Congratulations on 70 years of the K! 

What are your expectations going into this year’s K?

Dr. Gerd Bergmann: For more than 40 years now, Nordmann has been part of the K – arguably one of the most important international meet-ups for both the plastics and rubber industries. Personally, I am very much looking forward to having fa

Jost E. Laumeyer: I expect many exciting encounters with our customers and suppliers, and for everyone to come say a big hello at our booth! Visitors can look forward to receiving a warm welcome from our team of Nordmann colleagues – including several from our international subsidiaries – and to consulting with our co-exhibitors Honeywell, Kraton, MARFRAN and PMC.

What do you see as the key areas of action for the plastics and rubber industries, both now and in the future?

Jost E. Laumeyer: I consider the circular economy to be one of the most important fields now, and for the future as well. We should not allow plastic products, for example, to not be recycled after use – they are valuable and recyclable raw materials, and they should remain in the economy insofar as possible. That’s why we team up with our suppliers to distribute raw materials that enable recyclates to be used in plastic compounds for new applications. We also carry a wide range of products made from recycled materials.

Dr. Gerd Bergmann: I absolutely agree – and the way I see it, it’s also necessary to have technically well-trained and experienced experts on all sides. At Nordmann, we continuously invest in the training and further education of our staff to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest developments. This allows us to provide our customers with the best possible advice and to stick to our motto “Knowledge in Action”. In the plastics industry as well as society in general, sustainability and climate protection are two defining issues of our time. 

How sustainably is Nordmann operating?

Dr. Gerd Bergmann: Sustainability and climate protection touch each one of us nowadays on a personal level, and thereby also every company. At Nordmann, we see sustainability as a matter of ecological, social and economic responsibility and we’ve made it an important piece of our corporate strategy. At the same time, we’re facing the real challenge of implementing requirements from a number of new laws and policies such as the Supply Chain Act or the EU’s Green Deal – even though clear guidelines are often still lacking.

Jost E. Laumeyer:  As a multinational distribution company, we play a central role in supply chains and can contribute significantly to making them more transparent and sustainable. We also view ourselves as a codesigner, networker and knowledge provider, and we know that sustainable solutions are important competitive advantages in today’s market. If we want to remain attractive as a business partner and as an employer, approaching the issue of sustainability with a sense of social and environmental responsibility is a must – without losing sight of profitability.

In specific terms, how is Nordmann actively pursuing its sustainability goals?

Dr. Gerd Bergmann: Nordmann is involved in sustainability initiatives such as Together for Sustainability and Responsible Care, and we’re ISO-50001 certified. We’ve added “sustainable” to our strategy, and we’ve also taken action on it by expanding our HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment, Quality) department to cover sustainability issues – including creating the resources necessary to do so. We have our commitments independently verified, too, and are now working towards ECOVADIS verification for our entire Group. So far that’s been a success, as Nordmann France achieved platinum status in April this year!

Jost E. Laumeyer: Together with TotalEnergies, we have passed the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) Plus certification process for renewable feedstocks, and our partner Kraton is also pleased to have achieved ISCC Plus certification for the production of its renewable styrene block copolymers (SBC) at the company’s plant in Berre, France. Having this certification allows us to bridge the gap in the supply chain for our customers. By choosing to go through Nordmann as a distributor, they can access a growing range of raw materials from sustainable sources – often exclusively. In addition to ISCC Plus certification, the use of ISCC-compliant materials provides additional guarantees on the origin of raw materials by ensuring stricter compliance with human rights and labor laws.

Another focus of the K 2022 fair is innovation. What new products and solutions will Nordmann be presenting?

Jost E. Laumeyer: Our co-exhibitors will be presenting a number of exciting innovations! To name just a few, our partner Honeywell’s range now includes NduroMatt™, a micronized matting agent for paints and coatings and a pioneering product for use in plastic coatings. Kraton is supplying an efficient and fully recyclable additive for difficult-to-recycle engineering polymers – CirKular+™ – and the company’s representatives will be happy to explain the advantages of the new product to our visitors at the K. Our partner Marfran will also be there to showcase its own sustainability guidelines, based on a four-pillar concept. Finally, our partner for organometallic catalysts and stabilizers – PMC – will be showing visitors the alternative EU-compliant products it can supply for organotin compounds.

Dr. Gerd Bergmann: In addition to the latest developments from our partners, we will also be promoting our Nordmann own brands. Our NORANTOX® line, for example, is a range of antioxidants and UV stabilizers. These are among the most frequently used additives in the plastics industry, making sure that modern plastics applications perform optimally even under difficult environmental conditions. We also have a comprehensive range of non-halogenated flame retardants that we market under the brand name NORD-MIN® Flame Retardant Master Batch (FRMB). We supply NORD-MIN® CPE135A as well – an impact modifier for various engineering PVC applications.

For detailed product information please contact our experts: sales(at)nordmann.global