22nd December 2015
Business Development Manager, Jim Ballantyne retires this week after 15 years with leading technical plastics compounder and recycler Luxus.
In 2001 Jim Ballantyne joined Luxus from a plastics closure business. He had always been interested in the technical side of things, understanding how things work. This new role was to allow him the scope to explore technological boundaries within a sales role like never before.
At the time he was well placed to help spearhead a new era for Luxus which saw the compounder accelerate from supplying entry level black grades to the development of sustainable thermoplastics (PP) to satisfy critical class ‘A’ finish auto components.
Jim Ballantyne explains: “We quickly moved from offering colour matched polymer compounds for low level visible interior applications to upper cabin visible interior applications.
The challenge was to convince the client that compounds with recycled polymer didn’t mean a problematic product.
“To help achieve this technical leap, considerable innovation and consultation with the client was required to deliver a repeatable product with appropriate tensile, impact, scratch resistance and other properties required to meet quality, plus performance standards – all this from a recycled content thermoplastic (PP), not prime.
“Inevitably the automaker’s requirements became more complex, challenging us to deliver increasingly technical materials as specifications quickly evolved. ‘Cost down’ of course remained important, but so too were the technical attributes of the material - we needed to constantly innovate.”
Peter Atterby, Managing Director, Luxus, comments: “Jim has been instrumental in moving Luxus forward into the 21st century as a leading technical compounder. His relationship building skills across varied stake holders in the automotive arena has helped Luxus establish our reputation and credentials as a leading supplier within this challenging sector.
“It has been a pleasure working with Jim over the years and I have enjoyed the experience on both a professional and personnel level. I’d like to thank him for his contribution to the company and wish him all the very best for the future.”
For 10 years Jim Ballantyne had sole responsibility for business development across many diverse markets until the sale team inevitably grew. Today, Luxus remains at the forefront of technical innovation with the development of the new Hycolene™ range, which features next generation additives to meet automakers stringent light-weighting and CO2 reduction requirements.
As for the future, Jim Ballantyne believes the greatest change to the industry now will be globalisation. “A reducing ‘pool’ of both suppliers and manufacturers means materials specifications are now adopted on a global, not local scale. Automakers can pick up and drop production lines regardless of location.
“We believe therefore, the next step to stay ahead is via knowledge transfer, to offer our Hycolene™ technology to selected European compounders through license agreements for the first time. This means Luxus will be well placed to offer a truly global materials supply solution.”
In his retirement Jim Ballantyne will be overseeing his very own ‘grand design’, he will be project managing the development of a brand new home in the centre of Louth.
Ends
Notes to editors
For further information please contact: Sasha Stewart, Straight Talk PR, tel: 07764 346 896 or email: sasha@straighttalkpr.co.uk
Luxus Ltd
UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.