European Rubber Journal articles from February 1999

European Rubber Journal archives from February 1999

Freudenberg buys interest in Meillor SA.
February 1, 1999... German seal maker wins control of French gasket maker, which has interests in Europe and US. Freudenberg & Co.'s new "significant interest" in French gasket maker Meillor SA will have a ripple effect in the US. Under an agreement...

ERJ newsbriefs.
February 1, 1999... [] Seoul, South Korea--Phelps Dodge Corp. is to buy an 85 percent stake in Korea Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd's carbon black business for $73.1 million, significantly boosting the Asian market presence of its Columbian Chemicals Co. subsidiary....

Kraton TPE business is up for sale.(Shell Chemicals International Ltd.)
February 1, 1999... Shell is "looking to sell the Kraton Polymers business. It is not aiming for a demerger or a joint venture," according to Roger Morgan, global director for Kraton Polymers, in an interview at Shell Chemicals' London headquarters, on 6 Jan 1999....

Continental plans to leave WdK.
February 1, 1999... Hannover/Frankfurt, Germany-Continental AG will leave the WdK, the German rubber industry association, by the end of 1999. This was revealed by Manfred Wennemer, chairman of ContiTech and member of Continental AG's executive board, in an...

Phoenix continues to rise as focus on core pays off.
February 1, 1999... Phoenix AG, the Hamburg, Germany-based rubber product specialist, reports preliminary results for 1998 showing an 11-percent increase in sales over the 1997 figure, once the results are adjusted to reflect the disposal of its plastics and...

Maxim has honourable business in Russia.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 1999... Following an article in the December issue of ERJ, Maxim Vassiliev, president and chief executive of the Financial and Industrial division of the Maxim Group of Companies has written to say his company is in no way connected with the person...

Alexandria does not use Columbian technology.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 1999... Following an article in the January issue of ERJ, Ken Leach of Columbian Chemicals Company has written to us to state very firmly that, "Columbian Chemical Company has no involvement whatsoever with Alexandria Carbon Black Co. The Alexandria...

Clarifications.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
February 1, 1999... [] London--Following the article "Surface preparation is vital for a good bond" which appeared in the January issue of ERJ (p28), Steve Fulton of Rhodia wrote to us saying, "I have been misquoted slightly; incorporation of the new bonding...

Standard lays off 700 at Brazilian plant.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... Production cutbacks by car manufacturers in Brazil have forced Standard Products Co. to lay off more than half its work force at its Varginha, Brazil, plant. "From a business standpoint, our (manufacturing) volumes are 50 percent of what...

Chennai hosted IRC '98.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... The International Rubber Conference (IRC '98) at Chennai (formerly Madras) from 7-9 Dec 1998 dealt with the theme, "Technological Challenges and Opportunities of a Demanding Global Environment". About 500 experts from different countries...

Conti to build tyre plant in Romania.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... Continental AG has chosen a site in western Romania for its newest car tyre plant, a $59 million project expected to come on stream by the end of the year 2000. The new plant, located in Timosoara, within 35 miles of the Hungarian and...

ERJ people.
February 1, 1999... [] Air Products has announced three executive changes. CLIFFORD BRIDGES is appointed vice president and general manager of their European chemicals business; FREDERICK FISHER is named as vice president and general manager of the Lain American...

Synergy to come from within ContiTech unit.(ContiTech Holding GmbH)
February 1, 1999... ContiTech has a new role to find in a company devoted to automotive systems supply. The unit's new chairman Manfred Wennemer says his new strategy is corporate synergy. While Continental AG is converting from a versatile tyre and rubber...

DuPont and Sabanci in alliance to make nylon tyre cord.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... DuPont and Sabanci are to form a manufacturing and marketing alliance named Kordsa, to produce nylon yarn and tyre cord fabric. US-based nylon producer DuPont Co. and Turkish cord and fabric maker Haci Omer Sabanci Holding announced on 18...

Federal-Mogul buys seal maker Glockler.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... Federal-Mogul Corporation, based in Southfield, Michigan announced on 22 Dec 1998 that it was to acquire Glockler Dichtsysteme Gunter Hemmrich GmbH, a European producer of rubber seals and parts for valve covers. Glockler has 370 employees...

Regent Medical unit goes powder free.
February 1, 1999... LIG subsidiary bans powder from its expanded Alabama glove-making facility. London International Group Inc.'s Regent Medical division has completed a two-year, $20 million expansion and renovation of its Dothan, Alabama, facility,...

TPE profiles gaining ground in dynamic weatherseals.
February 1, 1999... "The most important development seen in the market," is how Rik Schrooten, general manager of the DSM TPE group, described the latest automotive TPE weathersealing technology, from profiles supplier Draftex. Automotive weatherseals are an...

TPE growth `driven by innovation,' say suppliers.
February 1, 1999... Ability and willingness among TPE suppliers to develop tailor-made grades, blends, and functionalised materials for end users is one factor in high growth rates for the materials. PVC's poor press has widened TPE opportunities, as has Shell's...

VTP has new line.(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... Vita Thermoplastic Polymers has recently started up a third 5 kilotonnes a year (ktpa) capacity TPE production line at its Middleton, Manchester plant. VTP has also announced a new brand name--Vitaprene--for its complete range of TPE...

Consumer uses take off as new TPE materials enter market.
February 1, 1999... Are soft touch uses for TPEs just a passing fad? Not according to experts involved with the consumer markets, where product differentiation, added value, unique selling points are key features in gaining market share. Products using...

Lai defends SMG scheme.
February 1, 1999... Sir, I refer to your article entitled "Glove scheme a small first step" in European Rubber Journal December 1998. As a responsible glove manufacturing nation, Malaysia launched the scheme not just to differentiate our gloves from those...

world news.(multiple brief articles)(Brief Article)
February 1, 1999... These reports have been taken from the various publications and newswires from around the world. Readers are warned that ERJ has not checked these stories, which might contain misleading or biased information Shenyang, China []...

Mobil meets health concerns on oils for the tyre and rubber sectors.
February 1, 1999... Risks to workers' health and environmental concerns over tyre debris have caused a rethink over process oils used in rubber. Mobil is among the leaders in new oils with low polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbon content. To date, the tyre and...

Dialogue with Europe is now a public debate.
February 1, 1999... So, Continental will withdraw from the German rubber industry association, the WdK this year. The move says two things to me. First, it might have been designed to concentrate minds on ways in which pan-European rubber companies can...