Armin Delic joined the plastics recycler Polymers in 2005 as a shift worker, at a time when the facility was still under construction. Today, he knows the company practically like the back of his hand. As production manager and process engineer, he plays a key role in ensuring smooth operations at MGG Polymers. In this interview, he talks about his early days, the daily need to improvise, and why recycling has long been much more than just a job to him.

Mr. Delic, you are the production manager at MGG Polymers. What exactly do you do?

Armin Delic: I actually have a dual role. I’m a process engineer for our compounding lines, and this past February I also took on the role of production manager. While that means even more responsibility, I find the combination of these two roles to be a good fit for me. I need that connection to the equipment and to production.

You’ve been with Polymers for more than 20 years. How did it all start?

Armin Delic: I started in 2005, making me one of the very first employees. I heard that Polymers was hiring and applied. When I arrived at the company’s address, there were really just excavators and a large construction site barrier. At first, I thought I was at the wrong address, but the explanation was both simple and exciting: the buildings were still under construction. The facility being built was the Austrian joint venture MBA Polymers Austria, founded in 2004 by Mike Biddle from California and Christian Müller-Guttenbrunn.
A few months later, we got started with a small team. We helped set up the machines, attended training courses at WIFI, and were trained by our American colleagues. In 2006, we finally began production on a two-shift schedule.

What were the early days like?

Armin Delic: The beginning was, of course, a bit turbulent, but it was also marked by an enormous sense of optimism. We were already aware that something completely new was taking shape here. Like my colleagues, I worked in shifts and became a shift supervisor after a short time. A constant stream of new projects and additional equipment made it necessary to restructure the production process in 2019. Two process engineers were hired in the production department, and I was offered one of the positions—which I gladly accepted! As I mentioned at the beginning, I’ve also been the production manager since February.

You’ve been part of Polymers’ development practically from the very beginning. Does that help you today in carrying out your responsibilities?

Armin Delic: That’s probably one of my greatest strengths. I don’t just know the company from my current position. I started out in production myself, got to know the machines, managed shifts, experienced changes, and developed many processes together with my colleagues. Based on my experience, I also know that good ideas often come directly from production employees. That’s why I listen carefully when colleagues suggest improvements or changes.

Not all of them are feasible, but often these suggestions have the potential to improve or optimize processes. I enjoy working with people who think deeply about their work and don’t just go through the motions for eight hours a day to earn a living.

How many employees are you currently responsible for?

Armin Delic: If you count the colleagues in production and the lab together, that comes to a total of about 16 people. That’s quite a big responsibility. Many of them—like me—have been with MGG Polymers for a long time, and we know each other well. That helps me a lot in my current position, since we trust each other and treat one another with respect.

With all these tasks, is there such a thing as a “typical workday” for you?

Armin Delic: This might sound strange, but we generally don’t really have a “typical workday.” A large part of our work is extremely flexible. Of course, we have production schedules and know what quantities we need and what’s going to sales. But our incoming materials aren’t exactly the same every single day, so we have to adapt accordingly. Then a machine might break down, a worker might be absent, or a result might turn out differently than expected. We have to react spontaneously to these situations: Where can we ramp up production? Where can we scale back? Which machine should we operate differently? What can we reschedule?
That’s why we hold a meeting every morning with the departments involved. During that meeting, we determine the direction we’ll take for the next 24 hours. Of course, we also plan months in advance, but day-to-day operations require a great deal of flexibility.

Is it precisely this unpredictability that makes your work so exciting?

Armin Delic: Absolutely. You have to make decisions and find solutions all the time. A company where you determine exactly three months in advance which product will run on which machine operates differently. For us, a lot changes on short notice. That can be exhausting, but it also makes the work interesting. You have to understand the processes, know the team, and be able to react quickly at the same time. That’s exactly the mix I like.

The economic situation is currently difficult for many industrial companies. How is MGG Polymers experiencing this?

Armin Delic: The economic situation is certainly one of our biggest challenges right now. International competitive pressure is intense. Suppliers, especially from China, are flooding the market with low prices. That makes things difficult for European recycling companies. But we’re well-positioned as a company, and I’m confident about the coming years.

Since it’s often not entirely clear to outsiders: What sets MGG Polymers apart from a typical plastics distributor?

Armin Delic: A great deal. Polymers doesn’t simply purchase single-type plastics, extrude them, and then resell them. Our raw material comes from complex recycling streams, primarily from electrical and electronic waste. Within the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group, we complement each other very well in this regard. At Polymers, the goal is to extract precisely the fractions we need—such as ABS, PS, PMMA, PP, or PC-ABS—from a wide variety of different plastics. This requires many processing and sorting steps. Problematic components or unwanted substances are removed as early as possible. That is precisely where our strength lies and the expertise that sets us apart.

What profession did you originally train in, and was that a deciding factor in your hiring at MGG Polymers?

Armin Delic: I’m a trained auto mechanic, though that wasn’t a factor in my hiring here. Although I enjoyed my job, in my early twenties I started thinking about how I could earn more money. I wanted to get married, start a family, and build a life for myself. My plan was to work in industry for a few years and then return to my original profession. As you can see today, that plan didn’t work out—I’m still here. And that’s a good thing. The work at Polymers is a perfect fit for me.

What do you appreciate about the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group as an employer?

Armin Delic: I like working for a family-owned business. At Müller-Guttenbrunn, no employee is just a number—we’re truly valued. The difference was especially clear to me when Polymers joined the Müller-Guttenbrunn Group in 2017 after leaving the American conglomerate.

The atmosphere changed immediately. Today, a lot is done for us employees, and team building is a top priority. As a trained automotive technician and “gashead,” I’d like to highlight the Kart Trophy, among all the other events. It’s a lot of fun to spend a day with like-minded people. Many thanks to management for this, especially our CEO Christian Müller-Guttenbrunn.
Many of my colleagues have been with Polymers for a long time. Of course, there have been changes from time to time, and we’ve had to adapt during economically challenging times. Nevertheless, in my view, employee turnover is low. Many of the people I worked with on the production floor years ago are still here today. I like that.
When you look at photos from Polymers’ early days, it becomes clear just how much has changed since then. Investments were made, processes were refined, and there’s been a greater focus on our employees. Of course, in a company of this size, there are different perspectives and opinions. But our strength lies in the fact that the processes within the group mesh perfectly.

How has working at MGG Polymers changed your personal attitude toward recycling?

Armin Delic: To be honest, when I started here, environmental concerns weren’t necessarily my top priority. It didn’t take long, though. When you see every day what can be made from recycled materials, your perspective changes very quickly. When you consider how many companies worldwide are involved in recycling and how much money and development goes into this field, you begin to understand just how important the issue is in general. That realization was reinforced even more when my wife and I had children. You want to leave your children a world that’s worth living in.
When I drive to the recycling center in my personal time these days, I see a vacuum cleaner or a car stereo in a whole new light. Back then, it was just trash. Today, I see the materials inside these devices and realize the new life they can have. And I know the path this “trash” will take. I share this knowledge with my children in our daily lives so they understand why sorting trash is so important. I see the results in my oldest son, who approaches waste reduction and recycling in a completely different way than I did at his age.

Since we’re on the subject of your son: Can you tell us a little about Armin Delic the private person?

Armin Delic: My family is definitely my top priority. I live with my wife and our three children in a house in Amstetten that we’re renovating bit by bit. Our oldest son is currently very dedicated to soccer, and he has my full support. Together, we travel to many games throughout Lower Austria. If I have any time left over, I devote it to my passion for cars.
I like to spend my vacations in Bosnia, the country where I was born. There, I catch up with old friends and enjoy my free time by the sea with my whole family—my wife is Bosnian, too.

One final question: Looking back on more than 20 years at MGG Polymers, would you say you’ve found your professional calling?

Armin Delic: Yes, I’d definitely say so. I feel very comfortable in my current position. Polymers and I have, in a sense, grown together. When I started, this place was a construction site. Today, I’m the production manager. When you look at it that way, it’s been quite a journey.

Mr. Delic, thank you very much for your time, and all the best for the future!