Graham Engineering targets Eastern Europe at Prague event
Canadian Plastics
Plastics ProcessesA recent Graham business-development event in Prague is part of an initiative to expand Graham's business in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Graham Engineering’s Vladimir Ilyutovich addresses Czech industry leaders during an event at the U.S. Embassy in Prague. Photo Credit: Graham Engineering Corp.
In a move to expand its business in Europe and Asia-Pacific, blow molding and extrusion equipment maker Graham Engineering Co. recently held a development event at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czechia.
Organized by Vladimir Ilyutovich, Graham’s director of international sales, extruders and systems EMEA, in collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Service team, the event drew more than two dozen senior management, R&D, technical and manufacturing leaders, and is the first such event of several that the York, Pa.-based company expects to mount in the near future. Similar industry gatherings are being planned for Kazakhstan and Vietnam and/or Singapore in 2024, company officials said.
“We chose Prague because it has a diverse and growing economy and it plays an important role in the overall economic development of Czechia and Eastern Europe as a whole,” explains Mike Duff, Graham’s vice president of sales and service. “It has a well-connected transportation system and, as a member of the European Union it benefits from EU funds, which have helped to finance many large-scale infrastructure and development projects. All this makes it a popular destination for international trade and investment.”
Eastern European countries have been experiencing substantial industrial growth in sectors such as automotive, construction, and packaging, Ilyutovich added, which often rely on extruded components and materials, driving the demand for extrusion services. “As a result, he notes, the extrusion sector has witnessed significant development in the region,” he said. He also cited a skilled workforce, competitive costs, and ready access to European markets as reasons why Czechia, in particular, is in a favourable position for growth.
Graham now has four business units: Kennedy Tool, American Kuhne, Welex, and the Graham brands. The company is owned by Graham Partners, a Newtown Square, Pa.-based holding company.
