European Rubber Journal articles from March 2004

European Rubber Journal archives from March 2004

Fenner unit buys specialist hose maker; UK group makes acquisition to beef up existing hose making operations.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Fenner plc has bought specialist automotive hose maker Indico (Europe) Ltd for [pounds sterling]2.8 million ([euro]4.13 million) and is busy incorporating the hose maker into its own silicone hose-making unit, James...

Dunlop Standard in securities offering.(News)(Dunlop Standard Aerospace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Dunlop Standard Aerospace Holdings plc aims raise $125 million ([euro]99 million) in a securities offering. The aerospace supplier said it will use [pounds sterling]23 million ([euro]34 million) to repay loans. ...

Magnifoam aims to gain contracts with Airbus.(News)(Magnifoam Technology International Inc., Airbus Industrie)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Magnifoam Technology International Inc., a Canadian-based silicone rubber parts maker, has set up a technical team dedicated to winning contracts from European aircraft manufacturing conglomerate Airbus, based in...

Carter's UK rubber machinery firm reborn; Streamlined Carter machinery business merges from receivership saga.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Carter Brothers (Rochdale) Ltd's rubber machinery business, which went into receivership in January 2004, has spawned a new company-Carter International Ltd. The Rochdale, UK-based firm will start trading in...

Electronic SmartPaper uses elastomer sheets; Silicone display system to greet your next visit?(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Gyricon llc has launched the first commercial application of SmartPaper technology-a reusable display medium made of wax beads encased in a silicone elastomer sheet. SmartPaper is an alternative to liquid-crystal...

Cooper optimistic after record Q4 sales; Tyre maker expects 10 percent growth in 2004.(News)(Cooper Tire and Rubber Co.)
March 1, 2004... After a record fourth quarter, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., is optimistic that its 2004 results will exceed performance in 2003. Cooper anticipates a 10-percent jump in shipments this year, against industry growth of 3 to 4 percent, Thomas...

Tyre launch sends Goodyear stock higher; New tyre helps to make a big impression on financial analysts.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Following the launch of its Goodyear Assurance line, the price of Goodyear stock closed above $10 a share 21 Jan for the first time in more than a year. The Assurance tyre is designed to fit the mid-level and luxury passenger tyre segments...

Cooper to add capacity in Georgia, Arkansas; US expansions follow shift of truck tyre production to China.(News)(Cooper Tire and Rubber Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. will invest $24.6 million this year to boost annual capacity of car and light truck tyres by 1.9 million units at its Albany, Georgia, and Texarkana, Arkansas, plants to meet steadily increasing demand for the company's...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
March 1, 2004... European tyre sales up in 2003 * Vitry sur Seine, France-The European market for new and replacement tyres grew in all segments during 2003, according to French industry group SNCP (Syndicat National du Caoutchouc et des Polymers). ...

Amtel invests $100m to make 20m tyres by 2006; Russian tyre maker has ambitious plans to expand, both within Russia and abroad.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Russian tyre maker Amtel has big plans for expanding its business. It aims to invest $50 million ([euro]39 million) in 2004, adding to over $100 million invested in the previous three years. And "As soon as we finalise...

Silicone needed for long, hot life.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... * In James Dawson's hoses, silicone rubber is used for two major reasons. First the hoses are typically required to last the life of a bus or truck without needing replacement, Barbour said. Second, the polymer for hoses for turbo-charged...

IPO looming?(News)(Initial Public Offering)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Amtel organisation has been wholly-owned by Gupta. He is realistic about the amount of investment needed to run and grow the business, so he recently sold five percent of the business for $15m to US investment group Templeton. Now the...

Amtel may buy Iranian plant-and rest of Rosava?(News)(Amtel Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... While Amtel is "positioning ourselves as a national producer aimed at satisfying local needs in high quality tyres," Gupta admitted he is considering other options. For example, Amtel is now "very seriously looking" at buying a tyre...

Amtel-Nokian Tyres deal; Russian, Finnish partners fall out over implementation.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Speculation about a merger between Nokian and Amtel, or a severing of the relationship, grew to a frenzy in the Russian and international press during January. The plot thickened 11 Feb, with a Reuters report saying...

What did the JV involve?(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... * Sales company OOO Amtel Nokian Tyres (ANT), set up in late 2002; * Aim: to sell 600 000 Nokian and Amtel brand tyres in 2003 and 2 million in 2004. All tyres initially made by Amtel; * Amtel to invest $15 million and Nokian $10...

Bekaert sets up in India, advances Chinese plans; First Indian unit comes on stream as the group expansion in China gathers pace.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Bekaert has officially inaugurated its first steel cord plant in India-a 5 kilotonnes per year facility in Pune, south of Mumbai. The plant, operated by Bekaert Industries Pvt Ltd, supplies radial tyre reinforcement...

Iran tyre cord player emerges; Saba starts up major nylon product plant based on German firm's technology.(Suppliers)(Rubber Industries Investment & Development Co.,)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Saba Tire Cord Manufacturing Complex of Iran has established a polyamide tyre cord production facility about 15km north east of Zanjan, Iran. The operation, which started up in April last year, is the largest such...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)
March 1, 2004... Sumitomo to double steel cord plant * Osaka, Japan-Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd is to double the capacity of its tyre steel cord production plant in Tochigi, Japan, to 4.8 kilotonnes per month. The project represents an investment of...

Solvay Engineered Polymers acquires TRS; Acquisition follows on from earlier marketing deal, and broadens Solvay's offerings for the automotive industry.(Suppliers)(hermoplastic Rubber Systems Inc., Solvay SA)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Solvay Engineered Polymers, part of Solvay SA, has acquired Thermoplastic Rubber Systems Inc. (TRS), a Shirley, Massachusetts-based supplier of thermoplastic elastomer compounds. Terms of the deal were not...

Rubber business growing amid eastwards shift; Demand for testing and consultancy services rise over the 18 months since MBO.(News)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Rapra Technology's business in the rubber sector is currently growing despite an on-going drift of manufacturing from the UK, according to Richard Walton, a senior executive of the UK-based polymer research and...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Avon awaits gas mask contract * Cadillac, Michigan-Avon Rubber plc plans to expand its operations in Cadillac if it receives a contract to produce gas masks for the US military. The UK moulder has already won the first two parts of the...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(European Rubber Journal)
March 1, 2004... Invista names fibres boss * Wichita, Kansas-Koch Industries Inc. will not replace Invista president, Steve McCracken, who has resigned from the company ahead of its sale to Koch, a company spokeswoman said. Koch had previously named...

Cabot Shanghai CB expansion, sets up fumed silica JV.(News)(Cabot Corp., carbon black)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Patrick Raleigh Cabot Corp. has completed a 50-kilotonnes-per-annum (ktpa) expansion of its carbon black plant in Shanghai, and formed a holding company to manage its business in China. Another move saw Cabot establish a fumed...

PolyOne buys ResinDirect unit.(News)(PolyOne Corp)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... After spending most of 2003 closing plants and deciding which businesses it would sell, PolyOne Corp. has shifted gears in early 2004 by purchasing the North American resin distribution business of ResinDirect LLC. No purchase price was...

End of an era as Socfin exits Malaysia; French plantation owner severs century-long links with Malaysia.(Suppliers)(Socfin )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White French rubber, palm oil and coffee grower Socfin Plantations is to sell all its remaining plantations in Malaysia, but is keeping its major presence in Africa, operating rubber, palm oil and other plantations. The...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Briefs)(European Rubber Journal)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Auto market boom continues in China, central Europe * Munich, Germany-Asia and central Europe will have explosive growth in new-car registrations during the next 10 years, according to automotive market data company RL Polk. The Polk...

Silicone rubber used for 2-D molecular gradients.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White * US scientists have used a silicone elastomer network in conjunction with a mechanical stretching device to produce two-dimensional molecular gradients for nanotechnology applications. Such gradients are needed in...

ERJ people.(People)
March 1, 2004... Stalder leaving Datwyler * Pierre-Andre Stalder, a member of Datwyler Holding Inc.'s management executive and head of the Datwyler Cables+Systems Division, is resigning from the company in March. Paul Truniger, a member of the...

Demand for rubber machinery goes east; Although Western Europe and North America have faced three extremely difficult years in terms of rubber machinery sales, global demand remained level, or increased slightly between 2001 and 2002, according to new data compiled by ERJ. There is a much more optimistic sense of the future among the world's leading machinery makers.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw The long recession in the machinery business may not be completely over, but some machinery suppliers are reporting orders up substantially over 2003, with improved prospects for the rest of the year. Furthermore,...

Silicone moulding equipment gets clever; All-electric machine is a derivative of the well-known Fanuc robotic system, and offers precision, low noise and small footprint.(Special Report)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White A new injection moulding machine for liquid silicone rubber has the advantages of an all-electric machine, as well as being fast, with high precision and repeatability, claims its developer, Austrian machinery firm Hefner...

Optical inspection too.(Special Report)(inspection system for rubber part makers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... EST is also offering a vision-inspection system for rubber part makers. "More and more manufacturers are forced to automate completely including 100 percent visual inspection-especially in medical parts," he said, quoting a company he deals...

Datwyler gains Lonstroff extrusion business; Swiss merger will result in eight job losses.(News)(Datwyler Group)(Lonstroff AG)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Datwyler Group is buying Lonstroff AG's continuous extrusion business, in a deal expected to be completed by the end of February 2004. The Lonstroff unit's activities will become part of Datwyler's Altdorf,...

First runnerless injection moulding machine.(Special Report)(Eastern Plastics Machinery)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Waste material is always an issue in injection moulding of elastomers, but a new runnerless moulding system called Rudiz, on offer from Eastern Plastics Machinery in the UK, claims to eliminate such difficulties. ...

Machinery survey.(Special Report)
March 1, 2004... Key This page lists all the manufacturers who claimed to make each of the following types of equipment. It does not claim to be a definitive listing, because some manufacturers chose not to identify all the types of equipment they make and...

Rubber machinery listing 2003.(Special Report)
March 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw This listing is based on data supplied by the companies themselves, and ERJ does not guarantee the accuracy of the data contained in the following listing. Nevertheless, we have done our best to ensure the data is...

Web Addresses.(Special Report)
March 1, 2004... Instead of providing full contact details for every company listed, we have given web addresses. Readers can visit the company website for further information. Agila NV: www.agila.be Akron Rubber Machinery Inc.: None found ...

Ancillary equipment, resellers and refurbishment specialists.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... In a new departure, we have separated out companies which make, sell and refurbish primary machines (previous listing) from those who are mainly re-sellers or agents, without substantial workshop facilities, or who make ancillary equipment. The...

Gum develops new EPDM strategy for Crompton; Crompton Corp has replaced its Royalene EPDM management team, and is preparing to launch a new strategy, based around niche applications.(Suppliers)
March 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw Changes at the top of Crompton Corp.'s business have given the company a new EPDM strategy. Part of that is to raise EPDM prices. Crompton's latest EPDM recruit is Rich Owins (pictured), who replaces Joe Gatto as...

Oil, rubber prices show signs of levelling off.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Information We present here a series of charts and tables which are meant to give a snapshot of how the rubber industry is performing. The price of rubber on the Singapore commodity exchange is possibly the most important price in the...

Tokai Rubber has new hose site in China; New automotive hose plant extends Tokai's coverage of the Chinese market.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Tokai Rubber Industries Ltd now has five manufacturing plants in China, following the setting up of its latest unit, to make automotive hoses, in Guangzhou. The Japanese-based maker of automotive hose and other parts said the wholly owned...

ERJ newsbriefs.(sales and earnings)
March 1, 2004... Sales up, profits down at Forbo * Eglisau, Switzerland-Rising sales for Swiss adhesives, belting and flooring group Forbo in 2003 were not accompanied by a corresponding rise in profits. Restructuring costs, the slow economy and the weak...

ERJ gets new website.(News)(European Rubber Journal)
March 1, 2004... European Rubber Journal unveiled its new website in late January. The new site, at EuropeanRubberJournal.com offers subscribers two key benefits, as well as a much quicker, more convenient way to keep in touch with the world of rubber. The...

Backing for new UK aerospace seal supplier; Aerospace seals start-up company targets sales of up to [pounds sterling]5 million.(News)(Wide Range Elastomers Ltd)
March 1, 2004... Byline: Liz White Wide Range Elastomers Ltd, a new UK maker of aerospace seals, has gained funding of [pounds sterling]200 000 ([euro]295 300) to aid its development in this specialist sector, according to managing director Steve Jones....

Suppliers + equipment.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Wide Range Elastomers is buying in elastomer mixed to its specifications from two specialist UK suppliers-Primasil Ltd and Clwyd Compounders Ltd. Aerospace seals-on any part of an aircraft that moves-use materials ranging from the specialised...

ERJ newsbriefs.(Bridgestone Corp.'s labour relations)(Compagnie Generale des Etablissement Michelin aims for profits)(Continental AG plans foreign operations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... B'stone Argentina case for Tokyo * Brussels-Unions are asking Bridgestone Corp.'s top management in Tokyo to step in to end a bitter dispute at its Buenos Aires tyre plant. The group's management is refusing to reinstate 73 workers, sacked...

Russian tyre production.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Nizhnekamskshina: 10.0 m Sibur Group: 16.2 m Omsk: 5.72m Yaroslavl: 5.76m Ural: 1.71m Voltire: 3.03m Moscow Tyre Plant: 2.19m (now Continental JV) Amtel Group total (Russia): 5.94m Total (Russia): 35.0m ...

Car imports: Russia.(News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... 2001: 320 000 2002: 470 000 2003: 617 000 2004*: 750 000 2005*: 875 000 * Predicted figures Source: Amtel (new and used vehicles)

ERJ newsbriefs.(European Rubber Journal)(Aventis divests stake in Wacker-Chemie GmbH)(PolyOne Corp. takes charge against earnings)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Aventis to sell Wacker stake * Strasbourg, France- Aventis is to divest its 49-percent stake in Wacker-Chemie GmbH to meet European Commission conditions for its formation back in 1999-through the merger of Rhone-Poulenc and Hoechst. ...

By employees.(Special Report)
March 1, 2004... Kobe Steel Ltd.: 1500 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: 1000 Thyssenkrupp Elastomertechnik: 880 Arburg GmbH + Co.: 700 REP SA: 500 Siempelkamp GmbH & Co: 500 Berstorff GmbH: 400 Skoda AS: 380 Troester GmbH & Co....

US machinery sector comes under scrutiny.(Column)
March 1, 2004... Byline: David Shaw Every year we write to a few hundred machinery makers and ask them how the business is going. This year is no exception. However, the story this year is quite different. In China, and, to a lesser extent India,...

Diary.(Calendar)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... Readers are strongly advised to confirm details with organisers before making any travel arrangements. An updated list of industry events is available on the ERJ website at http://www.crain.co.uk/ March * Caoutchouc et Gomma. March...