Teknor Apex has appointed Suresh Swaminathan as its new president. He succeeds William J. Murray, who is retiring after 41 years with the company. Swaminathan will be responsible for the worldwide custom compounding business.
Suresh Swaminathan joined Teknor Apex as a process engineer in 1987 after receiving his MSc degree in polymer engineering from the University of Akron, OH, USA. Subsequently he served as a technical manager, then as a plant manager, before taking on business development responsibilities for Teknor Apex TPE products. Eventually he took charge of the TPE business and was instrumental in making it a global enterprise, playing key roles in three acquisitions. Upon his promotion to senior vice president, he took on leadership of the color masterbatch business as well as TPE. In 2018 he became executive vice president, continuing to oversee the TPE and color businesses while supervising all operations in Europe and Asia.
Teknor Apex operates 13 manufacturing facilities in the US, Europe, and Asia. The company is currently building a brand new facility in Rothenburg o.d.T. in Southern Germany. Startup is expected for end of Q2/2020. The production from nearby Steinsfeld as well as the sales and marketing departments from egally nearby Tauberzell will then be relocated to the new facility. Teknor Apex will produce TPEs as well as engineering thermoplastics in Rothenburg.