EoW September 2008

english corporate news Wheelabrator marks 100 years with Polish manufacturing centre

Wheelabrator Group has marked 100 years of metallic surface preparation with the opening a new manufacturing facility in Poland. Now formally open and operational, the new €7million plant in Wrzesnia, near Poznan, will manufacture a complete line of surface preparation equipment and components. The 35,000m² site will produce air and wheel blast equipment to meet local and global demands. The new manufacturing centre is key to supporting the company’s aim of producing a range of machines with a 6 – 12 week delivery time, as well as supporting the company’s technology centres in the manufacture of its custom-built solutions. Robert E. Joyce Jr, president and CEO of Wheelabrator Group, said: “Wheelabrator has three target growth areas: Asia, India and Central Europe. We looked at a number of the surrounding countries before settling in Poland. “The company already has a small plant in Zagorow, near Konin, but we needed a larger facility to fully support our

The official opening of the latest Wheelabrator facility ▲ ▲

Wheelabrator Group worked with a specialist in industrial buildings to build the new facility. The centre has been designed for a workforce of 250 people, spread across the manufacturing, design, warehousing and administration functions. Wheelabrator Group – UK Email : info@wheelabratorgroup.com Website : www.wheelabratorgroup.com

development strategies and our growing order book. The investment in Wrzesnia establishes a strong local presence in the region, as we have been operating there for over ten years now, and we are pleased that this new investment coincides with our centenary celebrations.” “The Wrzesnia facility enables us to commit to our customers’ long-term growth plans,” Mr Joyce continued.

Prices for main raw materials such as recycled steel scrap and pig iron produced from iron ore have risen more than 100% since the end of 2007. Componenta is therefore adopting a price balancing system that updates the effect of raw material prices on a monthly basis instead of the earlier quarterly adjustments. The raw material price compensation system introduced by Componenta in 2004 with quarterly evaluation periods has proven not to be able to follow the rapid changes fast enough. The new system will take care that there are no significant differences between materials purchased and products invoiced. Should the material prices go down, the new system will also lead to faster compensation to customers. The impact on Q2/2008 invoicing and operating profit is estimated to be approximately 5%. Componenta changes pricing cycle

New website for cable customers

Scapa has launched a new Cable Solutions website.

In addition to offering a new categorised product search facility, customers will be able to find more information on each of the many products Scapa Cable Solutions has to offer, as well as being able to download technical data sheets and view up-to-date product literature. Scapa’s Cable Solutions is a dedicated range of cable wrapping tapes and components for the cable industry. The Scapa Cable Solutions product ranges can be divided into two core product groups – the extensive range of Cable Wrapping Tapes supplied direct to cable manufacturers, and the Cable Components range.

The new website can be found at: www.scapacable.com

Scapa Cable Solutions – UK Fax : +44 161 301 7445 Email : sales@scapacable.com Website : www.scapacable.com

Componenta Corporation – Finland Fax : +358 10 403 2721 Website : www.componenta.com

10

EuroWire – September 2008