PPG announces executive leadership change

PPG announces executive leadership change

PPG has announced that Rebecca Liebert, Executive VP, will leave the company to explore an external opportunity, effective Sept. 16, 2022, said the company.

Rebecca’s new global executive opportunity, which will be announced soon, is a true testament to her strong leadership capabilities and speaks highly of the top talent that has been developed and nurtured at PPG.

“Her proven experience has been extremely valuable as we’ve navigated through the last several years of unprecedented challenges in the world and within our businesses," said Michael McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO.

We remind, PPG will invest USD11 million to double the production capacity of its powder coatings plant in San Juan del Rio, Mexico. The expansion project is expected to be completed by mid-2023 and will allow the plant to meet the expected future demand for powder coatings in Mexico.

PPG is a leading supplier of powder coatings to the automotive, transportation, appliance, furniture and other markets. The company expanded the business with its 2020 acquisition of Alpha Coating Technologies, which manufactures powder coatings for light industrial applications and heat-sensitive substrates, and its 2021 acquisition of Worwag, which makes liquid, powder and film coatings for industrial and automotive applications. PPG recently agreed to acquire the powder coatings business of Arsonsisi, including a manufacturing plant in Verbania, Italy.
mrchub.com

Lubrizol appoints new CEO

Lubrizol appoints new CEO

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, announced that Rebecca Liebert has been named the company’s President and CEO, effective October 3, 2022, said the company.

She succeeds Mary Rhinehart who has served as interim President and CEO since March of this year. Rhinehart will continue as the company’s Board Chair. Liebert was most recently Executive Vice President of PPG Industries, a global leader in paints, coatings and specialty materials. She joined PPG in June 2018 leading the automotive OEM coatings business, including PPG's mobility initiatives. Her final responsibilities included PPG's global industrial segment businesses, Asia Pacific region oversight, and functional responsibility for global procurement, resin and industrial segment manufacturing.

Prior to PPG, Liebert served as President and CEO of Honeywell UOP, a leading international supplier to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production and major manufacturing industries. Prior to joining Honeywell, Liebert served as President of Reynolds Food Packaging.

"Rebecca is a dynamic, passionate and results-driven leader,” said Greg Abel, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway’s non-insurance operations. “She brings tremendous experience and a record of accomplishments in leading global organizations and driving operational excellence. Most importantly, she is an individual of the highest integrity – a vital quality for leaders. I thank Mary Rhinehart for her strong interim leadership at Lubrizol and for helping position the company for future growth and success."

We remind, Lubrizol Corporation announces a global collaboration project with Suzano, the world’s leading eucalyptus pulp and paper producer. This market-leading partnership will co-develop natural-based ingredients using renewable materials to the beauty, personal and home care markets. The new relationship combines Lubrizol science, formulation, and market expertise with Suzano knowledge in all varieties and applications of eucalyptus bioproduct cellulosic biomaterials.

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that apart from its production develops and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. Lubrizol is providing innovative solutions for its customers high-performance application needs and remains committed to ongoing investment in its CPVC capabilities that support future growth. With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,000 employees worldwide.
mrchub.com

Trinseo appoints Han Hendriks as first CTO

Trinseo appoints Han Hendriks as first CTO

Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider, announced that it has appointed Han Hendriks to the newly created role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective Oct. 1, 2022, said the company.

As CTO, Hendriks will be a member of Trinseo’s executive leadership team and will be based in The Netherlands. In this role, he will drive the development of differentiated technology and innovation, allowing Trinseo to meet unfilled and unrecognized customer needs and develop sustainable solutions across Trinseo’s innovation pillars.

"We are delighted to have Han join us during this critical moment in our company’s transformational journey to become a specialty material solutions provider,” said Frank Bozich, Trinseo President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue our journey, and as part of an effort to define a path forward, Han’s experience in setting a vision and strategy for technology and developing transformational technologies will help us achieve our goals."

Prior to joining Trinseo, Hendriks was Chief Technology Officer at Yanfeng, one of the world's leading automotive suppliers, headquartered in Shanghai with eight R&D centers globally. He was responsible at the group level for the company’s technology and “smart cabin” vision and strategy, as well as portfolio management. He also led the design and development of new products from research and initial idea to market launch including technical sales and marketing, technology M&A and partnerships, and the initiation and global upscaling of Yanfeng’s new business incubators. Prior to Yanfeng, Hendriks enjoyed a 16-year career at Johnson Controls, holding multiple roles of increasing responsibility. Earlier in his career, he worked for companies such as Fluke (Danaher) and Oce (Canon).

Hendriks holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural Design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Maastricht and an MBA from the University of Westminster, London, and he successfully completed a post-graduate Industrial Design program at the Universita Internazionale Dell 'Arte in Florence.

As per MRC, Trinseo and GMP Group plan to collaborate on a polystyrene (PS) recycling plant in the Netherlands.
The plant - with a minimum capacity of 25,000 tonnes/year and expected to start up in 2024 - will purify PS waste and deliver high-quality recycled PS pellets via a “ Super Clean recycling process,” they said in a statement. It would be built and operated by GMP.

Trinseo is a global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber. Trinseo's technology is used by customers in industries such as home appliances, automotive, building & construction, carpet, consumer electronics, consumer goods, electrical & lighting, medical, packaging, paper & paperboard, rubber goods and tires. Formerly known as Styron, Trinseo completed its renaming process in 1Q 2015. Trinseo had approximately $4.8 billion in net sales in 2021 and has 26 manufacturing sites and one recycling facility around the world and approximately 3,400 employees.
mrchub.com

Arkema finalizes the acquisition of Polimeros Especiales in Mexico

Arkema finalizes the acquisition of Polimeros Especiales in Mexico

Arkema finalized the acquisition of Polimeros Especiales, strengthening the Group’s offering in solvent-free solutions and its position in this fast growing region, said the company.

Polimeros Especiales is a well-established Mexican company producing high-performance waterborne resins for a broad range of applications in markets such as architectural and decorative paints, textiles, pressure sensitive adhesives and construction. It is a key manufacturer of emulsions in the region, achieving sales of around US$40 million in 2021 and employing 230 people.

As part of Arkema’s Coating Solutions segment, Polimeros Especiales will strengthen the Group’s position in high-growth markets, drive the development of further sustainable innovations together with Arkema’s other key solvent-free technologies, and reinforce its presence in the Americas market.

We remind, Arkema has set itself an ambitious target, based on an SBT (Science Based Target) approach, to reduce its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its scope 3 emissions by 46% by 2030 relative to 2019.

Also, Nippon Shokubai and Arkema are joining forces to launch feasibility studies and establish a joint venture for the construction of an industrial plant for the production of LiFSI (Lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide) ultrapure electrolyte salts, a key component of battery cells for electric mobility.


mrchub.com

YPF, Petronas in talks over gas pipeline, LNG plant

YPF, Petronas in talks over gas pipeline, LNG plant

Argentina's state oil company YPF and its Malaysian counterpart, Petronas, inked a deal on Thursday to build a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and a pipeline to transport the fuel, as demand for the fossil fuel spikes globally, said Reuters.

An agreement could be announced as soon as the end of the week, likely ahead of the Gastech conference in Milan that begins on 5 September. Confirmation from YPF and PETRONAS could not be reached before publication.

YPF operated a brief run at LNG exports between 2019 and 2020, with its Tango FLNG project that was installed in Bahia Blanca. The project’s operations were short-lived, however. Six LNG cargoes were exported, before payments were terminated and Exmar took back the vessel.

Tango FLNG has since been acquired by Italy’s Eni for its exports in the Republic of Congo. Eni’s project could start production as soon as the second half of 2023. Sources said that YPF could consider a bridging venture using floating LNG again while pursuing an onshore liquefaction project, which could be planned as a sizeable project.

One source said as much as 25mtpa was under consideration, but that this sounded overambitious. Argentina has been a net importer of LNG, particularly during the country’s southern hemisphere winter.

YPF would look to export during the country’s summer season, which runs during the northern hemisphere winters in Europe and Asia, coinciding with peak LNG demand. Argentina has imported about 1.8m tonnes of LNG from January to August 2022, according to ICIS LNG Edge. Argentina imported 2.1mtpa in 2021.

We remind, YPF said it would maintain its USD2.7 billion 2021 investment plan despite only partially resolving a recent debt crisis, with USD1.3 billion of the spending for shale oil and gas production at Vaca Muerta, reported Reuters.
The investment represents an 73% increase versus 2020, when the firm suffered a severe blow from the drop in international oil prices and lower demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As MRC informed earlier, Argentina's state-backed energy company YPF plans to ramp up it investment 73% this year, with the brunt of the increased spending going toward rebuilding oil and natural gas production after a 10% slump in 2020, according to a company source's statement Jan. 26, 2021.
mrchub.com