Diamond delight for Luxus as it celebrates major milestone

The Louth business is a high-performing thermoplastics provider, playing an integral part in a sustainable supply chain for customers in sectors ranging from automotive to construction, packaging to horticulture.

Now a £36.5-million turnover operation, with dedicated processing, innovation and quality testing facilities at its headquarters on Fairfield Industrial Estate, it employs 140 people in the area, with a further 30 at a specialist subsidiary in South Wales.

Established by Ron Tonn in 1965 to provide waste solutions for the burgeoning plastics industry, it has prided itself on a pioneering approach to compound production. The US Army veteran had originally arrived in the UK in the late Fifties to launch the European arm of an American operation. Quickly joined by current managing director Peter Atterby - who has been at Luxus for 55 of the 60 years now celebrated - together they established the first dedicated compounding facility in Louth, attracted by existing industry and export potential offered by the Humber ports.

The early Eighties saw a dedicated laboratory developed to foster innovation, with a state-of-the-art technical centre added in 2014 It is one of the largest and most advanced facilities of its kind in the UK. In 2017 Luxus expanded as a group, acquiring Colour Tone Masterbatch Ltd, a bespoke manufacturer serving the European plastics market from Caerphilly. It was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2022 for its work with hard-to-recycle black plastics.

Mr Atterby said: “Celebrating our 60th anniversary is a real opportunity for us to reflect on what has been achieved, and underlines our commitment to quality, our clients, the environment and Louth.

“Recycling has rightly become part of everyone’s daily life, but we were well into our journey by the time household targets were introduced in the early Noughties. “We’re incredibly proud of the leading industry role Luxus plays and the importance our work has.”

Staff and suppliers enjoyed a Sixties themed party at The Brackenborough Lakes Resort in Louth, with a live band and magician, to celebrate.

“It was a pleasure to celebrate with our hard-working team, who make Luxus the force in the industry it is,” Mr Atterby said.

“Their dedication ensures our unstinting sustainability efforts, innovation and track record of delivery allows us to speak with authority and share expertise. We now set our sights on future milestones.”

The company produces 30,000 tonnes of recycled plastic compounds annually, having started with 600 tonnes, then going into the formation of coat hangers and films.

End uses now include car parts, with a key strand being the lightweighting to aid fuel efficiency and the electric vehicle transition. Specialist materials for waterless washing machines are also produced.

Luxus has also delivered a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero part-funded project to develop cleaner recycling processes.

The seventh decade will see it continue to lead the industry, while the UK’s largest independent recycler is also launching an exciting brand, offering safe, traceable, multi-life solutions.