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June 25, 2009
TRAVERSE CITY, MI—Century Extrusion, a global leader in the supply of twin screw extruders, announces the retirement of business advisor Asmut Kahns. Kahns will retire on Tuesday, June 30, after four decades in the plastics extrusion industry. The announcement was made on June 22 at the International Plastics Showcase in Chicago, Illinois.
Kahns began his career at Werner & Pfleiderer (now Coperion) in Stuttgart, Germany, as an apprentice in an intensive training program. In 1964 he assumed the position of Project Engineer for U.S. customers, eventually taking over the North American sales region. “In those days, twin screw extruders were a novel technology,” says Kahns, “and they were accepted rapidly because of their obvious benefits to the compounding industry.”
During his long career, Kahns witnessed the growth of the twin screw extruder market as it expanded to industries beyond polymer compounding. “In the 1980s, the market exploded and new competitors arrived on the scene. Twin screw extruders found acceptance in industries including food, chemicals, inks, paint, and adhesives,” he said.
Kahns remained with Werner & Pfleiderer for much of his career, eventually becoming Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the United States division. In 2003, he accepted an advisory position with Century, Inc., and stayed with the Century Extrusion division when it was acquired by the CPM group. “I decided to join Century Extrusion because it was an up and coming, exciting player in the industry, with great potential for growth,” said Kahns.
Bob Urtel, President of Century Extrusion, said, “Asmut has been a great asset to us; we have benefited greatly from his knowledge and experience. We will miss his presence, and wish him a happy retirement.”
To his colleagues in the plastics extrusion industry, Kahns gave the following advice: “During my career, I’ve seen several economic ups and downs. These are difficult times, but it is important to remember that the industry always comes back up.”
After his official retirement, Kahns plans to travel with his wife and spend time with his three sons and two grandchildren. “I had a great, fulfilling career, and I feel very much a part of our industry,” he said.
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