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MXD-6 nylon resin supplied by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and nanoparticulate clays produced by Nanocor itself. As from 12 January 2006, PolyOne Corp will no longer have an exclusive marketing and manufacturing agreement for nanocomposites made from polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride and related polymers. PolyOne will continue to market its Nanoblend product lines and Nanocor will continue to be its exclusive nanoclay supplier. Press Release from: Amcol International Corp, 1500 West Shure Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004-7803, USA, Tel: +1 847 394 8730, Website: http://www.amcol.com (13 Jan 2006) European Colour Chairman rescues Magruder from bankruptcy Magruder Color, a manufacturer of organic pigments based in Elizabeth, NJ (in the US) filed for Chapter 11 creditor protection last June. The company subsequently received a loan of $3.5 M from 1029 Newark Investment Co LLC, in which Pochteca Corp had a 50% interest. Towards the end of 2005, Pochteca acquired the entire assets and business of Magruder Color and Pochteca then changed its own name to Magruder Color LLC. Mr Steve Smith (Chairman of European Colour, based in Stockport, England) was a major investor in Pochteca and he has been appointed as President of the “reborn” Magruder. Most of the employees of Magruder Color have kept their jobs with the company. Mr Evan Weissglass has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. Mr Jay Roger Weissglass has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Operations & Human Resources. Mr Joel Weissglass has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Administration. Last October, the Board of European Colour issued a statement to the effect that it had agreed to allow Mr Steve Smith to pursue the Magruder transaction through his Pochteca affiliation, after determining that this was not an opportunity which European Colour wanted to pursue at this time. Magruder largely operates in different niche markets to European Colour and therefore there was no perceived conflict of interest to be resolved with Mr Steve Smith. Magruder Color is a manufacturer of organic pigments based in Elizabeth, NJ (in the US), with a strong customer base in the graphic arts and printing inks sector. Press Release from: Magruder Color LLC, Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA, Website: http://www.magruder.com (16 Dec 2005) Grolman buys Kraft Nordic Grolman GmbH & Co KG (of Neuss, near Dusseldorf) has acquired Kraft Chemical Nordic AS and changed its name to Grolman Nordic, effective 1 February 2006. Grolman is one of the top ten chemical distributors in Europe and the latest acquisition will substantially expand its network in Northern Europe. Farbe und Lack, Feb 2006, 112 (2), 18 (in German) Imerys saw Asia as the only growth region for paper pigments in 2005 Imerys (of Paris) reported global sales at 3.045 M for 2005, an increase of 6.1% on the previous year. Demand for speciality minerals in the paint, plastics, adhesives sectors was fairly weak in Europe throughout the year. Demand in North America was healthy during 1H 2005, but then turned down in 2H, mainly as a result of the hurricanes in the southeastern USA. Sales of graphite for mobile energy and lubricants as well as for kiln furniture improved during 2005. The main segment of the paper industry for purchasing pigments and fillers from Imerys is the printing and writing papers segment. In 2005, world production of printing and writing papers increased by 1.7%, following a 5.1% increase in 2004. In North America, paper production was almost stable (slipping back by only 0.2%), with growth in mechanical papers offsetting lower output in other segments. In Europe, which was badly hit in 2Q 2005 by the Finnish paper industry strike, production rates progressively returned to normal during the summer. Over the year as a whole, European paper production was stable, a 2.9% decline in 1H 2005 being compensated for by a 3.0% increase in 2H 2005. In Asia, paper production increased by 4.9% in 2005, thanks partly to the start-up of new capacity at several paper mills. The slight decline in Imerys’ sales of paper pigments was almost entirely due to the divestment of its CDM business in Sweden. Press Release from: Imerys, 154/156, Rue de l’Universite, F-75007 Paris, France, Website: http://www.imerys.com (31 Jan 2006) Lanxess’ restructuring includes selling optical brighteners business to Kemira Lanxess began operating as an independent entity in July 2004, having inherited virtually all the chemicals activities and some of the polymer activities formerly under the aegis of Bayer. The demerger enabled Bayer itself to focus on pharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs, agrochemicals, polyurethanes, polycarbonates and “new niche materials”. For 2005, its first full year of trading, Lanxess reported a 30% increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to 581 M, while overall sales increased by 5.6% to 7.15 bn. But the company considers that up to 25% of its sales revenue comes from unprofitable businesses, including certain parts of its styrenic resins, polybutadiene rubber, butyl rubber and inorganic pigment activities. There have already been some important restructuring moves and there will be more to come. Effective as from 1 April 2006, its paper chemicals business has been sold to Kemira, including various facilities for making optical brighteners, colorants and functional wet-end chemicals at Bushy Park, SC (in the United States) and at Leverkusen (Germany). Effective as from early March 2006, the Dorlastan fibres business has been sold to Asahi Kasei (of Japan). Effective 1 December 2005, Lanxess sold ISL Chemie (a manufacturer of colour pastes and speciality coatings) to Berlac (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Feb 2006, 6). In Brazil, Lanxess has announced plans to close its styrenic plastics facilities at Camacari towards the end of 2006, so that its manufacturing activities will be focused on leather chemicals and inorganic pigments at Porto Feliz. Restructuring of Lanxess’ materials protection business will entail relocating about 50 jobs from Krefeld-Uerdingen to Leverkusen, while marketing activities relating to Lanxess’ styrenics business will be transferred from Pittsburgh, PA to Addyston, OH. In 4 MARCH 2006 FOCUS ON PIGMENTS

Grolman buys Kraft Nordic

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MXD-6 nylon resin supplied byMitsubishi Gas Chemical andnanoparticulate clays produced byNanocor itself. As from 12 January2006, PolyOne Corp will no longerhave an exclusive marketing andmanufacturing agreement fornanocomposites made from polyolefin,polyvinyl chloride and related polymers.PolyOne will continue to market itsNanoblend product lines and Nanocorwill continue to be its exclusivenanoclay supplier.

Press Release from: Amcol International Corp, 1500West Shure Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004-7803,USA, Tel: +1 847 394 8730, Website:http://www.amcol.com (13 Jan 2006)

European Colour Chairman rescuesMagruder from bankruptcy

Magruder Color, a manufacturer oforganic pigments based in Elizabeth,NJ (in the US) filed for Chapter 11creditor protection last June. Thecompany subsequently received aloan of $3.5 M from 1029 NewarkInvestment Co LLC, in whichPochteca Corp had a 50% interest.Towards the end of 2005, Pochtecaacquired the entire assets andbusiness of Magruder Color andPochteca then changed its own nameto Magruder Color LLC. Mr SteveSmith (Chairman of European Colour,based in Stockport, England) was amajor investor in Pochteca and hehas been appointed as President ofthe “reborn” Magruder. Most of theemployees of Magruder Color havekept their jobs with the company. MrEvan Weissglass has been appointedas Executive Vice President, Sales &Marketing. Mr Jay Roger Weissglasshas been appointed as Executive VicePresident, Operations & HumanResources. Mr Joel Weissglass hasbeen appointed as Executive VicePresident, Administration.

Last October, the Board ofEuropean Colour issued a statementto the effect that it had agreed to allowMr Steve Smith to pursue theMagruder transaction through hisPochteca affiliation, after determiningthat this was not an opportunity whichEuropean Colour wanted to pursue atthis time. Magruder largely operatesin different niche markets to EuropeanColour and therefore there was noperceived conflict of interest to beresolved with Mr Steve Smith.Magruder Color is a manufacturer of

organic pigments based in Elizabeth,NJ (in the US), with a strong customerbase in the graphic arts and printinginks sector.

Press Release from: Magruder Color LLC, Elizabeth,New Jersey, USA, Website: http://www.magruder.com(16 Dec 2005)

Grolman buys Kraft Nordic

Grolman GmbH & Co KG (of Neuss,near Dusseldorf) has acquired KraftChemical Nordic AS and changed itsname to Grolman Nordic, effective 1February 2006. Grolman is one of thetop ten chemical distributors inEurope and the latest acquisition willsubstantially expand its network inNorthern Europe.

Farbe und Lack, Feb 2006, 112 (2), 18 (in German)

Imerys saw Asia as the only growthregion for paper pigments in 2005

Imerys (of Paris) reported global salesat €3.045 M for 2005, an increase of6.1% on the previous year. Demandfor speciality minerals in the paint,plastics, adhesives sectors was fairlyweak in Europe throughout the year.Demand in North America washealthy during 1H 2005, but thenturned down in 2H, mainly as a resultof the hurricanes in the southeasternUSA. Sales of graphite for mobileenergy and lubricants as well as forkiln furniture improved during 2005.

The main segment of the paperindustry for purchasing pigments andfillers from Imerys is the printing andwriting papers segment. In 2005,world production of printing andwriting papers increased by 1.7%,following a 5.1% increase in 2004. InNorth America, paper production wasalmost stable (slipping back by only0.2%), with growth in mechanicalpapers offsetting lower output in othersegments. In Europe, which wasbadly hit in 2Q 2005 by the Finnishpaper industry strike, production ratesprogressively returned to normalduring the summer. Over the year asa whole, European paper productionwas stable, a 2.9% decline in 1H 2005being compensated for by a 3.0%increase in 2H 2005. In Asia, paperproduction increased by 4.9% in2005, thanks partly to the start-up ofnew capacity at several paper mills.The slight decline in Imerys’ sales ofpaper pigments was almost entirely

due to the divestment of its CDMbusiness in Sweden.

Press Release from: Imerys, 154/156, Rue del’Universite, F-75007 Paris, France, Website:http://www.imerys.com (31 Jan 2006)

Lanxess’ restructuring includes sellingoptical brighteners business to Kemira

Lanxess began operating as anindependent entity in July 2004,having inherited virtually all thechemicals activities and some of thepolymer activities formerly under theaegis of Bayer. The demergerenabled Bayer itself to focus onpharmaceuticals, veterinary drugs,agrochemicals, polyurethanes,polycarbonates and “new nichematerials”. For 2005, its first full yearof trading, Lanxess reported a 30%increase in earnings before interest,tax, depreciation and amortisation(EBITDA) to €581 M, while overallsales increased by 5.6% to €7.15 bn.But the company considers that up to25% of its sales revenue comes fromunprofitable businesses, includingcertain parts of its styrenic resins,polybutadiene rubber, butyl rubberand inorganic pigment activities.There have already been someimportant restructuring moves andthere will be more to come.

Effective as from 1 April 2006, itspaper chemicals business has beensold to Kemira, including variousfacilities for making optical brighteners,colorants and functional wet-endchemicals at Bushy Park, SC (in theUnited States) and at Leverkusen(Germany). Effective as from earlyMarch 2006, the Dorlastan fibresbusiness has been sold to Asahi Kasei(of Japan). Effective 1 December 2005,Lanxess sold ISL Chemie (amanufacturer of colour pastes andspeciality coatings) to Berlac (See‘Focus on Pigments’, Feb 2006, 6). InBrazil, Lanxess has announced plansto close its styrenic plastics facilities atCamacari towards the end of 2006, sothat its manufacturing activities will befocused on leather chemicals andinorganic pigments at Porto Feliz.Restructuring of Lanxess’ materialsprotection business will entail relocatingabout 50 jobs from Krefeld-Uerdingento Leverkusen, while marketingactivities relating to Lanxess’ styrenicsbusiness will be transferred fromPittsburgh, PA to Addyston, OH. In

4 MARCH 2006

F O C U S O N P I G M E N T S