Astral Adhesives & Coatings, Inc.
By AICC Staff
January 24, 2022
Astral Adhesives & Coatings, Inc. continues to be a leading supplier to the packaging industry, providing customized coatings for the paper and paperboard market. This past year presented many challenges within the supply chain and distribution, and Astral responded by creating custom solutions to ensure clients had everything they needed to run their business.
By operating out of two manufacturing facilities centrally located in the United States, Astral has double the operations capabilities and overlapping inventories. This production model has helped the company meet customer needs on time and with full service, despite slower shipping times, raw materials shortages, and bearing occasional additional freight costs to ensure there are no disruptions at the customer level.
“Having redundant manufacturing capabilities has helped us weather the storm successfully,” said Vikas Singhal, president of Astral Adhesives & Coatings, Inc. “We are operating in the most difficult environment I’ve seen in my 30 years in the business. Supply challenges coupled with freight constraints make it an unparalleled operating environment.
“Astral joins many in the industry who report frequent price increases. This has put pressure on margins, while continued shortages make planning difficult. Labor availability also continues to be an issue. Yet, despite these challenges, we have been able to introduce new products, grow our top line, and increase our market share. We are well positioned to support the packaging industry going forward.”
The company is working on various new opportunities in the “take out” folding carton market, heat seal, and anti-corrosion markets. In addition, Astral has entered the “cohesive” market with an exciting new product that has been fully commercialized. Recyclable and durable products highlight Astral’s multipurpose coating line, changing the way consumers bring home meals and essential food items.
A long-time industry leader, Astral’s principals have more than 50 years of experience in the coatings business and are committed to finding solutions to the most challenging projects. Groundbreaking technologies in the paperboard industry and coating formulas come together to create sustainable, superior products.
Singhal credits his customers for driving Astral’s pioneering approach to creating new products.
“We are always changing and growing as a company, mainly because we listen to our clients, so we know specifically what they need,” Singhal said. “By partnering with our customers, we are able to create the customized new products they need to succeed in their business, which helps us lead the way in the paperboard packaging industry.”
Contact:
Vikas Singhal
President
562-676-5607
