PHOTO: PolyOne person in SA – Victor Stiehler at Propak Africa earlier this year, on the Hestico stand. Victor has been appointed PolyOne’s business development manager for South Africa
POLYONE Corporation has opened an office in South Africa and appointed ex-Hestico man, Victor Stiehler, as its business development manager for the country.
Headquartered in Avon Lake, Ohio, PolyOne has more than 7000 employees at sites around the world. ColorMatrix, the PolyOne business associated with liquid colorants, has been a part of the South African plastics community for many years, with offices in Cape Town. Last year the company’s specialty engineered polymers’ business unit announced that Carst & Walker had been selected as its agent for sub-Saharan Africa. The recent announcement continues the development of the company’s support for South African manufacturers.
“My goal is to continue to develop the market in South Africa, and continue growing this business for PolyOne,” said Stiehler.
Stiehler started out in the plastics industry in 2008 at Hestico, with a technical background after working on mining machinery for Sandvik. He was with Hestico for almost eight years before accepting the PolyOne position.
“While at Hestico I learned everything about plastics. I also visited some of their suppliers overseas - Arburg, Yudo, Illig, DME, Maguire and some others – where I did extensive training. They say once you get into the plastics industry it gets into your blood and you won’t want to leave it. They were right!” he added.
PolyOne has a lot to offer the country’s plastics processors. The company is a global leader in the development of specialty polymer formulations, colour and additive concentrates, thermoplastic elastomers, and other polymer-based solutions and services. It also is a highly specialised developer and manufacturer of liquid colorants, and fluoropolymer and silicone colorants.
Stiehler says PolyOne’s specialty solutions will help manufacturers in South Africa overcome many of the manufacturing challenges they face. As one example, he notes that PolyOne is a leader in development of specialty polymers able to manage heat on a par with metal, but with the lower density and increased design options of thermoplastics. These materials are selected to replace metal in automotive and household lighting, as well as in other applications.
“We will deliver excellent support domestically to our customers, backed by expertise and experience from the company’s global network of experts. We will help customers grow their business. Our value offering extends beyond material supply to also helping customers solve design and production problems,” Stiehler added.
PolyOne’s success in South Africa will depend on its ability to take the local competition head-on. There is a lot of competition in the market, and local compounders and masterbatch manufacturers have excellent reputations.
“One thing about South African customers is that they are loyal, so of course it is going to take a lot of hard work to prove ourselves here. But we are up for the challenge,” Stiehler said.
www.polyone.com