David Outen has been appointed managing director of Dugdale Plc the technical PVC compounds and dry blends manufacturer. He succeeds Tom Durkin who takes on a new role as Executive Chairman. Richard Bickerton, who purchased the company with Tom Durkin in 2001, becomes non-executive director.

Outen is well known in the PVC industry and to the current directors at Dugdale having been managing director of Vita Thermoplastics Compounds Limited (now owned by Texas Pacific), previously Doeflex Vinyl, where Richard Bickerton, Tom Durkin and John Salmon, sales & marketing director, worked for many years. Originally employed as quality manager in 1991 Outen, who has a degree in Chemistry and Polymer Science/Technology from Loughborough University, took over the helm at Doeflex in 2001.

Over the past five years the owners of Dugdale have invested over £2.5 million in new plant and reorganisation at the company’s Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, manufacturing plant. Three new Buss extruders, handling plant and a dedicated development machine have been installed. A range of rigid PVC materials has been successfully introduced and a strategy aimed at the creation of technically challenging, high performance PVC compounds has resulted in the introduction of several new materials. Recently the company announced new nitrile PVC gasket compound grades with attractive cost performance profiles aimed at the PVC window systems sector.

Commenting on his appointment Outen said: “It’s great to join a progressive company committed to PVC whose ethos is to invest in the industry, develop new materials and focus on high quality customer service.”