Now operating under the name Exolon Group, the newly independent company is focusing on growth and aims to break into new markets, including as a partner in the fight against COVID-19.

New strategic opportunities in polycarbonate and polyester sheets

Operating under the parent company Covestro, the plastic sheets business unit accounted for only a small portion of activities. For several years, plastic sheets remained in the background of business priorities and funds for further development were low.

"As a small unit within a larger group, you sometimes do not get the attention or quick decision-making that each individual case requires," sums up Jens Becker, managing director of the Exolon Group.

But since Exolon Group has begun to operate as an independent company, new strategic opportunities have arisen. A medium-sized company, Exolon Group will have more resources with which to focus on future sales and react flexibly to customer requests. Furthermore, even as a new company, Exolon Group has a distinct advantage over other up-starts: a demonstrated history of excellence.

"Exolon Group has over 40 years of experience in sheet extrusion,” says Becker. “Our expertise in this field is known worldwide.”

Exolon Group on the course for growth

As the company became independent in January, the initial priority was to establish its own IT and financial structures. In addition, all sales regions, locations, products and processes were carefully analysed for growth potential.

Based in Pulheim, Germany, near Cologne, the company has identified one overarching goal: growth. So far, the customer base is concentrated in Europe, but exports have also been made to Australia, South America and, in a few cases, China. Looking to the future, the list of target markets is sure to expand. Exolon Group is eager to use their newly-won freedom in decision-making to open up new markets geographically.

Expansion looks promising, especially because the Exolon Group product range of high-tech plastic sheets is so broad. With a portfolio of transparent, translucent and opaque sheets in a variety of colors, Exolon Group’s plastic sheets are used in any number of impressive architectural applications, such as roofing for sport stadiums and railway stations. Their polycarbonate and polyester sheets in multiwall and solid varieties are also ideal for greenhouses, the design sector, as surface protection for large displays, or as machine protection covers.

A reliable partner in the fight against coronavirus        

As it would happen, the founding of the newly independent Exolon Group coincided with the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. The international health emergency necessitated urgent action. Suddenly, transparent plastic for protective glazing became a necessary feature in daily life: as partition walls in public spaces such as supermarket checkouts and restaurants, and as protective face visors in the medical sector. The new ubiquity of plastic sheeting led the newly independent Exolon Group to see a boost in incoming orders. To meet this surge in demand, production lines in Belgium and Italy were quickly adapted.

“Adapting our facilities was of course beneficial in terms of production volume,” explains Becker. “But more importantly, it also enabled us to contribute to the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 by quickly producing products that can help make daily life as safe as possible.”

Lightweight yet stable, hygienic polycarbonate sheets from Exolon Group help to return a bit of normalcy to these challenging times.