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Catec buys Blankophor optical brighteners business from Kemira
FOCUS United Arab Emirates: Cabot – carbon black masterbatch Cabot has officially opened its 25,000 tonnes/y plant for making carbon black masterbatch plant in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai. Fullscale production here is expected to commence in August 2010. Evidently the project was somewhat delayed because when it was first announced the target start-up date was 3Q 2009. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 2008, 7). Laboratories, administration offices, production and packaging facilities are all located within the same building. In due course, capacity here will be stepped up to 75,000 tonnes/y. Press Release from: Cabot Corp, 2 Seaport Lane, Suite 1300, Boston, MA 02210 2019, USA (24 Jun 2010)
United States: FP Pigments - PCC FP Pigments (headquartered at Espoo, Finland) has acquired a chemical plant from Crews Chemicals Inc at Rome-Floyd in Georgia (about 45 km northwest of Atlanta) and it has begun work renovating and adapting this plant so as to produce precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), employing its proprietary technology. The plant is expected to come onstream in 2Q 2011. FP Pigments already operates PCC plants at Valkeakoski (Finland) and Leuna (Germany). No capacity details are available for either of these plants nor for the US project. The company markets four grades of PCC: FP-400 for the paint industry; FP-100 and FP-200 for the paper industry; and FP-500 for the plastics industry. Plastics News, 2 Jul 2010, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
COMPANIES Cabot back in the black, leaner & stronger Cabot Corp reported net income at $72 M on sales of $1.39 bn for the six months to end-March 2010. That compares against a net loss of $52 M on sales of $1.12 bn for the corresponding period of last year. For the full financial year to endSeptember 2009, Cabot’s net loss was $77 M on sales of $2.24 bn.
AUGUST 2010
ON
PIGMENTS
During the latest quarter, the Rubber Blacks business reported an earnings improvement of $56 M, compared against the quarter to endMarch 2009. Sales volumes increased for all regions – by 50% for the Asia/Pacific region (including China), by 31% for South America, by 14% for North America and by 8% for the composite region of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the sales volume increase was 28%. During the quarter to endDecember 2009, the Rubber Blacks business reported an earnings improvement of $18 M, compared against the equivalent quarter of 2008. Sales volumes increased for all regions – by 76% for China, by 21% for Southeast Asia, by 33% for South America, by 17% for North America and by 3% for the composite region of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the sales volume increase was 24%. Clearly, Cabot feels vindicated in its belief that the drastic restructuring carried out during the global economic crisis has made the company leaner and stronger. The restructuring programme included shutting down 150,000 tonnes/y of carbon black capacity at Stanlow (UK) and Berre L’Etang (France) and idling another 150,000 tonnes/y at Merak (Indonesia) and Sarnia (Canada). Overall, the programme achieved a reduction of $80 M in annual fixed costs. Throughout the economic crisis, Cabot concentrated on reducing working capital, on keeping a healthy cash balance and on maintaining its credit rating. Rubber and Plastics News, 22 Mar 2010, 39 (17), 10
Catec buys Blankophor optical brighteners business from Kemira Kemira has sold its business in Blankophor optical brighteners (aka fluorescent whitening agents) to Catec GmbH (of Wachtberg, 17 km south of Bonn). The sale includes the Blankophor manufacturing plant at Leverkusen, the global sales network and associated support functions. The value of the transaction has not been revealed and it is expected to close in August 2010. The workforce of about 100 will be immediately transferred to Catec. Kemira acquired the optical brighteners business in 2006 from
Lanxess. At that time, the business was reported to have around 150 employees. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2006, 6). Mr Petri Helsky (Head of Kemira’s Paper segment) commented: “Our strategy is to focus on products and services that enhance water quality and quantity management in the water-intensive industries, such as pulp and paper”. In making this purchase, Catec will have some financial support from Fengler Beteiligungs GmbH (of Ankum, 37 km north of Osnabruck) and the benefit of management advice from Mr Eckhard Wenderoth, who was President of Kemira’s Leverkusen branch, with many years of experience in paper chemicals. Press Release from: Kemira Oyj, Porkkalankatu 3, PO Box 330, 00101 Helsinki, Finland (23 Jun 2010) & Kölner Stadt Anzeiger, 24 Jun 2010. Website: http://www.ksta.de (in German)
Evonik Carbon Black registered as a separate entity As foreshadowed in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 2010, 7, Evonik Industries AG (formerly RAG Beteiligungsindustrie) has established a separate entity to manage its carbon black business. The new entity – Evonik Carbon Black GmbH – was established on 1 July. Its operational headquarters are currently in Frankfurt, but they will be transferred to HanauWolfgang on 1 October. The workforce, the product portfolio and customer relationships will not be affected by the changes. Evonik has 17 carbon black plants in 12 different countries on four different continents. Evonik Carbon Black reported sales revenues at around €1 bn for full-year 2009. It is the second largest carbon black producer in the world, with a total capacity of 1.4 M tonnes/y, representing an 11% share of world carbon black capacity. During the second half of this year, the parent company will decide whether the new entity should be floated as a fully independent and autonomous company, whether it should be sold to an investor or a group of investors, or whether it should become part of a new joint venture operating company. Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 12 Jul 2010, (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)
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United States: FP Pigments - PCC FP Pigments (headquartered at Espoo, Finland) has acquired a chemical plant from Crews Chemicals Inc at Rome-Floyd in Georgia (about 45 km northwest of Atlanta) and it has begun work renovating and adapting this plant so as to produce precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), employing its proprietary technology. The plant is expected to come onstream in 2Q 2011. FP Pigments already operates PCC plants at Valkeakoski (Finland) and Leuna (Germany). No capacity details are available for either of these plants nor for the US project. The company markets four grades of PCC: FP-400 for the paint industry; FP-100 and FP-200 for the paper industry; and FP-500 for the plastics industry. Plastics News, 2 Jul 2010, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
COMPANIES Cabot back in the black, leaner & stronger Cabot Corp reported net income at $72 M on sales of $1.39 bn for the six months to end-March 2010. That compares against a net loss of $52 M on sales of $1.12 bn for the corresponding period of last year. For the full financial year to endSeptember 2009, Cabot’s net loss was $77 M on sales of $2.24 bn.
AUGUST 2010
ON
PIGMENTS
During the latest quarter, the Rubber Blacks business reported an earnings improvement of $56 M, compared against the quarter to endMarch 2009. Sales volumes increased for all regions – by 50% for the Asia/Pacific region (including China), by 31% for South America, by 14% for North America and by 8% for the composite region of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the sales volume increase was 28%. During the quarter to endDecember 2009, the Rubber Blacks business reported an earnings improvement of $18 M, compared against the equivalent quarter of 2008. Sales volumes increased for all regions – by 76% for China, by 21% for Southeast Asia, by 33% for South America, by 17% for North America and by 3% for the composite region of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the sales volume increase was 24%. Clearly, Cabot feels vindicated in its belief that the drastic restructuring carried out during the global economic crisis has made the company leaner and stronger. The restructuring programme included shutting down 150,000 tonnes/y of carbon black capacity at Stanlow (UK) and Berre L’Etang (France) and idling another 150,000 tonnes/y at Merak (Indonesia) and Sarnia (Canada). Overall, the programme achieved a reduction of $80 M in annual fixed costs. Throughout the economic crisis, Cabot concentrated on reducing working capital, on keeping a healthy cash balance and on maintaining its credit rating. Rubber and Plastics News, 22 Mar 2010, 39 (17), 10
Catec buys Blankophor optical brighteners business from Kemira Kemira has sold its business in Blankophor optical brighteners (aka fluorescent whitening agents) to Catec GmbH (of Wachtberg, 17 km south of Bonn). The sale includes the Blankophor manufacturing plant at Leverkusen, the global sales network and associated support functions. The value of the transaction has not been revealed and it is expected to close in August 2010. The workforce of about 100 will be immediately transferred to Catec. Kemira acquired the optical brighteners business in 2006 from
Lanxess. At that time, the business was reported to have around 150 employees. (See ‘Focus on Pigments’, Sep 2006, 6). Mr Petri Helsky (Head of Kemira’s Paper segment) commented: “Our strategy is to focus on products and services that enhance water quality and quantity management in the water-intensive industries, such as pulp and paper”. In making this purchase, Catec will have some financial support from Fengler Beteiligungs GmbH (of Ankum, 37 km north of Osnabruck) and the benefit of management advice from Mr Eckhard Wenderoth, who was President of Kemira’s Leverkusen branch, with many years of experience in paper chemicals. Press Release from: Kemira Oyj, Porkkalankatu 3, PO Box 330, 00101 Helsinki, Finland (23 Jun 2010) & Kölner Stadt Anzeiger, 24 Jun 2010. Website: http://www.ksta.de (in German)
Evonik Carbon Black registered as a separate entity As foreshadowed in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Jul 2010, 7, Evonik Industries AG (formerly RAG Beteiligungsindustrie) has established a separate entity to manage its carbon black business. The new entity – Evonik Carbon Black GmbH – was established on 1 July. Its operational headquarters are currently in Frankfurt, but they will be transferred to HanauWolfgang on 1 October. The workforce, the product portfolio and customer relationships will not be affected by the changes. Evonik has 17 carbon black plants in 12 different countries on four different continents. Evonik Carbon Black reported sales revenues at around €1 bn for full-year 2009. It is the second largest carbon black producer in the world, with a total capacity of 1.4 M tonnes/y, representing an 11% share of world carbon black capacity. During the second half of this year, the parent company will decide whether the new entity should be floated as a fully independent and autonomous company, whether it should be sold to an investor or a group of investors, or whether it should become part of a new joint venture operating company. Chemie Technik (Heidelberg), 12 Jul 2010, (Website: http://www.chemietechnik.de) (in German)
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