Americhem Group Acquires Vi-Chem Corporation

 

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio (March 23, 2016) Americhem Group, a global provider of color and additive and engineered compound solutions for the polymer industry, has announced the acquisition of Vi-Chem Corporation, a supplier of specialty engineered compounds used in injection molding, extrusion and blow molding applications. The sale was completed on March 18, 2016, and the resulting company will be known as Vi-Chem, an Americhem Group company.

"The Vi-Chem team has built a leadership position in specialty TPE and PVC compounds for the automotive industry," remarked Rick Juve, CEO of Americhem Group. "We look forward to providing further resources to expand the business geographically and also into Americhem's other current vertical markets. This is about bringing continual innovation and broadened solutions to our customers across the globe."

Vi-Chem, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., employs 85 people. In addition to the automotive market, they serve customers in the industrial, building and construction, medical, consumer, and electrical and electronic industries. The company's headquarters in Grand Rapids encompasses 170,000 square feet and will serve as Americhem Group's center of excellence for TPE and PVC compound solutions.

"The consolidation of our companies will create a broad portfolio of products for our customers," said Bryan Kazmer, vice president and general manager, Vi-Chem. "Our companies focus on technological solutions, deep relationships and customized products for our combined customer base. Together, we'll give our customers more choices than ever before."

Vi-Chem also houses research and development laboratories that are certified to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standard, an accreditation that certifies the capabilities of testing and calibration laboratories. The company is also accredited to the ISO/TS 16949:2009 automotive specific manufacturing standard.

"The addition of Vi-Chem is strategic and further expands our automotive portfolio of products and services," said John Deignan, president, Americhem. "The automotive and transportation industry is already one of the pillars of our business, and this move adds capabilities and technological innovations that will benefit Americhem Group's customers and the industry as a whole."

Americhem Group's portfolio includes Americhem color and additive solutions, Infinity LTL engineered compounds and now Vi-Chem TPE and PVC compounds. The Group employs approximately 800 people across ten manufacturing and technical service sites across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

For more information about Americhem's acquisition of Vi-Chem, contact Scott Blanchard at sblanchard@americhem.com.

About Vi-Chem
Vi-Chem Corporation is a world-class manufacturer of custom thermoplastic compounds and polymeric alloys, delivering value-added compounded products for injection molders, blow molders and extrusion operations. Specializing in PVC and elastomeric solutions, Vi-Chem is the performance materials compounder of choice for the automotive and other polymer-related industries. Vi-Chem is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., and serves a global customer base, bolstered by accreditation to the ISO/TS 16949 automotive manufacturing standard as well as the ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory certification. For more information, visit vichem.com or call 800.477.8501.

About Americhem Group
Americhem Group is a global organization that delivers custom color and additive solutions and engineering-grade performance compounds to customers seeking superior performance, batch-to-batch consistency, ease-of-processing for their polymer products. The companies, Americhem Inc. and Infinity LTL Engineered Compounds, specialize in color and additive masterbatches, and thermoplastic compounds, all backed by complete technical support that ensures quality, reliability and value. Americhem Group operates 10 manufacturing plants worldwide and also maintains representative sales offices around the globe. Central Research & Development facilities and headquarters are located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. For more information visit Americhem.com or call 800.228.3476.