Thermoformer Plastic Ingenuity adding food packaging lines in Arkansas

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Plastic Ingenuity Inc., which calls itself one of the largest custom thermoformers in North America, is getting even bigger, said Plasticsnews.

The company is expanding its Maumelle, Ark., site through a USD2.5 million project that will add another 10 jobs to the current roster of 50 workers. Plastic Ingenuity is undertaking the expansion to increase production of plastic food packaging lines.

"This expansion will allow the Maumelle facility to become a larger player in the rapidly growing food segment of plastic packaging. The added space and new auxiliary equipment will increase our efficiency and bring more work to central Arkansas," said Plant Manager Jess Mellenthin in a statement.

A state economic development official pointed to the importance of paying attention to existing companies in creating growth. "We must continue to support Arkansas’s manufacturers by providing a trained workforce and the tools needed to grow in our state. We appreciate Plastic Ingenuity’s leadership for their decision to invest in Maumelle and its citizens," said Danny Games, interim executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, in a statement.

"Plastic Ingenuity’s expansion demonstrates the value and importance of our existing manufacturers," he said.
While the expansion is centered on food-related packaging, Plastic Ingenuity’s site in Maumelle also produces plastic packaging for the cell phone and electronics industry.

The company has been in Maumelle since 1993. Plastic Ingenuity is headquartered in Cross Plains, Wis., and has a manufacturing site in nearby Mazomanie, Wis. Other manufacturing sites, aside from Maumelle, are in Oxford, N.C., and Guadalupe and Monterrey, Mexico.

The company ranked No. 22 in Plastics News’ most recent survey of North American thermoformers, with sales of USD85 million.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Imports of polycarbonate (PC) granules to the Russian market decreased to 1,300 tonnes in January-February 2015, down 81% compared to the same period last year, according to a MRC DataScope report.

Decrease in imports mainly resulted from unstable exchange rate. Domestic prices for imported granulate increased significantly. This made converters to switch to Russian-made polymers or secondary raw materials. Some small companies suspended operations.

Traders said that because of the deteriorating economic situation the terms of trade credits and debts have grown. The reason for this was the absence of working capital for the payments.
Buyers reduce procurement of feedstock and work only under contractual obligations. All market players try to avoid the accumulation of stocks.

During the reporting period, the supply of extrusion PC granules decreased by 87% and amounted to only 695 tonnes. Russia's imports of injection moulding polycarbonate were 510 tonnes, which was twice less than the volumes of last year.

Demand for imported bottle PC granules decreased by 78% and amounted to only 116 tonnes. There were no exports of Russian PC in January and February 2015. At the same time, the production of PC granules remained at the level of the previous year and amounted to 11,600 tonnes.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian producers continued to increase exports of polypropylene (PP). In the first two months of the year Russia's exports were about 57,000 tonnes of polypropylene, as per MRC DataScope.

Because of the growing domestic production, which exceeded 1 mln tonnes in 2014 on the launch of sites in Omsk and Tobolsk (up 31% year on year) Russian producers continue to export PP to the foreign markets actively. February PP exports from the country (excluding exports to the Customs Union) were about 34,000 tonnes, compared with 23,100 tonnes in January. Total PP exports from Russia were 57,000 tonnes in the first two months of the year, compared with 31,700 tonnes in the same time a year earlier.

Traditionally, the main importers of Russian polypropylene were China and Turkey. During the reporting period, in these countries were shipped 23,200 tonnes and 9,600 tonnes respectively. Also quite large exports volumes of PP occurred for European countries: Belgium, Poland, Lithuania.

This year, many Russian PP producers significantly increased their export volumes, the exception were Stavrolen and Tomskneftekhim.
Traditionally, a leading supplier of PP in foreign markets was the Tobolsk-Polymer with a total volume of exports during the period of about 36,000 tonnes. Then followed Poliom with 8,300 tonnes and Nizhnekamskneftekhim with 3,500 tonnes.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) - Supply of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in the Russian market was tight in the first half of March, which puts the pressure on the prices. But in the second half of the month the situation changed dramatically. LDPE prices began to rise, according to ICIS-MRC Price Report.

The first two months of the year was quite difficult for Russian producers of LDPE because of the low demand in the domestic market (seasonal factor, expensive credits) and falling prices in foreign markets. Significant oversupply of polyethylene in the domestic market in February made producers significantly increase export volumes.

But in the second half of March, the seasonal increase in demand and approaching shutdown at Kazanorgsintez led to an opposite effect - a rise in prices of low density polyethylene. Export contracts of Russian producers of LDPE have a major impact for the balance in the market. Russia's exports of LDPE in January (excluding the countries of the Customs Union) were 12,800 tonnes. February LDPE exports from the country increased practically two times to 25,500 tonnes. Russian producers have kept quite high exports volumes in March.

Last month's exports form Ufaorgsintez and Kazanorgsintez caused temporary interruptions in LDPE supply to the domestic market, however, this factor did not put pressure on the market and prices. But in mid-March, disruptions in supply began to affect prices.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that Kazanorgsintez (the second largest producer of LDPE in Russia) plans to shut its capacities for almost four-week maintenances from 15, April. The producer's two production sites will be shut sequentially until the end of April. All of these factors this week led to a rise in prices of low density polyethylene in the spot market.

The clients of Ufaorgsintez reported that on Monday, 16, March the company completed all of its March deals for LDPE. Gazprom neftekhim Salavat has also closed all March LDPE contracts. Kazanorgsintez delivers LDPE to the domestic market with disruptions this week.

Spot prices for 158 PE started from Rb75,000-78,500/tonne FAC, including VAT in the beginning of the week, but in the middle of the week prices increased by Rb2,000/tonne on a surge in demand. Some traders have temporarily suspended their sales.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The research and development department of Polycomp, a rubber compounder based in Vorden, Netherlands, has developed an EPDM compound that meets the requirements of EN45545-2, as per GV.

Compounds that meet the German Elastomerleitlinie have recently been introduced, too.

Polycomp developed a new EPDM compound with excellent fire retardant properties. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the product at 34.7% is very high, smoke formation and toxicity of gases is very low. The compound is also fully halogen free. In addition, it meets and exceeds the requirements of R22, R23 and R24 for the most severe Hazard Level (HL3) of EN45545-2 2013.

Furthermore, the company has successfully developed a series of new EPDM rubber compounds for use in drinking water applications. These compounds are approved according to the new Elastomerleitlinie in Germany for cold and hot water applications. The compounds have different cure speeds thus offering a choice for diverse production processes.

Polycomp is a specialist for development and production of customer specific high performance rubber compounds for demanding applications in the automotive, oil and gas industries.

As MRC wrote before, Dow Elastomers, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, will soon break ground on its planned world-scale NORDEL EPDM (ethylene propylene-diene terpolymer) facility in Plaquemine, La., which will utilize the company’s newest proprietary catalyst technology to enable products with high Mooney viscosity. The facility, which will service customers globally, is expected to come online in 2016 and will leverage Dow’s comprehensive investment plan to serve its downstream businesses through increased ethylene and propylene production in the US Gulf Coast and to connect the company's US operations into feedstock opportunities from increasing supplies of shale gas.
MRC