Vinnolit Announces that Managing Director Dr Josef Ertl will Retire Effective October 31, 2015

Dr Ertl has been with Vinnolit since 1998 where he led the Monomers and Thermoplastics business units. In 2001, he joined the Management Board and became Managing Director and CEO of Vinnolit. In this role, he led the transformation of Vinnolit into the global market and technology leader in specialty PVC. Most recently, he led the sale of Vinnolit to Westlake and the subsequent integration of Vinnolit into the Westlake family of companies.

His personal commitment and leadership have earned him respect within Vinnolit as well as in the European PVC and plastics industry, where he engaged himself inter alia as Chairman of VinylPlus, Vinyl 2010 and ECVM and currently serves as Chairman of PlasticsEurope Germany.

"We would like to express our appreciation to Dr Ertl for his years of service and many contributions to Vinnolit, the industry and most recently to Westlake. During his tenure, he has shaped and built Vinnolit into the company that we know today. We wish him well in the future and that he has a long and healthy retirement," stated Albert Chao, President and CEO of Vinnolit´s parent company Westlake Chemical.

Vinnolit Group

With an annual capacity of 780,000 metric tonnes (1.7 billion lbs) Vinnolit, a Westlake company, is one of the leading PVC producers in Europe and, worldwide, is the market and technical leader in specialty PVC.

National and international activities of the company are managed from Ismaning, near Munich. Production sites are in Burghausen, Gendorf, Knapsack, Cologne, Schkopau and Hillhouse (UK). With 1,400 staff, Vinnolit has an annual turnover of ca. €900 million. Managing Directors are James Yuan Chao, Albert Yuan Chao, M. Steven Bender, Robert F. Buesinger, and Dr Josef Ertl.

Vinnolit produces and markets a wide range of PVC products covering all kinds of PVC applications, e.g. in the building & construction sector, in the automobile industry or in the medical sector. Whether the PVC is for flooring, wall covering, window profiles, pipes, rigid film, technical coatings, automotive sealants, cable sheathing or medical applications, Vinnolit is able to offer a suitable solution for all demands.

Additionally Vinnolit produces and markets intermediates such as caustic soda, vinyl chloride and tin tetrachloride, which are required in the chemical industry as well as in many other branches.

Vinnolit participates in the worldwide Responsible Care programme of the chemical industry to continuously improve safety, health and environmental protection and supports VinylPlus, the voluntary commitment of the European PVC industry towards sustainable development, as ‘Official Partner’ financially, ideally and through active participation.

www.vinnolit.com

Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK)

Westlake Chemical Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products with headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company’s range of products includes: ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, caustic, VCM, PVC suspension and specialty resins and PVC building products including pipe and specialty components, windows, fence, deck and film. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.westlake.com.

Editorial:
Dr Oliver Mieden, Head of Environmental Affairs & Corporate Communications
Vinnolit GmbH & Co. KG, Carl-Zeiss-Ring 25, 85737 Ismaning, Germany
Phone: +49 89 96103-240, Fax: -122, E-mail: oliver.mieden@vinnolit.com

Andrea Walter, Public Relations Officer
Vinnolit GmbH & Co. KG, Carl-Zeiss-Ring 25, 85737 Ismaning, Germany
Phone: +49 89 96103-240, Fax: -122, E-mail: andrea.walter@vinnolit.com

This release was published on openPR.