Ascend purchases Eurostar Engineering Plastics

January 5, 2021

Acquisition will expand Ascend’s flame-retardant portfolio and European footprint

Ascend Performance Materials has purchased Eurostar Engineering Plastics, a France-based compounder with a broad portfolio of flame-retardant engineered plastics and expertise in halogen-free formulations.

“Eurostar’s experience in compounded polyamides fits well within our own portfolio and manufacturing capabilities,” said John Saunders, Ascend’s vice president for Europe. “Their Starflam® materials are enabling the transitions to clean energy and transportation, and smarter devices.”

Last year, Ascend acquired the Italian firms Poliblend and Esseti Plast, as well as a compounding facility in China.

“We are following through on our strategy of becoming a more global, diversified and reliable supplier to our customers,” said Phil McDivitt, Ascend’s president and CEO. “While the past 10 months have been challenging, we have remained focused on providing our customers with the solutions and support they need to continue growing.”

Ascend, the world’s largest fully integrated producer of polyamide 66 resin, gains a full portfolio of UL yellow card certified flame-retardant, as well as water contact and thermally conductive, engineered plastics with the purchase. The company has said these materials will play an integral role in e-mobility, as well as in smart appliances, industrial automation and consumer electronics.

“Combining our portfolio and application development expertise with Eurostar’s portfolio immediately provides our customers with a bigger toolchest to produce safer, more reliable parts at higher and more constant voltage loads,” said Steve Manning, Ascend’s senior director for engineered plastics. “Across sectors we are seeing increased demand for higher performance materials and Eurostar’s portfolio already meets not only today’s technical specifications, but also many of tomorrow’s.”

Neither company disclosed the cost of the purchase.