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BASF sells polystyrene compunding business
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BASF sells polystyrene compounding business BASF is selling its speciality polystryrene business to Spartech Polycom SAS, a subsidiary of Spartech Corporation. Spartech Polycom is a compounding company with production facilities in the USA, Mexico and France. The business includes compounds of flame retardant and antistatic polystyrene speciality products. Annual sales of the business amounted to approximately 9 million in Europe in 2003. The companies say that the production of polystyrene compounds will be transferred
to Spartech's production plant in Donchery, France. BASF will close its polystyrene compounding plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, as announced last year. "The sale of this speciality polystyrene business is part of our strategy to consolidate our product range and to concentrate styrenics production on high-volume products in high-efficiency plants," says Herbert Wieland, director of BASF strategic business development and technology for styrenics. Polystyrene compounds with special flame retardant or
Huber Engineered Materials strikes distribution deal Huber Engineered Materials, a business unit of the J.M. Huber Corporation, has expanded its relationship with P.T. Hutchins Company, Ltd. The appointment names P.T. Hutchins as Huber's sales agent and distributor for Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah in the USA. P.T. Hutchins already represents Huber in the states of Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. According to company officials, a total of 10 P.T. Hutchins representatives will be assigned to expand
Huber's presence in this eight state region. The agreement includes the promotion and distribution of Huber's various grades of speciality alumina trihydrate, barium sulphate, calcium carbonate, kaolin clay, silica and silicate products for a number of industries including thermoplastics and construction products. Headquartered in Atlanta, Huber Engineered Materials has offices in 15 countries. Contact: Huber Engineered Materials Website: www.hubermaterials.com
Plastics Additives & Compounding May/June 2004
antistatic properties are materials that have been developed for customerspecific processes, providing the processors with efficient economic solutions. Flame retardant polystyrene is widely used in the electric/electronic sector, while antistatic polystyrene is used in the packaging industry. Spartech says that these polystyrene compounds add to its product range of compounded polystyrene and polyolefins. According to George Abd, Spartech's, executive vice-president responsible for Color &
Specialty Compounds: "These compounds allow companies like Spartech to meet very specific customer requirements and complement the product offerings of large chemical companies. In expectation of good sales growth in the coming years, we are currently in the process of expanding our site in Donchery, France." Contact: BASF Website: www.basf.com Spartech Tel: +1 724 225 2220 Website: www.spartech.com
Holland Colors America expands production capacity Holland Colors America Inc. is expanding its main production site in Richmond, Indiana. The new 3,950 square metre (42,500 square foot) building is said to expand capacity for existing products, as well as set up production lines for new products. Construction of the new building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2004. Holland Colors America says that the additional capacity will enable it to increase Holcobatch production. Holcobatch is a non-polymer based micro bead colour concentrate for colouring thermoplastics. The company
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also adds that the production lines for another solid colour concentrate, Holcoprill, will be expanded. Key characteristics of Holcoprill are claimed to be its larger particle size and increased pigment concentration. These attributes were built into Holcoprill to satisfy the colouring demands of saturated, dark and opaque colours, says the company. Contact: Holland Colors America Tel: +1 765 935 0329 Fax: +1 765 966 3376 E-mail: richmond@ hollandcolors.com
News
BASF sells polystyrene compounding business BASF is selling its speciality polystryrene business to Spartech Polycom SAS, a subsidiary of Spartech Corporation. Spartech Polycom is a compounding company with production facilities in the USA, Mexico and France. The business includes compounds of flame retardant and antistatic polystyrene speciality products. Annual sales of the business amounted to approximately 9 million in Europe in 2003. The companies say that the production of polystyrene compounds will be transferred
to Spartech's production plant in Donchery, France. BASF will close its polystyrene compounding plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany, as announced last year. "The sale of this speciality polystyrene business is part of our strategy to consolidate our product range and to concentrate styrenics production on high-volume products in high-efficiency plants," says Herbert Wieland, director of BASF strategic business development and technology for styrenics. Polystyrene compounds with special flame retardant or
Huber Engineered Materials strikes distribution deal Huber Engineered Materials, a business unit of the J.M. Huber Corporation, has expanded its relationship with P.T. Hutchins Company, Ltd. The appointment names P.T. Hutchins as Huber's sales agent and distributor for Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah in the USA. P.T. Hutchins already represents Huber in the states of Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. According to company officials, a total of 10 P.T. Hutchins representatives will be assigned to expand
Huber's presence in this eight state region. The agreement includes the promotion and distribution of Huber's various grades of speciality alumina trihydrate, barium sulphate, calcium carbonate, kaolin clay, silica and silicate products for a number of industries including thermoplastics and construction products. Headquartered in Atlanta, Huber Engineered Materials has offices in 15 countries. Contact: Huber Engineered Materials Website: www.hubermaterials.com
Plastics Additives & Compounding May/June 2004
antistatic properties are materials that have been developed for customerspecific processes, providing the processors with efficient economic solutions. Flame retardant polystyrene is widely used in the electric/electronic sector, while antistatic polystyrene is used in the packaging industry. Spartech says that these polystyrene compounds add to its product range of compounded polystyrene and polyolefins. According to George Abd, Spartech's, executive vice-president responsible for Color &
Specialty Compounds: "These compounds allow companies like Spartech to meet very specific customer requirements and complement the product offerings of large chemical companies. In expectation of good sales growth in the coming years, we are currently in the process of expanding our site in Donchery, France." Contact: BASF Website: www.basf.com Spartech Tel: +1 724 225 2220 Website: www.spartech.com
Holland Colors America expands production capacity Holland Colors America Inc. is expanding its main production site in Richmond, Indiana. The new 3,950 square metre (42,500 square foot) building is said to expand capacity for existing products, as well as set up production lines for new products. Construction of the new building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2004. Holland Colors America says that the additional capacity will enable it to increase Holcobatch production. Holcobatch is a non-polymer based micro bead colour concentrate for colouring thermoplastics. The company
16
also adds that the production lines for another solid colour concentrate, Holcoprill, will be expanded. Key characteristics of Holcoprill are claimed to be its larger particle size and increased pigment concentration. These attributes were built into Holcoprill to satisfy the colouring demands of saturated, dark and opaque colours, says the company. Contact: Holland Colors America Tel: +1 765 935 0329 Fax: +1 765 966 3376 E-mail: richmond@ hollandcolors.com