Your Business In Brief - August 2007

GE Sets Up Center For Auto Glazing

GE Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass., has opened its first Automotive Glazing Center of Excellence in Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands. The Center is intended to help customers design and process auto glazing applications using GE’s Lexan LGX polycarbonate and other engineered materials. The center has a Krauss-Maffei SpinForm swivel-platen injection machine equipped for two-component molding. For more information visit GE Plastic's PT Online Showroom.

 

Husky to Buy Moldflow Unit

Moldflow Corp., Framingham, Mass., has agreed to sell its Manufacturing Solutions Div. to Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd., Bolton, Ont. The sale includes Altanium hot-runner controls, Celltrack production management (MES) software, Shotscope product and process monitoring systems, and Moldflow Plastics Xpert (MPX) injection molding process automation and optimization tools. For more information visit Moldflow Corp's PT Online Showroom.

 

Conair & Sepro Form Robot Joint Venture

Conair and Sepro Robotique of France are forming a joint venture called Sepro America, located at Conair’s headquarters in Pittsburgh. The venture will market Sepro’s robots and automation, which Conair had been distributing in North America for 18 years. The new venture officially launches on Aug. 6. For more information visit Conair's PT Online Showroom.

 

Hexion to Buy Huntsman Corp.

Huntsman Corp., Salt Lake City, has agreed to a definitive merger agreement with Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, an Apollo Management, L.P. portfolio company and a global leader in thermoset resins, including vinyl esters, unsaturated polyesters, and epoxies. Hexion’s proposal was preferred by Huntsman’s Board of Directors to an earlier merger agreement with Basell, which was terminated. One of the major gains for Hexion in this acquisition is Huntsman’s polyurethanes business. Huntsman also makes TPUs, TiO2 pigments, Araldite epoxies and adhesives, and Ren-Shape modeling boards and stereolithography resins, as well as chemicals such as maleic anhydride (used in thermoset polyesters).

Huntsman agreed back in February to sell its U.S. polymers (PP, PE, EPS bead) and base chemicals (olefins and aromatics) businesses to Flint Hills Resources, LLC, sub. of Koch Industries, Wichita, Kan. The deal is expected to be concluded next month. For more information visit Hexion's PT Online Showroom or visit Huntsman's PT Online Showroom.

 

Lanxess Moves Its Styrenics To Joint Venture with Ineos

Lanxess of Germany (U.S. office in Pittsburgh) is quitting styrenics by moving its Lustran Polymers business unit into a new, unnamed joint venture with Ineos of the U.K. Ineos has agreed to buy out Lanxess’ 49% interest in the venture after two years. Lanxess is divesting its Lustran ABS and SAN, Triax ABS/nylon, and Centrex ASA, AES, and ASA/PC. Ineos Styrenics in Channahon, Ill., was formerly BASF’s PS business. Ineos recently agreed to a styrenics joint venture with Nova Chemicals Corp., Pittsburgh. For more information visit Lanxess' PT Online Showroom.

 

Demag Ceases Press Building in Ohio

This month, Demag Plastics Group of Germany will end building of injection machines at the former Van Dorn facility in Strongsville, Ohio. The office will now conduct sales, service, and technical support. All Demag machines will be built in Germany, China, and India. According to CEO Klaus Erkes, Demag seeks to be the global leader in moderately priced toggle presses from 25 to 2000 m.t. It has trimmed its machine lines from more than 20 down to 12 and plans to focus on three “core” lines by next year. The three are its Systec hydraulic units, IntElect all-electrics, and El-Exis hybrids. It is also seeking an Asian location to build the Titan large two-platen line. For more information visit Demag Plastics Group's PT Online Showroom.

 

Chemtura Sheds EPDM

Chemtura Corp., Middlebury, Conn., has completed the sale of its EPDM business and Celogen blowing agents for rubber (not plastics) to Lion Copolymer, LLC, Baton Rouge, La., which makes SBR rubber. For more information visit Lion Copolymer, LLC's PT Online Showroom.

 

PVC Compounders Buys Prime PVC

PVC Compounders, LLC, Kendallville, Ind., has acquired another compounder, Prime PVC, Inc. in Marion, Ind. This follows PVC Compounders’ purchase last December of Breen Color Concentrates, Lambertville, N.J. For more information visit PVC Compounders, LLC's PT Online Showroom.