Asahi Kasei Plastics North America (APNA), a compounder of advanced engineered polymers and polypropylene, and Asahi Kasei Asaclean Americas (AKAC), supplier of purging compounds and concentrates, are merging effective April 1, 2023. Accordingly, the combined company will operate as APNA and be headquartered in Fowlerville, Michigan.

The merger creates a plastics-focused powerhouse with customers spanning the automotive, industrial, and consumer industries. For that reason, the integration will enable the company to have over 350 employees with four locations in North America to support the diverse needs of customers in different segments.

“The merger will provide significant internal and external benefits for our employees, customers, and communities,” states Todd Glogovsky, President and Chief Operating Officer of APNA. “We expect to drive value creation and synergies between APNA and AKAC to leverage both companies’ strengths. We have a strong team with industry expertise to serve our partners’ needs while expanding our growth.”

Successful Business Model

The leadership at both APNA and AKAC see this merger as an opportunity to enhance their strategic growth plans while better-serving customers. Furthermore, several opportunities have already been taken advantage of, such as the production of Asaclean products, new product commercialization, and warehousing of raw materials and finished goods. The goal is to improve the customer experience by providing both the production material and the materials that clean the resin in one place to reduce downtime and deliver efficiencies. By consolidating relevant resources, customers can streamline items such as invoicing and product support through one partnership.

“This partnership benefits our mutual customers through areas such as connected customer service and technical support while maintaining the relationships that have been cultivated for years,” states Phani Nagaraj, Vice President of AKAC and incoming Vice President of Commercial for APNA after the merger. In addition, Nagaraj said, “From a product and customer experience standpoint, nothing changes. The Asaclean products will deliver the same quality and consistency that has been trusted for nearly 30 years.”

Meanwhile, Glogovsky said the merged companies will be able to achieve a more dynamic structure that provides alignment in key areas for a strong, successful business model.