Corporate Profile
Honing a healthy business sense in Asia Already having an advantage of being able to serve the growing Asian thermoplastic elastomer or TPE market, Kraiburg combines its extensive TPE portfolio with its healthy commitment to the people and environment, says Angelica Buan in this story.
Heart of the business Germany-headquartered Kraiburg, a manufacturer of hydrogenated styrene block copolymers (HSBC)-based TPEs for the Asia Pacific market, prioritises its commitment to the people (customers and workers) and the environment, which it believes are the “heart of the business”. Having said this, Kraiburg has been actively promoting its “green” initiative, called Caring You & Me, in its Malaysian plant operations, since its launch in April this year. The initiative embodies the firm’s commitment to a healthier and safer working environment. “The Caring You & Me Concept is imbibing safety and sustainability from within the company to our suppliers and our customers,” Bridget Ngang Shue Hui, Product and Marketing Manager for Kraiburg, told PRA during the Indoplas show held in September in Jakarta, Indonesia, where the firm was an exhibitor. The environment, health and safety (EHS) initiative complements the ISO14001:2004 environmental management certification it received in April. Kraiburg’s sustainability model is unique in that it involves all its employees, suppliers, and customers. “The ISO14001:2004 certification will demonstrate Kraiburg’s continuous and strong commitment to uphold environmental issues and work towards improving the environment,” said Ngang. She also added that it will enhance Kraiburg as a premium brand producer of TPE that is responsible and cares for the people, processes, resources and environment. It also gives Kraiburg the competitive edge in its marketing efforts. “Our image has been enhanced in the eyes of customers, employees and shareholders,” Ngang expounded, adding that with the initiative, the company protects the personal health and safety of its workers with the rationale that healthy people, safe processes and equipment deliver a healthy business. A safe workplace is subscribed by a set of health and safety guidelines that include prohibiting smoking; maintaining a speed limit (15 km/hour) within the work premises; and the use of personal protective equipment (PPP), such as gloves and helmets at the workplace, to cite a few examples. “The company also conducts fire drills, and trainings for first aid and fire fighting,” said Ngang. Furthermore, the EHS practice also involves choosing carefully the raw material suppliers Kraiburg works with. “We see to it that our suppliers are committed to quality and the environment,” said Ngang, adding that while Kraiburg is strict in implementing the initiative, it is consistent in protecting the environment. According to the firm, the TPEs it produces are 100% recyclable, likewise, the uncured molecular chains of the TPEs enable them to be melted over again, returning them to the manufacturing process, thus, saving on natural resources. To top it off, the firm says it uses recyclable packaging for its products. Growing in Asia The global market for TPEs is forecast to grow to 5.1 million tonnes by 2018, with the Asia Pacific region accounting for an increased market share in the overall global demand, according to a Smithers Rapra report. In the region, the UK research company says that China is the largest consumer of TPEs and the reigning applications for TPEs include the automotive and electrical appliances sector, especially in the soft-touch features for grips and surfaces. Other countries increasing their TPE usage are India, Thailand, and Indonesia. To capture this market share, Kraiburg offers a wide range of formulations for various applications. At the Indoplas, it showcased the flexibility of its TPE custom-engineered compounds for the automotive, consumer and medical sectors. OCTOBER 2014
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