Oman-based Octal, the world’s largest PET resin and sheet producer on a single site, said it continues to solidify and grow its customer base in the US thanks to the dependability of its supply chain and the quality of its products.

With over 60 clients within the US, the manufacturer has successfully leveraged its strategic location aside the Port of Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman’s southernmost governorate. Capitalizing on direct international shipping lanes and supplementing supply with its world-class facilities in Cincinnati, Octal customers enjoy a steady and reliable supply of the company’s technologically superior PET solutions.

Octal’s CEO, Nicholas Barakat, said: “Our unique position in Oman’s Port of Salalah puts us at the heart of East-West trading lines that in turn enabled us to circumnavigate the impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma with minimal interruptions to our supply chain. Our advance action logistics team also gave us the flexibility to reposition cargo in ports not affected by the weather conditions. Furthermore, we source our materials from a wide variety of locations globally and are currently leveraging our plant in Cincinnati, which acts as a bridge to alleviate any possible delays. This dependability has enabled us to sign multiple supply agreements with leading US companies right through December 2020.”

Barakat added: “The basis of our growth has been the ability to sustain a pipeline of new product applications which permits PET to become the packaging material of choice. Our products are being utilized for a number of applications in different market segments including the agriculture, food packaging, confectionary, and medical among others.

“We have achieved these significant milestones from both the material science and converting performance point of view, with our extrusion plant in Cincinnati aiding in successfully commercializing our product portfolio, which is delivering unmatched performance and economics. Octal will build upon the success of the Cincinnati plant in launching new products and providing seamless supply by increasing its capacity by over 50 per cent in 2018. This investment will add not only new capacity but new technologies, which will eventually proliferate into new international markets.”

Octal’s extensive product range includes PET Barrier and Non-Barrier Laminated Sheet, Antifog Sheet, Print Grade Sheet, Colored PET Sheet, and Impact Resistant, among other grades that have successfully filled critical market and performance needs for thermoformers, food processors and brand owners, alike. The company’s technical team works closely with these constituencies to target innovation that ultimately delivers benefits to the consumer, establishing PET as the packaging polymer of choice.

During 2018, Octal is looking to introduce grades with additional high performance characteristics that will broaden use overall and continue the double digit growth in demand for DPET packaging. – TradeArabia News Service