Rochling Group's automotive business will build its seventh U.S. manufacturing site

(Plastics Today) -- Rochling Group's (Mannheim, Germany) automotive business will build its seventh U.S. manufacturing site in Akron, OH to support customers Ford Motor Co. and General Motors. Investing "double-digit millions" in the plant, Rochling says the finished campus will include production and storage facilities covering a total of 75,000 ft2. The city of Akron assisted Rochling in site selection, with the new business to be constructed near the Akron Fulton International Airport in the Massillon Road Industrial Park.

Rochling Automotive USA, which has headquarters in Duncan, SC, says it plans to operate the new Ohio facility as a strictly manufacturing location with a lean organizational structure.

Rochling currently supplies systems used by the Chevrolet Cruze Eco and the Ford Focus to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Once local vehicle production is boosted in 2013, Rochling anticipates that its new facility will employ over 100.

Rochling is planning a new production line for engine and body undershields, including injection molding machines. The presses will also be molding grill shutter systems, a new technology used to improve the aerodynamic properties and heat management and control of vehicles. The company has 55 locations worldwide, with sales exceeding $1.3 billion.

MRC

In December 2010 this index made 64.4 KT. The previous record was reached in August 2010, when Russian producers managed to produce 84 KT of HDPE.

During January 2011 almost all Russian producers had been working with permanent utilization of capacities.

In mid-January Nizhnekamskneftechem restarted HDPE production. Gazprom neftechem Salavat increased output to 7.8 KT which had made a record since the moment of a launch. Insignificant increase of output has been marked at Kazanorhsyntez. HDPE output at Stavrolen remained almost at the level of Decemebr.

mrcplast.com

(CVG) -- Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc., a leading supplier of fully integrated system solutions for the global commercial vehicle market, is pleased to announce that it held a ceremony to break ground marking the start of construction on the Company's new production facility in Saltillo, Mexico.

The 159,550 square-foot facility is expected to be completed in August 2011 with initial operations starting in March 2011. The CVG facility will be a three-building campus under a "Center of Excellence" concept in which each building will be focused on a different and specific production process. The campus will also include a soccer field for employees.

CVG (headquartered in New Albany, Ohio) is a world leader in the development, manufacturing and fulfillment of fully integrated system solutions for the commercial vehicle market including the heavy truck, construction, military, agriculture and specialty industries.

MRC

(Plastemart) -- Saudi Arabian petrochemicals major Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) is planning big investments in India for which it is pursuing talks with Indian petrochemical players for a joint venture, in a bid to tap the huge potential of the Indian market with cracker projects and downstream refineries, vice president Asia Pacific and member of the board of directors of Sabic Asia Pacific, told Business Standard.

With annual petrochemical imports of over US$22 billion of petrochemical products, India offers Sabic the perfect platform to tap the potential for its core business areas like chemicals, fertilizers, innovative plastics, polymers and performance chemicals. Currently Sabic's investments in India are limited to facility and technology centres acquired in Baroda and Bangalore through its global acquisition of GE's plastics division a few years ago. Sabic has six offices in India. Alumar said Sabic was planning to expand its research and technology center in Baroda by hiring more than 280 research staff. The facility will be ready by the year-end or early 2012. The company is also setting up a new muti wall sheet (MWS) facility in Baroda. This is expected to commence operations in July 2011.

MRC

(Nova Chemicals) -- NOVA Chemicals announced the execution of definitive agreements with Hess Corporation (Hess) and Vantage Pipeline Canada Inc./Vantage Pipeline US LP (Vantage) to purchase and transport ethane production from Hess' Tioga Gas Plant in North Dakota via a proposed pipeline to Alberta, Canada. NOVA Chemicals has the right to purchase 100 percent of the ethane produced at the Tioga Gas Plant under a long-term arrangement.

This arrangement represents one of several NOVA Chemicals initiatives to complement its traditional ethane supply sources in Alberta.

The proposed pipeline will be constructed, owned and operated by Vantage and is expected to start-up in the fourth quarter of 2012, subject to receipt of customary regulatory and other approvals. The proposed pipeline design will allow for the transport of up to 60,000 barrels per day of ethane and will be capable of further capacity additions if required in the future.

NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals, plastic resins and end-products.

MRC