Today (1 April) marked an important moment for Sekisui SPI, manufacturer of Kydex Thermoplastics, as the company announced that it had been rebranded under the new name Sekisui Kydex.

Announcing the renaming on LinkedIn, the company said while it might seem like “bad timing” or “a lack of recognition of what is taking place in the world” to complete the renaming of its business, it was in fact the perfect time.

“The reality is that, besides being April Fool’s Day, April 1st is the legal date that we begin to do business as Sekisui Kydex,” it wrote.

“This is a process that was set in motion months ago as we looked toward the future. Being “forward-looking” is part of our company DNA. Like you, we are carefully considering the present and the future of our business. We owe it to our customers to be prepared for what comes AFTER this pandemic is behind us.

“Using that as our inspiration, we launch our new company name, today:
• To support our friends and partners across all industries
• For our dedicated and passionate 400+ employees, who are delivering more than our customers can imagine while keeping us running 24/7
• In appreciation and support for our local communities, like the restaurants delivering hot meals to our employees in Bloomsburg, PA and Holland, MI.

“We’re looking forward to beginning a new chapter with our new company name: Sekisui Kydex.”

Sekisui Chemical acquired the Kydex® brand in 1990.

Kydex Thermoplastics are best known as specialised polymers manufactured with incredibly short lead times in industry-leading small production batches. Using the Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) model to support the bespoke nature of new customer demands, Sekisui Kydex manufactures exactly what their customers want in the time and sizes that help them rapidly innovate and grow.

Kydex Thermoplastics serve as sustainable solutions to alternative materials.

When Ronn Cort became president and COO in 2012, he was presented with an opportunity to work with Sekisui Chemical more closely. “I wanted our customers and communities to experience the commitment to the environment and society that I saw at Sekisui Chemical,” said Cort.

He was inspired by their one-hundred-year vision and values of ‘service, speed, and superiority’.

“With the support of Sekisui Chemical, the Kydex® brand is expanding its products and services for future generations,” said Cort.

“The significant investment in our manufacturing campuses enables and encourages us to develop new material solutions in collaboration with our partners and customers. The people, architecture, routines, and culture of Sekisui Kydex are specifically designed to take us to new places, because there are no old roads to new destinations.”

Kydex® Thermoplastics currently range from PVC to polycarbonate (PC) materials and high-impact performance plastics (HIPPS) and are continually expanding into new markets and applications.