State parliament member and CDU faction leader visit plastic recycler in Gardelegen

Gardelegen, November 28, 2023. WIPAG, the Gardelegen-based company has been in operation for over 20 years and was acquired by the Otto Krahn Group in Hamburg in 2018. The recent announcement of a consolidation with the compounder and sister company MOCOM means that WIPAG will also operate under the MOCOM brand in the future. During the visit by the state parliament member of Saxony-Anhalt, Sandra Hietel-Heuer, and the CDU faction leader of Saxony-Anhalt, Guido Heuer, the focus is on regional production, employee recruitment, and collaboration between authorities and businesses.

Whether in mobile phones, cars, or sports and leisure products, plastics are ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives. And for good reasons: plastics are versatile and excellently recyclable. Discarded plastic products or production waste can be processed, resulting in new plastic granules. WIPAG/MOCOM in Gardelegen specializes in producing these processed plastics, which are then used to manufacture new products, such as car bumpers.

"Through our on-site-visits, we aim to gather suggestions for our parliamentary work in Magdeburg, particularly emphasizing that the conditions in the state must foster economic growth and the preservation and creation of new jobs and training opportunities. We quickly agreed on this during our exchange in Gardelegen, especially regarding the important aspect of accelerating approval processes," said Guido Heuer. "We are delighted that WIPAG/MOCOM is expanding its presence, contributing to the further development of the region. In addition, it is crucial to highlight the innovative and sustainable processes of the plastic recycler, as resource conservation and circular economy not only generate competitive advantages but also protect our environment," added Sandra Hietel-Heuer.

In Gardelegen, WIPAG/MOCOM is actively involved in developing new technologies for the reprocessing of plastics. Globally, WIPAG/MOCOM employs 800 people, with around 50 based in Gardelegen. The completion of a new production hall for carbon fiber-reinforced plastics in April next year will lead to additional job openings. However, the shortage of skilled workers poses challenges to economic growth. Yet the reuse of plastics is increasingly gaining importance, with many customers, such as those in the automotive industry, already transitioning to recycled plastics or actively researching in that direction.

"As specialists in sustainable plastics with various properties, we advise manufacturing companies on the selection of their materials," explained Jens Kaatze, CEO of WIPAG/MOCOM. "Being close to vehicle manufacturers and the supplier industry is crucial for us as a plastic processor. Therefore, Gardelegen is an ideal production location for us, and we intend to continue investing in it in the future. We greatly appreciate the interest shown by Sandra Hietel-Heuer and Guido Heuer in our production site in Altmark," concluded Jens Kaatze.

About WIPAG/MOCOM

MOCOM GmbH & Co. KG, with its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, is a global compounder of thermoplastic polymers. The company offers the plastics processing industry a comprehensive product range of high-performance plastics as well as sustainable technical compound solutions.

In addition to specialties (Alcom®, Tedur®) and customized products (Altech®, Altech NXT® PP, Alfater XL®), the portfolio includes a variety of near-to-prime recycling products (Alcom® ECO, Altech® ECO, Alfater XL® ECO). Also part of the sustainable portfolio is the lightweight compound WIC, which is made from secondary carbon fiber, and the products WIPAFLEX and WIPELAST. In addition, MOCOM uses innovative recycling technologies to process plastic waste streams, which are reused as valuable materials in the products of the processing industries. MOCOM serves the following industries, including: Automotive, Electric and Electronics, Home and Garden, and Sports and Leisure.

As part of the Hamburg-based Otto Krahn Group, MOCOM employs around 900 people with production sites in Germany (Hamburg, Erlenbach, Gardelegen, Neuburg a. d. D., Zülpich) as well as the USA (Duncan, South Carolina) and China (Changshu).

MOCOM was awarded Gold by the independent rating agency EcoVadis. The company is also certified in accordance with the IATF 16949 and ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards.

For more information, visit mocom.eu/en.