clean ArgoThane(TM) polyurethane film & sheet.
Contact information:
Paul Darby
Argotec, Inc.
(413)772.2564
pdarby@argotec.com
Rob Nicoll
Nicoll Marketing Communications
(413)238-4425
rpnicoll@verizon.net
