TS16949, ISO 18001, continuous improvement, cost reduction programmes, continuous investment and updating of our equipment is where Eastland Compounding is today. The future is accreditation to the international environmental standard ISO 14001 and continued stratergy of supply to Europe including the creation of Eastland Compounding Czech Republic. (www.eastlandcompounding.cz) The beginnings were at Middleton in Manchester - the home of British Vita – over 40 years ago. During the sixties, British Vita was developing its own rubber moulding capability, Vitamol Ltd, based at Middleton. The subsequent purchase of The Stalybridge Rubber Company to add to their own rubber requirements resulted in an ever- increasing demand for rubber compounds. In order to supply these companies, British Vita decided to install a compounding facility in Middleton. The facility grew very quickly and soon demand became larger then capacity. In order to gain extra capacity an established compounding company was purchased in 1969, named British Recovered Rubber, based in Clayton, Manchester. British Vita now had two compounding sites and a decision was taken to create an internal rubber compounding division and name it Vitacom. A large capital investment redevelopment plan was immediately implemented at the Clayton site. Slowly, the Clayton site rivalled the Middleton site for capacity, which by now had developed a significant coloured compounding business with roller die down stream equipment. Improvements continued, with Vitacom becoming the first British Vita company to achieve accreditation to BS 5750 Part I. During this period the Clayton site became the head office of the company. Over the next few years British Vita developed more of a global strategy, which did not include Vitacom. This prompted the purchase discussions via E3g Ltd of the sale of Vitacom. E3g Ltd was formed as a purchase vehicle by the management of Vitacom. An agreement was reached and the transaction took place at the end of November 2001. Eastland Compounding was subsequently formed as a division of E3g Ltd. The name Eastland Compounding was suggested by the company’s workforce and reflects the strongly developing area of Manchester which accommodates the new Sports City Complex and several other new developments in the area. Since the formation of Eastland Compoounding the company has consolidated onto one site in Clayton. After a major capital expenditure programe it now has three computer controlled mixing lines all automatically bulk fed with one line having inline straining capability. At the time of the consolidation a 14,000 sq ft warehouse was erected to facilitate the continuous growth planned by Eastland Compounding. Eastland Compounding gained accreditation to QS9000 in 2002, achieved the Health and Safety standard ISO 18001 in 2003 and gained accreditation to TS16949 in 2005. During 2005 Eastland Compounding installed an inline straining facility to assist major customers in achieving best in class performance. Eastland Compounding operates three stand alone mixing lines, one intermeshing and two tangential. This enables Eastland Compounding to maintain the flexibility and excellent delivery lead-times necessary to service the ever increasing demands of the industry. Eastland Compounding will continue to invest and adapt to meet it's customers’ ever increasing requirements, looking forward to the challenge of the next 40 years!