Joe Read has been appointed Managing Director of Biesterfeld in the United Kingdom and Ireland, effective 1 March 2026. He will succeed Guy Payne, who will assume the role of long-term advisor to the company. The change in the management position concerns Biesterfeld's activities in the important British and Irish markets, which include, among others, the segment of engineering plastics and composites.
The new Managing Director brings to Biesterfeld many years of experience gained in the British and European engineering polymers industry. This included senior positions in sales, commercial management and strategic marketing at companies such as DuPont, Delrin and EMS-Chemie. Read also has strong ties with the composites industry, where for several years he successfully managed a distribution company together with his father.
For many years Biesterfeld has been present on the polymers market in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a distributor of specialised plastics and materials for various industrial sectors. The appointment of the new Managing Director is in line with the company's long-term strategy of strengthening its position in the region through the development of its material portfolio, technical competences and relations with local customers.
Experience in engineering polymers and composites
Joe Read's career is closely linked to the engineering polymers market, including materials with enhanced performance properties used in demanding industrial applications. He has held management positions in sales and business development, as well as in strategic marketing, focusing on the use of advanced engineering plastics in various branches of industry.
An important element of his professional profile is practical experience in the composites sector. For several years, Read successfully ran a distribution company in this market segment together with his father. As a result, he combines knowledge of the technical requirements placed on materials with the perspective of a distributor, whose task is to match the product portfolio to the needs of local industrial customers.
Joe Read emphasises that the new position gives him the opportunity to play an active role in the further development of Biesterfeld in the British and Irish markets. He notes that the company is a well-recognised participant in the local polymers market, and his goal will be to gradually expand this business by building on the company's existing achievements.
Continuation of Biesterfeld's development in the UK and Ireland
Upon taking up the position of Managing Director, Joe Read announces his commitment to the next stage of the company's development in the region. In his first public statements, he points to the importance of the position that Biesterfeld has built up on the British market to date. From the company's perspective, the change in the management position is intended to strengthen its activities by combining the experience of the new manager with the existing structure and relationships with customers.
According to Biesterfeld's management board, Joe Read has the skills needed to further develop the business based on well-considered strategic actions and technical knowledge of engineering polymers and composites. The new Managing Director is expected to support the company's growth by using his broad and diverse professional experience on the European market.
At the same time, the company highlights the importance of the work carried out by Guy Payne over the past two decades. His contribution to building Biesterfeld's position in the United Kingdom and Ireland has been assessed as crucial in shaping the current scale of the company's operations in the region. Payne's transition to the role of long-term advisor is intended to ensure continuity of market and customer knowledge and a smooth handover of responsibilities to the new Managing Director.
