Celebrating 30 Years of Astropol: A Story of Innovation and Sustainability
Thursday, 6 June 2024
Astropol, a leading supplier of bespoke colour and additive masterbatches, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The company's journey reflects a commitment to innovation and a keen understanding of the evolving plastics industry.
From Recycled Plastic to Bespoke Masterbatch Solutions
Astropol’s journey began in 1994, founded by Brian French with a vision to address the challenge of plastic waste. Recognising the potential of recycled PVC plastic, French established the company to re-compound and revitalise this material, a practice that is now commonplace in today’s circular economy.
While initial limitations led to a strategic shift, French’s innovative spirit and understanding of the market led him to focus on producing PVC-based colour and additive masterbatches. This marked the beginning of Astropol’s specialization in bespoke solutions for the PVC processing industry, laying the foundation for our future growth.
Building Expertise Through Collaboration
The arrival of Brian Hughes in the mid-1990s marked a significant turning point. Hughes' technical and commercial expertise, combined with French's vision, steered the company towards bespoke PVC masterbatches, initially targeting the flexible PVC market. Their product offering soon expanded to encompass a wider range of applications.
Following French's passing, Brian Hughes and Patricia Gotheridge acquired Astropol. Under Hughes' leadership, the company broadened its focus to include the rigid PVC market, developing innovative masterbatches for window profiles and pipe extrusion.
In 2001, Chris Wright joined Astropol, further strengthening the company's technical capabilities and market reach. Wright's expertise and vision, alongside Hughes' leadership, significantly impacted Astropol's growth.
Looking to the Future: Sustainability and Beyond PVC
Since Chris Wright's management buyout in 2008, Astropol has witnessed significant growth. The company has invested in production capacity, expanded its facilities, and built a team of highly skilled professionals. This dedication has solidified Astropol's position as a leading supplier of bespoke colour and additive masterbatches, both in the UK and internationally.
Recognising the industry's evolving landscape, Astropol diversified its offerings in 2018 to include bespoke masterbatches for all commodity and engineering polymer applications.
A Commitment to the Future
As Astropol celebrates its 30th anniversary, the company looks to the future with continued dedication to sustainable practices, technical excellence, partnerships and service exceeding customer expectations.
