Sirmax’s choice to invest in the production of green compounds deriving from the mechanical recycling of urban waste has proved to be a winner
Sirmax Group is preparing for the fall’s trade shows and the final quarter of the year on the back of a series of successes achieved in recent months. The group from Cittadella (Padua, Italy) will take part in the 2021 edition of Fakuma – an unmissable international event for the plastics industry – as well as the Italian events of Ecomondo and MECSPE, presenting the results of an extraordinary year that has brought with it considerable opportunities for growth and consolidation.
Sirmax Group is a company with 13 plants worldwide and 700 employees. It specializes in the production of polypropylene compounds, post-consumer compounds and bio-compounds for varied applications. Despite the pandemic leading to a scarcity of raw materials and strong fluctuations in prices, Sirmax has managed to gain market share thanks to its ability to implement a regionalized procurement policy. Strong relationships with local suppliers have made it possible to guarantee continuity in production and prevented the company from being totally dependent on a single area of the world. Since the opening of its firs international plant in Poland in 2006, Sirmax Group has overseen the market areas where the brands it serves are located, placing its production in its clients’ areas of operation. By doing so, it guarantees its presence in all macro-areas of the world, offering a safe, reliable and competitive value chain. 
Massimo Pavin, president and CEO of the Sirmax Group, explains, “During and after the lockdown we made sure we were prepared, thanks to strategic raw material suppliers and a structured and loyal supply chain. We have shown speed and flexibility when faced with a shortage of raw materials, gaining market share both nationally and internationally, and entering into solid agreements with new clients. This is not a rebound effect following the market’s recovery: These are signs of consolidation, the results of a way of working that favors quality, a regionalized and compact supply chain, and transparency. We have emerged from the pandemic stronger than before”.
The numbers show the success of this strategy: The first semester recorded a 35% increase in sales compared to the same period of 2020 (+20% compared to the first half of 2019), with a total turnover of 220 million Euros. The second half of the year is starting to show record numbers, projecting revenues of more than 400 million Euros for the whole of 2021, up from 300 million in 2020. The US market has also done well (+58%). Strong demand for household appliances persists and the automotive market has resumed its activity. The sphere of biopolymers, green products intended for food packaging and bags for large-scale distribution, pharmacies and the collection of organic waste, has also seen an increase in sales volumes.
Recycled products also performed remarkably well, and the SER business unit, Sirmax Group’s wholly owned subsidiary based in Salsomaggiore Terme (near Parma, Italy) where post-consumer plastics are produced performed outstandingly. The first half of the year saw a 70% increase in production volume compared to the first half of 2020. “This is not only a sign that the choice to invest in the production of green compounds deriving from the mechanical recycling of urban waste has proved to be a winner for our group,” adds Massimo Pavin, “but also that our enhanced plastic is suitable for any client need and is increasingly appreciated. This is why we are proud to have won new customers, especially in Italy.”
The distinguishing feature of Sirmax’s post-consumer plastic is the company’s in-depth knowledge of technical compounds. The company’s secondary raw material is completely odorless, and capable of fully replacing virgin plastic in countless contexts. Sirmax’s recycled compound is enriched with mechanical and technological capabilities: It is not merely recycled plastic, but recycled plastic with the same characteristics as the virgin raw material. This is made possible by the high level of technology and innovation that Sirmax is able to put into its product during the process of enhancing the recycled material. During the months of the pandemic, Sirmax Group research centers around the world have been able to demonstrate these advantages. Furthermore, they have been able to offer their clients related services that are essential within a safe value chain, such as the co-design of plastic products, innovative molding solutions to reduce the use of virgin plastic, and brightly colored recycled compounds. All with a view to benefit the environment and promote sustainability.
