Fibreglass solutions P-D Glasseiden

FIBREGLASS SOLUTIONS

P-D Glasseiden GmbH has a long history in fibreglass manufacturing and processing but, according to company managing director Stefan Jugel and group managing director Joeran Pfuhl, there are still markets that hold great potential for growth. Abigail Saltmarsh reports.

With a new facility in Russia, room for growth in the boat building and automotive markets, and great potential in waste water and wind, Germany-based P-D Glasseiden GmbH is looking for organic growth. According to company and group managing directors Stefan Jugel and Joeran Pfuhl, it is looking for “step-by-step” expansion, cementing its position in established markets and steadily making a name for itself in new areas. “We will always have our own production facilities but in addition to that, we will always have a processing section of our operation that is much larger. This means we will always be able to process more than we produce – and that capacity will allow us to move forward,” said Mr Jugel.

Focus on fibreglass

The company itself was originally founded in 1960, in former East Germany. It moved into the fibreglass market in 1967 and became part of the Press-Daimler group in 1993. “The whole portfolio of the company changed in the 1970s and 80s,” explained Mr Pfuhl. “This was when it really started the business of producing just fibreglass.” Today, the product range at the group varies from textile yarn, mat and roving to chopped glass, complexes and mesh. The main business is fibreglass production and its processing.

“In 1993, we started to focus on our reinforced products portfolio at the Oschatz site,” he said. “Yarns and lightweight fabrics were moved to our sister company in Latvia and are now made there. This was a good decision at the time. The company then carried out a great deal of investment at Oschatz. Where it had formerly operated with a number of small furnaces, it moved to using one large one.”

Chopped strand mats

Key markets for the company include automotive, motor sport, transport, electronics, sport and leisure equipment, architecture, industry and wind power. P-D Glasseiden is known for all its products but is considered a leader in the field of chopped strand mats in Europe, said Mr Jugel.

“We have customers based all over the world but our target market is really in Europe,” he stressed. “Boat building is a big market for us, as is automotive (car liners) and trucks. Our aim is to try to grow with our customers. We are doing this particularly in the area of chopped strand mats, which was why in 2007 we decided to build the factory in Russia.”

New plant

The factory in Russia was launched with a joint venture partner, Tatneft Oil AG, and enjoys optimal access to raw materials and the associated cost potentials in energy.

With P-D Glasseiden GmbH contributing scientific and technical know-how to the joint venture, work began in July 2008 on construction of what was to be the most modern fibreglass plant in Russia. The project saw €85 million of investment and the creation of 300 new jobs. The site will produce 21,000 tonnes of fibreglass every year. It will largely serve the needs of the Russian fibreglass and fibreglass fabrics market.

“We would like to strengthen our position in the market. This is a region where we see a lot of potential,” said Mr Pfuhl. “Over the next

five years we expect to expand our business there by at least 70 per cent. We already have a significant market share in the Baltics and Easten Europe.”

Products for infrastructure

Mr Jugel went on: “Europe is still our strongest reinforcement market, where we have a significant market share. There is a lot of activity, for example, in the infrastructure market, in waste water. The relining market is a growing market. We are delivering a special fibreglass liner that is really becoming popular.

“We started doing this about 10 years ago but it has really been in the last two or three years that we have seen significant growth here, as governments are moving further into improving infrastructure. This is one of the few markets that has seen double digit growth in recent times.”

Quality and value

The plan for the P-D Glasseiden group is to grow organically. Currently with eight plants and 1,600 employees, it sees an annual turnover of about €200 million, with Oschatz contributing €80 million. “The market as a whole expects to see expansion by approximately five per cent over the coming years,” said Mr Jugel. “We expect to see growth through our new factory in Russia and, stepby-step, elsewhere.

“We are in a position to be able to make decisions without having to worry about shareholders and so can really move forward. We will keep an eye on the market with regard to the competition and will always be prepared to offer our customers significant value, as well as quality.” n