News Plastech
Global demand for plastics processing machinery should grow nearly 5% a year for the next four years with sales in developing countries outpacing the US, Western Europe and Japan, according to Freedonia Group.
Polymer demand in 2008 in four key Central European countries - Poland, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Republics - reached 4.28m tonnes, according to an estimate from AMI.
The Dow Chemical Company announced a series of aggressive actions to accelerate its transformational strategy in light of current economic realities.
Ashland Inc. last week completed its acquisition of Hercules Incorporated, creating a leading specialty chemicals company serving many of the world`s most essential needs and industries.
Plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers in Europe: high expectations for production in 2008 - downturn in 2009
Rhodia and KCI have signed a global partnership agreement for marketing KCI`s polymers for conditioning performance in shampoo and shower gel formulations. KCI's recognized high quality Polyquaternium-10 product range will be marketed by Rhodia under the trade namePolycare.
Miroglio becomes the latest NatureWorks partner to sign a Master License Agreement (MLA) to supply fiber and yarns in Europe and beyond.
Biesterfeld acquires Polish Distributor for Specialty Chemicals Milar
Arkema strengthens its position in Asia by doubling the production capacity of its Shanghai Hydrogen Peroxide plant.
Turning point reached following boom in orders for plastics and rubber machinery in the first half of 2008. After years of healthy growth rates and record output in 2007, the upward trend in German plastics and rubber machinery manufacturing seems to be over.
Huhtamaki Oyj intends to focus on packaging operations where it has a competitive advantage, good market positions and which create value for Huhtamaki and its customers.
Borealis and MCC agree to improve PP compound supply for the automotive industry.
Effective as of 1 July 2008 Moretto Deutschland GmbH was established as a distribution and service organisation in Neunkirchen am Sand (near Nuremberg, Germany).
SABIC is the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, one of the world`s leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilizers, plastics and metals. The company supplies these materials to other companies, who use them to make the products on which the world has come to depend. SABIC Innovative Plastics, launched in 2007, is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with a 75-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers` most pressing challenges. We publish the interview with Andy Verheijden (Growth Leader for Eastern Europe at SABIC Innovative Plastics, formerly GE Plastics), Piotr Kwiecień (Office Captain of SABIC Poland), and Boy Litjens (Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Managing Board of SABIC Europe).
In Wloclawek (Poland) the Presidents of PKN Orlen, Polimex-Mostostal and the City of Wloclawek together with representatives of Mitsubishi Chemical officially commenced the construction of a purified terephthalic acid plant (PTA). The installation, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes, will be operating on the premises of PKN Orlen adjacent to Anwil Wloclawek.
At an analyst conference held in London, BASF has confirmed its outlook for 2008 despite signs of weakening growth in the chemical industry. For the current year, the company has revised its expectations for growth in global chemical production from 2.8 percent to 2.4 percent. For 2008, BASF is now assuming an average oil price (Brent) of $120 per barrel and an average exchange rate of $1.55 per euro.
With 150 million Euro, the three Engel Deutschland sites have booked their highest turnover of all ages. This actually means an increase of 70% over a period of five years.
BASF`s Crop Protection division continues to grow rapidly in the expanding markets of Central and South Eastern Europe. Over the past few years, the company has launched numerous proprietary products in the region. In 2008, seven innovative products for all crop segments will be introduced.
Erema, the Austrian manufacturer of plastic recycling systems, ended its 2007/2008 fiscal year on 31 March this year, once again with record turnover figures. The figure for consolidated turnover achieved by the Erema Group, comprising Erema Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H., Ansfelden with its subsidiaries Erema North America Inc., located in Ipswich/MA, and 3S-GmbH in Roitham, reached EUR 102.4 million for the period from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) made a net profit of SR27 billion in 2007, an increase of 33 percent from 2006. Full-year earnings per share were SR10.81 versus SR8.12 by the end of 2006, it said in a statement.
The Biesterfeld Group looks back on the most successful year in its more than 100 years company history. In 2007 the Biesterfeld Group achieved an increase in turnover over last year of 21.2 % to ? 836.5 million. The operational result (EBITDA) even increased by 28.5 % compared with the previous year to ? 34.6 million.
Gerresheimer AG has started the financial year 2008 with an outstanding first quarter. Sales grew by 18.2% compared with the prior year period to ?239.1m (2007: ?202.3m).
The value of the global RFID market will reach $4.93m (?2.5bn) in 2008, up 7% on 2007, according to a report by consultancy firm IDTechEx. The report, RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2008-2018, attributed the increased use of RFID to large national schemes for national ID and transport. It found that the tagging of pallets and cases, as demanded by retailers, would use around 325 million RFID labels in 2008.
In 2007, the manufacturers of flexible aluminium, plastic and laminate tubes who are organised in the european tube manufacturers association (etma) broke through the 10 billion barrier of tubes produced for the first time. With a total of 10.1 billion tubes, the industry recorded growth of approximately 2 per cent. The volume of the total European market is estimated to be roughly 13 billion tubes.
The "Tandem Blow" process developed by Bekum is increasingly proving to be an engine of efficiency. This process, first unveiled at the K1998, can point to an extremely successful market penetration after almost 10 years. The success of this technology ideally complements the trend towards small drinking yoghurt bottles, such as Actimel & Co.
Just a few weeks before the International Tube and Pipe Trade Fair, Tube 2008, in Düsseldorf, another sector is reporting successful developments. In addition to the steel industry, which is currently posting one positive result after another, the German plastic tube industry is charting a course for significant growth. As Dr. Elmar Löckenhoff, Managing Director of the Kunststoffrohrverband e.V. (Plastic Tube Association), states in the preface of the KRV business report 2007, the German plastic tube industry is also benefiting from globalisation. - This is shown specifically by the opening of the Eastern European markets - he admits.
Ball Packaging Europe, the European subsidiary of Ball Corporation, announced today it plans to build a new beverage can manufacturing plant in Poland in order to meet the rapidly growing demand for beverage cans in Poland and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe.
Rohm and Haas Company has signed an agreement to acquire the FINNDISP division of OY Forcit AB, a Finnish paint emulsions operation, for approximately 60 million euro. Based in Hanko, Finland, this division of Forcit makes water-based emulsions used in the manufacture of paints and coatings, lacquers and adhesives in Northern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet Union). Rohm and Haas expects to complete the transaction by the end of the first quarter of 2008.
With more than 270 exhibitors from 15 different countries, the second PaintExpo - Europe`s Leading Trade Fair for Industrial Coatings Technology - which will take place at the Karlsruhe (Germany) Exhibition Centre from 11 through 14 March 2008, will register 10.4 percent growth.
Podanfol Sp. z o.o., Poland, has acquired ownership rights to production assets of Victan Kft Hungary and Victus GmbH Austria. Since few days is also an owner of the right to the trade mark Victan as well as the patent rights to all Victan multi-layer casings.
The Top-class finishing and security printing are two major global trends in packaging printing. In the run-up to drupa 2008, the world`s printing and finishing experts agree that there are two major trends at work - highly finished packaging materials and packaging as well as security printing.
Printpack announces construction of a converting facility in Poland. The facility, located in Kutno, 150 km southwest of Warsaw, will be a full-range flexible packaging converting facility. The plant will serve the packaging needs of consumer goods companies across Europe. Construction will commence in January 2008 with the plant startup expected in early 2009.