Styrolution establishes R&D unit for ABS and styrenics plastics

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Aiming to strengthen its customer-centric innovation and drive growth, Styrolution has announced a new organizational unit: Global Focus Industries and R&D, according to the company's press release.

The unit will be led by styrenics industry veteran, Rob Buntinx, with a mandate to better serve customers in key focus industries worldwide through industry-specific account management and services. The group's R&D arm will further emphasize application-driven collaborative innovation with customers.

The formation of the new unit aligns with the company's growth strategy, which calls for three ‘shifts' intended to put greater focus on three areas: higher-growth industries, ABS Standard and styrenic specialties, and emerging markets.

Due to the region-specific requirements of customers in automotive, electronics, and healthcare, they will continue to be served regionally. In order to ensure customers benefit from Styrolution's profound expertise in these areas, global and regional coordinators will facilitate transfer of best practices.

The addition of Global R&D and Intellectual Property to the new organizational unit will help Styrolution further focus its innovation efforts on industry trends and customer needs by tying research more strongly to application development. One key initiative to be fully implemented in 2014 is the new R&D partnership between Styrolution, the independent research and technology development provider NMB, and the University of Bayreuth. This partnership is meant to further strengthen the company's strong position in key industries through a focus on customer-centric innovation, as well as strategic projects like 3D printing and lightweight structures.

As MRC reported previously, in December, 2013, Styrolution announced measures to better serve customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). New initiatives include the optimization of Styrolution's production network in Germany and the opening of a regional specialties logistics center.

The Styrolution Group GmbH is a global provider of styrenics , headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. The company is a joint venture between BASF (50%) and INEOS (50%), were merged into the main styrene operations of the two partners. Its main focus is on the production of monomer, polystyrene, styrenic specialties, and ABS. The company offers styrene plastics for a variety of everyday products from different industries, such as automotive, electronics, construction, household, leisure, packaging, medicine and health.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- England's Petainer, leading plastic container supplier, has opened a new site in Russia producing recyclable PET beer kegs and water cooler bottles for the local market, reported the company on its site.

The factory, which is located 40 miles from Moscow in Klin, is equipped with a state-of-the-art SIDE blowing machine capable of manufacturing 700 kegs per hour, up to a maximum keg size of 50kg.

The facility is currently supplying 20 and 30-litre PetainerKegs to customers in Russia, as well as Belarus and the Ukraine.

Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett, Strategy Director at Petainer, said: "Russia is a very important market and our Klin factory will enable us to tap into the rapid growth opportunities in this part of the world. The new production unit boasts the very latest technology and produces kegs and containers that adhere to the highest quality, safety and environmental standards."

PetainerKegs are lightweight beverage containers manufactured in recyclable PET, offering economic and environmental benefits when compared with metal kegs and other plastic variants. They are available with one-way, low cost fittings that enable them to be connected to existing tapping systems for draught beer.

PetainerCoolers are also made out of PET, and contain zero bisphenol-A (BPA), making them a safer alternative to other coolers on the market. They are environmentally friendly, returnable and refillable, and designed to be compatible with major water cooler dispensers or dispensing systems.

As MRC wrote previously, in 2012, Petainer agreed to a multimillion Euro investment package over the coming 12 months to strengthen its PET container manufacturing plant in Lidkoping, Sweden. This initiative includes an initial order for a Husky HPP injection machine, which will be followed by additional investments focused on growth and supporting the current customer base.

Petainer is a specialist engineering and technology business, an industry leader in the development, design and manufacture of PET (polyEthylene terephthalate) plastic containers.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Leading chemicals company Perstorp introduces a new business model, a new organizational structure, a new management team and a cost competitiveness program, said the producer in its press release.

New business model and organizational structure to ensure true customer focus. Perstorp has defined a new business model acknowledging the clear difference in customer behavior in an intermediate marketplace driven by supply and demand as opposed to a specialty marketplace, driven by knowledge, application know-how and value-added services. This has resulted in the allocation of Perstorp’s products into the two Business Areas of Intermediates & Derivatives and Specialties & Solutions.

To support the new business model Perstorp has implemented a new functional organization as of January 1, 2014. The company has also appointed three new Executive Vice Presidents recruited from the outside to complement the current team in managing the transformation of Perstorp: Gorm Jensen appointed EVP BA Intermediates & Derivatives, Joke Driessen appointed EVP Operations and Wolfgang Laures appointed EVP Supply Chain.

A challenging business climate over the last years has resulted in eroding margins and weakening financial performance for the Perstorp Group. The extensive self-examination conducted last fall, in combination with the transition into a functional organization, has led to the need of strengthening the organization within certain areas as well as the need to eliminate duplicate roles.

As MRC wrote before, Perstorp restarted production at its oxo-alcohols plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, on 10 October 2013. Unspecified technical problems had delayed the restart of the plant following a planned eight-day turnaround.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- US oil giant ConocoPhillips posts full-year earnings rise and aims for up to 5% production increase this year, said Upstreamonline.

ConocoPhillips posted a rise in full-year profit as the US giant also took aim at a production hike this year. The Ryan Lance-led player saw production fall in 2013, however, due in part to continued disrution in Libya.

Net profit for the year was USD9.16 billion as against $8.43 billion a year earlier. Adjusted for various items such as impairments and asset sales, it was USD7.06 billion as compared with USD6.73 billion. Full-year production was 1.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1.53 million boepd.

"Production decreased due to normal field decline and the disruption in Libya, partially offset by growth from unconventional drilling programmes and major project start-ups," ConocoPhillips said. "Adjusted for dispositions, Libya and downtime, production grew by 30,000 boepd, or 2%, compared with 2012."

The company expects, however, to raise production by between 3% and 5% this year. Excluding Libyan production, the full-year output outlook is unchanged at 1.55 million boepd.

For the first quarter, production is set to come in at between 1.49 million and 1.53 million boepd, once again exclusing Libya.

As MRC wrote before, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips has requested an authorization to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the United States.
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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Azelis announces a new distribution contract with Evonik, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer, said the producer in its press release.

In addition to other European countries, Azelis can now also offer products in Evonik’s Crosslinkers business line to customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH) for coatings, inks and other applications. This new co-operation represents a mandate extension of successful agreements between the two companies for these products across Europe.

Michel Dumusois, International Business Director, Azelis Coatings, states, "With Evonik’s Crosslinkers technology coupled with Azelis’ Coatings expertise, I am certain that its well known product line will be a strong addition to our portfolio in DACH. Azelis will leverage its experience in Crosslinkers applications, established local customer relationships and work closely with Evonik, to rapidly expand market share in the region."

Johan Holleman, Sales Director Europe, Evonik, adds "We know that many of our customers value the extra flexibility that comes from sourcing products via a third party known for a broad product portfolio and value added service. We are certain this will continue to be a fruitful partnership with benefits for all involved, as we have worked well with the Azelis Coating teams in other European countries."

Evonik’s Crosslinkers business line, part of the Coatings & Additives business unit and marketed under the VESTASOL, VESTAMIN, VESTANAT and VESTAGON trade names, offers real benefits for customers by improving coating performance and protection in a wide range of paints, coatings and printing inks. As MRC wrote before, Evonik Industries and LanzaTech have signed a three year research cooperation agreement which will see Evonik combining its existing biotechnology platforms with LanzaTech’s synthetic biology and gas fermentation expertise for the development of a route to bio-processed precursors for specialty plastics from waste derived synthesis gas.