Merklein studied and graduated in Business Administration from IHK Frankfurt institution in Germany.

AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS MANUFACTURER O U T S I D E R E A R - V I E W M I R R O R G A S K E T • Black materials with hardness 60 and shore A • UV Stabilized • Overmouldable on to PP • ROHS Compliant • Customer specified material • Utilized global reach to translate customer approved solution from Europe to India • Reduced development time as material was already qualified in Europe • Reduced import/export costs • Enabled Indian business to specify Avient as a preferred supplier Custom GLS™ Thermoplastic Elastomer KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

HYDROPONIC GROWING SYSTEM BRAND F L E X I B L E N E C K F O R L A M P • High flow performance capabilities • Beautiful finish • Soft touch • Supported the development process, from initial design to product launch, to meet the needs of both the molder and OEM • Delivered a TPE solution that enabled a 22” flow line with a wall thickness of 0.225” • Provided technical support and shared process best practices to minimize cosmetic defects Versalloy™ XL Thermoplastic Elastomer KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

Baby diaper manufactureR BABY DIAPER MANUFACTURER P P N O N W O V E N M U L T I L A Y E R S • Provide slip additives with high concentrated content • Offer products meeting customer FDA requirements • Shorten supply lead time and reduce cost compared with importing from EU • Offered additives with high concentrated content, which is unachievable for competitors • Provided regulatory support, significant cost and time savings • Compressed the timeline through on-site color visualization, exploration, and formulation of new colors by the expert designer Cesa Slip Additives KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

EUROPEAN MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURER F A C E M A S K V E N T I L A T I O N V A L V E • ISO 9001 and USP VI compliant • Compatible with overmolding onto PP • Translucent and highly colorable • Soft touch • Provided valuable regulatory support and documentation, enabling faster internal trials and material qualification for this customer • Worked together with customer to select the best material from a broad portfolio of medical TPE grades • Trusted as a polymer supplier for multiple healthcare applications Dynaflex™ G2711 Thermoplastic Elastomer KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

TIER 1 SUPPLIER S E A T B U C K L E S Y S T E M • Rapid development of 3 colors for global OEM platform, for 3 materials (POM, SAN, PP) • Help Tier 1 transition from printing to laser marking of buckles • Develop formulation that offers laser marking solution plus color • Quick reaction to develop three colors for this global vehicle launch • Smartbatch™ color + laser marking formulation met requirements for critical safety components Smartbatch™ Combination Colorants & Additives KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER H O U S I N G F O R C R A N E C O N T R O L • High impact performance, charpy notched > 60kJ/m2 • Part assembly: tight dimensional tolerances ±0.05mm • Critical weld lines are invisible on the final part • Red RAL 3020 as branding color • Color stability during injection • Offered a nylon (PA66) formulation with high impact resistance and dimensional stability • Supported injection trials with field technical services • Developed a ready-to-use solution in RAL 3020 with excellent color stability, helping to reduce scrap rate from >50% to 4% • Enabled timely production through fast new developments and samplings • Offered additional color options Bergamid Polyamide Formulations KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

ETO / Gamma radiation) • Facilitated 510(k) submission with formulations registered under Device Master File MAF 1833 • Pre-tested raw materials to biocompatibility ISO10993, US and Eu Pharmacopeia, ICH-Q3D extractable metals • Enhanced stability with gamma stabilizing package • Minimized risk of change with change control beyond CAS number level • Ensured uninterrupted supply from multiple ISO 13485-2016 certified sites • MEVOPURTM ISO 6009 Standard / Customized Solutions KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

NEEDLE HUB MANUFACTURER N E E D L E H U B C O L O R S • RAL and Pantone® colors available in palette to align with ISO 6009 color standard • Opaque and transparent polypropylene selections available in both masterbatch and ready-to-use precolors • Raw materials pre-tested to ISO 10993 and USP Class VI medical device guidelines • Certified formulations available globally • Provided RAL and Pantone colors as required • Developed custom polypropylene formulations to meet specific opacities • Offered pre-tested raw materials and produced in an ISO 13485 certified site, minimizing risk across the value chain • Provided global formulations transferrable from our three ISO 13485 certified facilities Mevopur™ Healthcare Colors KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?

INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT OEM P A I N T S P R A Y E R • Meet or exceed UL94 V-2 flame rating • Able to interact with existing bulk chemistry without compromising functionality or brand color and aesthetics • Deliver cost targets while providing operational efficiency and a working capital strategy • Accelerate product development timeline, and provide UL94 testing verification prior to production trials • Achieved all flame rating requirements and assisted with regulatory approvals • Developed a proprietary Smartbatch solution that minimized potential effects from interaction with current bulk chemistries • Provided needed support with qualification process and testing requirements, saving time and cost • Afforded on-going support with A2LA test labs, sampling, and lot-to-lot consistency with exacting performance Smartbatch™ Formulation: Cesa™ Flame Retardant Additives and OnColor™ Colorants KEY REQUIREMENTS WHY AVIENT?