Makrolon GP Polycarbonate Sheet Gets Brand Name Change

(Newswire.net — September 19, 2018) Anaheim, CA — Plaskolite® has acquired the Covestro® Sheffield Plastics manufacturing production, adding to the wide range of plastic extruded sheet materials they produce.

Sheffield Plastics of Sheffield, Massachusetts has been a recognized leader in the high-performance Polycarbonate Sheet business for 70 years. Sheffield has produced specialty polycarbonate sheets into the architectural, industrial, commercial and aerospace markets.

The original Sheffield Plastics was founded by Richard V. Pelton of Lenox, who left General Electric’s plastics division in April 1949 to establish his own plant. The company originally sold extruded plastic parts. Sheffield Plastics grew rapidly, increasing its sales 500 percent by 1954, which led to a 4,000-square-foot expansion of its original working space and an increase in staff, from eight to 20. It continued to grow, expanding at least five times by 1964. In 1999, DSM Engineering Corp. sold the property at 119 Salisbury Road for $7.96 million to Omega Acquisition Corp. It was later acquired by Bayer Plastics, which became Covestro in 2015.

Plaskolite® started in 1950 by the Dunn family. In these past 65+ years, Plaskolite® has grown to be a market leader in producing high quality extruded plastic sheet materials. With heavy investments in technology, equipment, research and development, Plaskolite® Zanesville facility employs the latest in acrylic sheet production technology.

With the purchase of the Makrolon® sheet production facility, this will be the second business that Plaskolite® has acquired from Covestro®. In 2012, Plaskolite® purchased its North American Vivak^® line of PETG sheet.

This significant news follows Plaskolite® February 12, 2018 announcement of its acquisition of the Continuous Cast Acrylic Sheet Business of Lucite® International, Inc., which broadened its acrylic sheet offering and provided an entrée into the spa and bath sheet business.

What will change?

The productions facility and personnel will remain the same. The name on the building and the brand name of the produce will change. The well-known name of the Covestro® Polycarbonate sheet has been Makrolon® GP, this now changes to Tuffak® GP immediately. The entire line of Makrolon® brand name sheet products will all be called Tuffak®.

• Makrolon® GP is now Tuffak® GP
• Makrolon® GP-V is now Tuffak® GP-V
• Makrolon® FI is now called Tuffak® FI
• And so on through the entire product line

The brand name has changed, but the high quality Polycarbonate Sheet is the same. The original brand name for the Sheffield Polycarbonate Sheet was Hyzod®, then when Bayer Plastics purchased Sheffield back in 1999, they changed the product name to Bayer Makrolon®. Then Bayer spun off the plastics division and called it Covestro, and the product was called Covestro Makrolon®. With this latest acquisition, it changes to Tuffak® Polycarbonate Sheet, but is the same excellent material.

Plaskolite® has sought the best and most innovative products and manufacturing processes in the plastic industry. From 1994 – 2006, Plaskolite® purchased the Acrylic mirror production facilities of: Mir-Acryl®, Ram Products, American Mirror, PlastiMirror®, Inc., and Bunker® Plastics. The addition of the leading Polycarbonate sheet production to the wide range of other extruded plastic sheets that Plaskolite® produces, makes Plaskolite® the premier plastic sheet extruder in the U.S.

Plaskolite® Corporate Headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. In addition, Plaskolite® has facilities throughout North America and Europe, including: Ohio, Mississippi, California, Texas, Mexico and Holland.

With the accumulation of all these acquisitions and the strength of the parent company have helped make Plaskolite® the global leader and largest U.S. manufacturer of thermoplastic sheet materials.