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Conair relocates headquarters
INDUSTRY
News
In brief
PolyOne expands in TPEs
Ultramarine pigment manufacturer Nubiola is increasing its production capacity by 25%. The company adds that the Ultramarine Blue and Violet market is undergoing significant change and it sees an opportunity to increase production capacity to 16,000 metric tons per annum by mid 2008. Nubiola adds that it aims to satisfy the demand of its regular customers with this rise, as well as increasing its portfolio with new speciality products designed for improving functionality, productivity and/or energy savings. Contact: Nubiola Inorganic Pigments Website: www.nubiola.com
PolyOne Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GLS Corporation - a leading North American provider of speciality thermoplastic elastomer compounds (TPEs) for consumer and medical applications. GLS has annual sales of approximately $130 million. GLS specializes in partnering companies in developing and marketing highly customized soft TPEs. Typical applications include toothbrush handles with a softer touch, better
Austrian stabilizer manufacturer Chemson Polymer-Additive AG is expanding its production capacity of calcium-zincbased one pack stabilizers for PVC at its Philadelphia site in the USA. The company says that it is responding to the growing demand for calcium-zinc stabilizers. The new production line is scheduled to come on-stream in early 2009 and will increase capacity by 30%. Chemson adds that expanding the capacity of its US plant is part of its strategy to move away from lead stabilizers. Contact: Chemson Group E-mail: peter. [email protected] Website: www.chemson.com
grips for electronic devices, stronger seals for food and beverage packaging, and enhanced flexibility of medical tubing systems. The company says that it has achieved doubledigit revenue growth in each of the last ten years and believes it is well positioned to capitalize on escalating demand for soft-touch products. With approximately 200 employees, GLS has manufacturing facilities in Illinois, USA and Suzhou, China. In 2006, GLS became the first speciality
TPE compounder to begin production in China. According to PolyOne, the acquisition of GLS will provide it with access to new customers in specialized, high-growth markets such as health care and electronics. PolyOne has targeted these markets for expansion and believes there are additional cross-selling opportunities. In addition, the two companies’ global operations are described as complementary. Contact: PolyOne Corporation Website: www.polyone.com
Conair relocates headquarters Conair has moved its world headquarters from Emsworth, PA, to another Pittsburgh suburb Cranberry in the USA. The move involves administrative, sales and engineering personnel. The new building will also accommodate the Conair Technical Center as a technology showcase and process-development facility. Conair manufacturing operations in Franklin are not affected. Conair says that its new technical centre will showcase a broader range of capabilities and resources. An expanded drying laboratory will more easily accommodate increasing demand for customer application testing, moisture sampling and analysis as well as crystallizing trials
Plastics Additives & Compounding January/February 2008
6
on PET and PLA. The facility will also house a fully-operational 907 kg/h (2000 lb/h) installation of the new Conair EnergySmart™ drying system, demonstrating how high-volume PET processors can save as much as 66% of drying energy by recycling hot-air and improving process control, says the company. Other testing and demonstration facilities will include: a raw-materialflow analysis laboratory; operational extrusion equipment, including a full-scale medical tubing line; blender testing and application development facilities; a granulator laboratory, where part feeding and size reduction efficiencies are analyzed;
mould temperature and chiller testing and application development facilities; a plant-wide control demonstration unit of ControlWorks™, where processors can learn how to gain process efficiencies through Conair’s integrated auxiliary system control and data-gathering equipment; demonstration equipment for the complete range of Conair loading controls systems - from the Intelligent Loading System (ILS) to the new entrylevel ELC control; and a dedicated showroom that offers visitors the chance to see all the latest Conair products in a year-round tradeshow-like setting. Contact: Conair Website: www.conairgroup.com
News
In brief
PolyOne expands in TPEs
Ultramarine pigment manufacturer Nubiola is increasing its production capacity by 25%. The company adds that the Ultramarine Blue and Violet market is undergoing significant change and it sees an opportunity to increase production capacity to 16,000 metric tons per annum by mid 2008. Nubiola adds that it aims to satisfy the demand of its regular customers with this rise, as well as increasing its portfolio with new speciality products designed for improving functionality, productivity and/or energy savings. Contact: Nubiola Inorganic Pigments Website: www.nubiola.com
PolyOne Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GLS Corporation - a leading North American provider of speciality thermoplastic elastomer compounds (TPEs) for consumer and medical applications. GLS has annual sales of approximately $130 million. GLS specializes in partnering companies in developing and marketing highly customized soft TPEs. Typical applications include toothbrush handles with a softer touch, better
Austrian stabilizer manufacturer Chemson Polymer-Additive AG is expanding its production capacity of calcium-zincbased one pack stabilizers for PVC at its Philadelphia site in the USA. The company says that it is responding to the growing demand for calcium-zinc stabilizers. The new production line is scheduled to come on-stream in early 2009 and will increase capacity by 30%. Chemson adds that expanding the capacity of its US plant is part of its strategy to move away from lead stabilizers. Contact: Chemson Group E-mail: peter. [email protected] Website: www.chemson.com
grips for electronic devices, stronger seals for food and beverage packaging, and enhanced flexibility of medical tubing systems. The company says that it has achieved doubledigit revenue growth in each of the last ten years and believes it is well positioned to capitalize on escalating demand for soft-touch products. With approximately 200 employees, GLS has manufacturing facilities in Illinois, USA and Suzhou, China. In 2006, GLS became the first speciality
TPE compounder to begin production in China. According to PolyOne, the acquisition of GLS will provide it with access to new customers in specialized, high-growth markets such as health care and electronics. PolyOne has targeted these markets for expansion and believes there are additional cross-selling opportunities. In addition, the two companies’ global operations are described as complementary. Contact: PolyOne Corporation Website: www.polyone.com
Conair relocates headquarters Conair has moved its world headquarters from Emsworth, PA, to another Pittsburgh suburb Cranberry in the USA. The move involves administrative, sales and engineering personnel. The new building will also accommodate the Conair Technical Center as a technology showcase and process-development facility. Conair manufacturing operations in Franklin are not affected. Conair says that its new technical centre will showcase a broader range of capabilities and resources. An expanded drying laboratory will more easily accommodate increasing demand for customer application testing, moisture sampling and analysis as well as crystallizing trials
Plastics Additives & Compounding January/February 2008
6
on PET and PLA. The facility will also house a fully-operational 907 kg/h (2000 lb/h) installation of the new Conair EnergySmart™ drying system, demonstrating how high-volume PET processors can save as much as 66% of drying energy by recycling hot-air and improving process control, says the company. Other testing and demonstration facilities will include: a raw-materialflow analysis laboratory; operational extrusion equipment, including a full-scale medical tubing line; blender testing and application development facilities; a granulator laboratory, where part feeding and size reduction efficiencies are analyzed;
mould temperature and chiller testing and application development facilities; a plant-wide control demonstration unit of ControlWorks™, where processors can learn how to gain process efficiencies through Conair’s integrated auxiliary system control and data-gathering equipment; demonstration equipment for the complete range of Conair loading controls systems - from the Intelligent Loading System (ILS) to the new entrylevel ELC control; and a dedicated showroom that offers visitors the chance to see all the latest Conair products in a year-round tradeshow-like setting. Contact: Conair Website: www.conairgroup.com