Klöckner Pentaplast Acquires Argentina's ARCOR Rigid Vinyl Ops

Klöckner Pentaplast of America Inc. (Gordonsville, VA) has purchased the rigid vinyl calendering operation of ARCOR S.A.I.C. (Villa del Totoral, Province of Córdoba, Argentina), a leader in rigid vinyl film and sheet in MERCOSUR countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile). ARCOR's rigid vinyl calendering operation's name has been changed to Klöckner Pentaplast de Argentina S.A.

The ARCOR rigid vinyl calendering operation's management, including commercial director Hector Pace and plant manager Jorge Camano, will continue in their current capacities. Shawn Somerday, formerly plant manager of Klöckner Barrier Films in Gordonsville, has been appointed vice president and general manager of Klöckner Pentaplast de Argentina S.A.

ARCOR's vinyl is used in pharmaceutical, food, and general-purpose packaging, as well as technical applications. Fifty employees work in the company's ISO 9002 registered facility in Villa del Totoral.

Says Tom Goeke, Klöckner's president, "This is all part of our strategic plan to provide global sourcing. ARCOR has an excellent reputation, and with this acquisition we now have local production capabilities in the two largest MERCOSUR countries — Argentina and Brazil."

In October of 1999, Klöckner broke ground on the first 85,000-sqft phase of its new subsidiary, Klöckner Pentaplast do Brasil, Ltda. in Salto (state of Sao Paulo).