Pafra is sticking with Basildon

12:48pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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A BASILDON-based adhesives company has bought up an Oxfordshire firm as part of its process of expansion.

Pafra Adhesives bought PU, Acrylics & PVA as part of what Pafra's chief executive officer Trevor Clarke describes as its "programme to secure the future of Pafra into the next generation."

While a large part of the adhesives industry has moved to the Far East, Pafra has stuck to its roots in Basildon, where the company moved from London, in 1968.

Pafra was founded after the Second World War by European refugee, Max Kochmann. Mr Kochmann was a chairman of the Billericay magistrates' bench.

"Pafra and Basildon are closely linked and we're staying put," Mr Clarke said.

Mr Clarke said both companies had strong technical and research programmes.

"The move will allow us to expand both our technology base and our customer base," he said.

Pafra's current turnover is £3million, but combined operations will give it a turnover of about £4.5million.

Pafra, based in Bentalls, Basildon, remains a leading UK supplier of adhesives to the furniture, building, board, case and carton-converting industries.

Millions of British cardboard boxes are sealed with Pafra adhesives, which are also used for products as varied as tobacco and L'Oreal cosmetics.

As an adhesives company, Pafra is part of a fast developing industry. Futuristic products under development include adhesives which double as paint, and others with insulation qualities.