- Email: [email protected]
y mark
FOCUS
ON
PIGMENTS
Plastics News, 20 Apr 2007, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
and on its electronic materials business. Targets for annual cost savings are $10 M in 2007, rising to $50 M in 2009. Ferro currently employs 6800 people worldwide. It plans to reduce the number of its European sites making speciality chemicals from 12 to six. There will be 500-600 job losses in the European colour and glass business. The Niagara Falls, NY, electronic materials unit will be shut down and there will be 100-150 job losses altogether in the electronic materials business. Despite the cutbacks, Ferro intends to retain its global market leadership in porcelain enamels and ceramic tile glazes and pigments. It also intends to remain a strong competitor in automotive enamels. Capital investment has been increased from around $55 M in 2006 to $75 M this year. An important project, due for completion in Q4 2007, is the 20,000 tonnes/y facility at Castellon (Spain) for making ceramic tile colorants. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Mar 2007, 5). The company wants to gain $200 M from divesting non-core businesses. It is looking for a buyer for its speciality plastics business, with annual sales revenues of nearly $300 M and 750 employees. Negotiations to sell this business for $133 M to WindPoint Partners (of Chicago), which had been going on throughout last Summer, were terminated in October. Ferro is also considering selling off its polymer additives, pharmaceutical active ingredients and solvents businesses.
Eckart reports 13% sales increase
ICIS Chemical Business Americas, 22 Jan 2007, (http://www.icbamericas.com)
COMPANIES BASF closes Haarlem office Following its takeover of Engelhard last year, BASF has announced the closure of its Haarlem office, with 46 employees, effective June 2007. Haarlem was the European sales and distribution centre for Engelhard’s effect pigments, films, dyes, and speciality minerals. Activities carried out at Haarlem will be transferred to existing BASF locations. ChemieZine VNCI, 25 Jan 2007, (Available from: Vereeniging van de Nederlandse Chemische Industrie, Postbus 443, 2260 AK Leidschendam, Netherlands, E-mail: [email protected]) (in Dutch)
ColorMatrix buys Colorant Chromatics The Colorant Chromatics group (headquartered in Cham, Switzerland) has been acquired by Color Matrix Corp (headquartered at ClevelandBerea, Ohio). Colorant Chromatics manufactures colour concentrates and high-performance fluoropolymer compounds. It operates plants at Bethel, CT (in the US); Aland (Finland); and Shanghai (China). This is the second major acquisition by ColorMatrix since the formation of an alliance with the private equity fund, Audax. The company recently completed the acquisition of one of the largest producers of plastics colorants in Latin America, Dosicolor. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Apr 2007, 7).
Eckart (of Fürth, Germany), which specialises in the manufacture and supply of metallic and pearlescent pigments, reported a 13% increase in sales revenue to €339 M for 2006. This was the first full year of trading since Eckart was acquired by the Altana group in October 2005. European Paint and Resin News, Jan 2007, 45 (1), 5
Ferro to shed 500-600 jobs in European colour & glass business Ferro Corp has embarked on a major restructuring programme that will be focused on its European colour and glass performance materials business
6
Magruder amalgamates with the US arm of European Colours As foreshadowed in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2006, 5, the businesses of Magruder Color LLC and EC Pigments USA have been amalgamated and now operate as a single entity, with Mr Steve Smith as Chairman. EC Pigments USA is the American operating company of European Colour plc (headquartered in Stockport). Both Magruder and EC Pigments USA are important suppliers of organic pigments for the printing inks sector. Ink Maker, Jan/Feb 2007, 85 (1), 9
MTI’s PCC output passes the 4 M tonnes/y mark Minerals Technologies Inc (MTI) reported an increase in its worldwide precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) production from 3.8 M tonnes in 2005 to more than 4 M tonnes in 2006. The increase was attributed to the ramping-up of production at two of the company’s plants in China, as well as expansion elsewhere, notably in North America. Industrial Minerals, Mar 2007, (474), 12
LITIGATION Concarb loses appeal over damage caused by Phenix plant emissions The Eleventh Circuit of the US Court of Appeals has upheld a Court ruling made in 2004 that found Continental Carbon Co (Concarb, a subsidiary of China Synthetic Rubber of Taiwan) guilty of causing property damage in the area of Columbus, GA as a consequence of negligence over particulate emissions from its Phenix, AL, carbon black plant. In the original case, it was found that Concarb had tried to cover up data relating to instances of excessive releases of carbon black particles into the environment and had manipulated test results and monitoring procedures so as to make it seem that the Phenix plant was meeting all the required operating standards. Concarb was ordered to pay the plaintiffs an aggregate sum of $20.7 M in compensatory damages, punitive damages and related expenses. The Court of Appeals decided that these awards of damages were justified. Rubber and Plastics News, 2 Apr 2007, 36 (18), 21
Degussa reaches partial settlement with plaintiffs in anti-trust case In January 2005, a number of regular purchasers of carbon black filed a class-action lawsuit against certain named major suppliers, alleging violation of the Sherman Act by participating in a price-fixing cartel. The lawsuit was filed in the Massachusetts District Court and the plaintiffs allege that this price-fixing
MAY 2007
ON
PIGMENTS
Plastics News, 20 Apr 2007, (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
and on its electronic materials business. Targets for annual cost savings are $10 M in 2007, rising to $50 M in 2009. Ferro currently employs 6800 people worldwide. It plans to reduce the number of its European sites making speciality chemicals from 12 to six. There will be 500-600 job losses in the European colour and glass business. The Niagara Falls, NY, electronic materials unit will be shut down and there will be 100-150 job losses altogether in the electronic materials business. Despite the cutbacks, Ferro intends to retain its global market leadership in porcelain enamels and ceramic tile glazes and pigments. It also intends to remain a strong competitor in automotive enamels. Capital investment has been increased from around $55 M in 2006 to $75 M this year. An important project, due for completion in Q4 2007, is the 20,000 tonnes/y facility at Castellon (Spain) for making ceramic tile colorants. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Mar 2007, 5). The company wants to gain $200 M from divesting non-core businesses. It is looking for a buyer for its speciality plastics business, with annual sales revenues of nearly $300 M and 750 employees. Negotiations to sell this business for $133 M to WindPoint Partners (of Chicago), which had been going on throughout last Summer, were terminated in October. Ferro is also considering selling off its polymer additives, pharmaceutical active ingredients and solvents businesses.
Eckart reports 13% sales increase
ICIS Chemical Business Americas, 22 Jan 2007, (http://www.icbamericas.com)
COMPANIES BASF closes Haarlem office Following its takeover of Engelhard last year, BASF has announced the closure of its Haarlem office, with 46 employees, effective June 2007. Haarlem was the European sales and distribution centre for Engelhard’s effect pigments, films, dyes, and speciality minerals. Activities carried out at Haarlem will be transferred to existing BASF locations. ChemieZine VNCI, 25 Jan 2007, (Available from: Vereeniging van de Nederlandse Chemische Industrie, Postbus 443, 2260 AK Leidschendam, Netherlands, E-mail: [email protected]) (in Dutch)
ColorMatrix buys Colorant Chromatics The Colorant Chromatics group (headquartered in Cham, Switzerland) has been acquired by Color Matrix Corp (headquartered at ClevelandBerea, Ohio). Colorant Chromatics manufactures colour concentrates and high-performance fluoropolymer compounds. It operates plants at Bethel, CT (in the US); Aland (Finland); and Shanghai (China). This is the second major acquisition by ColorMatrix since the formation of an alliance with the private equity fund, Audax. The company recently completed the acquisition of one of the largest producers of plastics colorants in Latin America, Dosicolor. (See also ‘Focus on Pigments’, Apr 2007, 7).
Eckart (of Fürth, Germany), which specialises in the manufacture and supply of metallic and pearlescent pigments, reported a 13% increase in sales revenue to €339 M for 2006. This was the first full year of trading since Eckart was acquired by the Altana group in October 2005. European Paint and Resin News, Jan 2007, 45 (1), 5
Ferro to shed 500-600 jobs in European colour & glass business Ferro Corp has embarked on a major restructuring programme that will be focused on its European colour and glass performance materials business
6
Magruder amalgamates with the US arm of European Colours As foreshadowed in ‘Focus on Pigments’, Dec 2006, 5, the businesses of Magruder Color LLC and EC Pigments USA have been amalgamated and now operate as a single entity, with Mr Steve Smith as Chairman. EC Pigments USA is the American operating company of European Colour plc (headquartered in Stockport). Both Magruder and EC Pigments USA are important suppliers of organic pigments for the printing inks sector. Ink Maker, Jan/Feb 2007, 85 (1), 9
MTI’s PCC output passes the 4 M tonnes/y mark Minerals Technologies Inc (MTI) reported an increase in its worldwide precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) production from 3.8 M tonnes in 2005 to more than 4 M tonnes in 2006. The increase was attributed to the ramping-up of production at two of the company’s plants in China, as well as expansion elsewhere, notably in North America. Industrial Minerals, Mar 2007, (474), 12
LITIGATION Concarb loses appeal over damage caused by Phenix plant emissions The Eleventh Circuit of the US Court of Appeals has upheld a Court ruling made in 2004 that found Continental Carbon Co (Concarb, a subsidiary of China Synthetic Rubber of Taiwan) guilty of causing property damage in the area of Columbus, GA as a consequence of negligence over particulate emissions from its Phenix, AL, carbon black plant. In the original case, it was found that Concarb had tried to cover up data relating to instances of excessive releases of carbon black particles into the environment and had manipulated test results and monitoring procedures so as to make it seem that the Phenix plant was meeting all the required operating standards. Concarb was ordered to pay the plaintiffs an aggregate sum of $20.7 M in compensatory damages, punitive damages and related expenses. The Court of Appeals decided that these awards of damages were justified. Rubber and Plastics News, 2 Apr 2007, 36 (18), 21
Degussa reaches partial settlement with plaintiffs in anti-trust case In January 2005, a number of regular purchasers of carbon black filed a class-action lawsuit against certain named major suppliers, alleging violation of the Sherman Act by participating in a price-fixing cartel. The lawsuit was filed in the Massachusetts District Court and the plaintiffs allege that this price-fixing
MAY 2007