Extrusion International USA 4-2022

18 Extrusion International 4/2022 INDUSTRY NEWS Strategic Start-Up Investment Global Footprint expandedwith the Construction of a NewProduction Facility in Austria  Shortly after port F was founded in January 2021, initial talks began with Biofiber Tech Sweden AB (BFT for short) to evaluate a possible strategic collaboration, including in- vestment options. BFT is a successful greentech start-up that offers innova- tive solutions in the field of bio-based raw materials for various plastics ap- plications. Due to shared visions and numerous overlaps between the start-up and the operational business areas of the Feddersen Group, the discussions quickly became concrete. In June 2022, the investment con- tracts were signed on both sides. "The cooperation with BFT is not just about a pure equity investment, but in particular about the strategic cooperation between BFT and the subsidiaries of K.D. Feddersen Hold- ing GmbH," explains Silke Hamm, re- sponsible for business development at port F, and goes on to explain, "It is a win-win situation for us. The Feddersen Group provides the start-up with operational support in the areas of sales, production and R&D. In return, we get access to a high-quality bio-based material for technical applications." port F coordinates the strategic cooperation between BFT and the business areas of the Feddersen Group. Specifically, this includes sales & marketing for FibraQ® and the Fi- braQ® compounds, toll compound- ing and R&D projects with the K.D. Feddersen distribution companies, AKRO-PLASTIC and BIO-FED, among others. FibraQ® are chemically modi- fied wood fibres and wood fibre compounds that provide optimal compatibility with plastics to achieve the best possible properties in tech- nical applications in injection mould- ing, extrusion, thermoforming and 3D printing. "The Feddersen Group is an excellent fit as a strategic investor, as the operating companies can help scale our business on different levels, says Sara Georgsson Business Devel- opment, Sales & Brand Management at BFT, adding "It is the perfect part- ner for us". port F was founded in January 2021 to be the Feddersen Group's Corpo- rate Innovation Lab, driving innova- tion in the circular economy within the group. This is done through col- laboration with players along the en- tire plastics value chain and through strategic cooperation with and in- vestments in start-ups that have a high degree of overlap with the Fed- dersen Group's operational fields of activity. With the internationally active Fed- dersen Group, port F has a strong backing. The group's core competen- cies lie in the development, produc- tion and distribution of engineering plastics as well as in mechanical en- gineering and trading in machinery for plastics processing. Engineering services and wholesale and foreign trade in stainless steel, other raw materials and technical products are also important pillars of the corpo- rate group. port F www.portf.net From left to right: Eric Zhang (Founder &ManagingDirector of Biofiber TechSwedenAB), Volker Scheel (ManagingDirector of K.D. FeddersenHoldingGmbH), LuisValencia (Material Development andApplicationBiofiber TechSwedenAB), ChristianGref (Director port F), SaraGeorgsson (BusinessDevelopment, Sales&BrandManagement Biofiber TechSwedenAB) andSilkeHamm(BusinessDevelopment port F)  Extreme Coatings, a leading global supplier of wear- resistant coating solutions for the plastics and rubber industries, has announced the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Austria for the production of high-performance coatings for feedscrews in injection molding and extrusion applications. The company has es- tablished a European subsdiary, Extreme Coatings GmbH, and formed a strategic partnership with a leading Aus- trian engineering services company to operate the facil- ity. The plant in Gmunden, Austria, is slated to open by October 1. The increased capacity in Europe will shorten lead times, reduce shipping costs, and establish local supply for Extreme Coatings‘ growing customer base throughout