ECN-European Chemical News articles from June 2004

ECN-European Chemical News archives from June 2004

Filling the hot seat gets harder.(chemical industry performance)
June 14, 2004... Chemical industry performance is picking up after a prolonged downturn. A downturn that has seen a procession of chief executive officers in major companies head, or more accurately being led, to the door. Dew Chemical, ICI, Monsanto, Clariant,...

Loss declared.
June 14, 2004... UK organics pigments maker European Colour has revealed a fiscal full year pre-tax loss compared with a profit last year, citing as the main reasons lower selling prices, the weak dollar and one-off administration expenses. ...

KMG buys line.(KMG Chemicals Inc. buys Ravap insecticide product line )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... US speciality chemicals manufacturer KMG Chemicals has purchased the Ravap insecticide product line from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica. KMG said it expects the acquisition to add $1m in revenues. KMG reported a 22% gain in fiscal Q3 net income...

Shares in dispute.
June 14, 2004... Funds holding non-voting shares in German hair cosmetics maker Wella may ask the courts to determine the value of the company recently acquired by Procter & Gamble. The fund holders are complaining that the non-voting shares have been valued...

S-P pays fine.
June 14, 2004... US pharmaceutical firm Schering-Plough (S-P) has said it will pay a $500 000 civil penalty to settle a US Securities and Exchange Commission complaint involving a Polish subsidiary. S-P said in a statement the issues at its subsidiary in Poland...

Spartech to grow.
June 14, 2004... US engineered thermoplastics producer Spartech is looking for expansion opportunities in Europe and Asia. In its second quarter results conference call Spartech chief financial officer Randy Martin said the firm is also looking to expand its...

Azelis buy strengthens CEE base in four sectors.(EUROPE: SPECIALITY CHEMICALS)
June 14, 2004... European speciality chemicals distributor Azelis has strengthened its position in four key markets in central and eastern Europe (CEE) by acquiring the distribution businesses in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary of UK-headquartered...

PKN to firm up Unipetrol deal.(POLAND: PETROCHEMICALS)
June 14, 2004... PKN Orlen expects to firm up details of its purchase of Unipetrol after 4 July, the deadline by which minority shareholders in daughter company Ceska Rafinerska must decide whether to increase their stake, a PKN Orlen spokesman told ECN. ...

DuPont faces damages claim.(US: COMPENSATION)
June 14, 2004... A US judge has ordered DuPont to compensate employees who lost their jobs when the company closed part of its Niagara Falls manufacturing plant two years ago. The decision was welcomed by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy...

Clariant agrees job cut numbers.(STAFF: REPRESENTATIVES)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Swiss speciality chemicals company Clariant has reached agreement with employees on plans to cut about 250 to 280 jobs at its Muttenz and Reinach plants in Switzerland. The reduction is part of a restructuring scheme in which 4000 Clariant...

Rhodia near end of unit sales.(US: PHOSPHATES)
June 14, 2004... Divestment of Rhodia's phosphate specialities business in the US is in its final stages, a spokeswoman told ECN. When completed, the sale should bring the French speciality chemical company's total disposals to, or perhaps beyond, its (700m...

Staff cuts are administered.(SPAIN: ERCROS)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Spanish chemicals company Ercros has outlined proposals to dismiss 194 workers or 22% of its staff under restructuring plans aimed at curbing growing losses, workers committee chief Mateo del Blanco told ECN. Ercros, one of Spain's biggest...

Bayer set to court Roche's OTC unit.(OVER-THE-COUNTER: TENDER)
June 14, 2004... Bayer's supervisory board is believed to have given management the green light to pursue its bid for Roche's over-the-counter (OTC) drugs business. German press reports last week said the vote was unanimous. Bayer has declined to comment...

Kemira/Tetra mull options.(CALCIUM CHLORIDE: TALKS)
June 14, 2004... Finnish chemicals group Kemira is assessing with US Tetra Technologies ownership options for its calcium chloride business. Kemira and Tetra, which produces calcium chloride and bromine largely for the oil and gas industry and has sales of...

Strategy review.
June 14, 2004... Hungary's Borsodchem says it is conducting a review of its capital structure and is looking at several acquisition targets in eastern Europe. The review is taking place under the guidance of HSBC Bank, which recently helped Borsodchem obtain a...

Israeli firm buys.
June 14, 2004... Israel's Makhteshim-Agan Industries has bought a 45% holding in the US pesticides company Control Solutions for $13.5m, with the option of extending its holding to 60%. Control Solutions' sales were $45m in 2003 and are forecast to reach $55m...

ICL sells Negev.
June 14, 2004... Israel Chemicals Ltd (ICL) has completed the sale of Industrial Minerals to another Israeli firm, Doraz, for $21.2m. Negev produces gypsum and limestone for the chemical and construction sectors, and silica sand for the glass, manmade marble...

Sasol ups forecast.
June 14, 2004... South African synthetic fuel manufacturer Sasol has raised its forecast for full-year financial performance. It said an improvement in the chemical businesses combined with reduced costs have offset adverse effects from the Rand's strength....

Five become three.
June 14, 2004... BayerCropScience has reorganised its regional business groupings, following the integration of Aventis CropScience. The existing five regions are to become three, namely the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe with Turkey, Africa, the Middle East...

Investors keep a lookout.(INVESTMENT: TRENDS)
June 14, 2004... Private equity investors have struggled to turn a profit from European chemical industry investments during the past decade but most say they are interested in further deals in the sector. These are the key findings of a survey * by...

PolyOne sells Melos to focus on core.(US: VINYLS AND RESINS)
June 14, 2004... US vinyls and resins producer PolyOne has sold its Melos rubber granulates operations at Melle, Germany, to the Melos management team for an undisclosed sum. PolyOne said in a statement that the deal was financed by investors from a group...

Dixie adds to product range.(US: ACID ANHYDRIDES)(Dixie Chemical Company Inc. acquires Buffalo Color Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Dixie Chemical has reinforced its position as a leading supplier of liquid acid anhydrides by buying up the anhydride and alkyl anilines businesses of US compatriot Buffalo Color. The acquisition adds Nadic methyl anhydride and succinic...

Victrex aims for peak with initiative.(UK: POLYMERS)
June 14, 2004... UK high performance polymer producer Victrex has launched an identity initiative aimed at bringing global consistency to its product branding. Victrex chief executive officer David Hummel said the rapid growth and geographical expansion of...

Bayer sells nutrition business.(SPAIN: ANIMAL NUTRITION)(Indukern Group)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Bayer announced the sale of its Spanish animal nutrition franchise in Spain last week and said there may be more such deals in other countries in the future. The unit was sold to Barcelona-based chemicals distributor Indukern Group for an...

UIC growth forecast down.(FRANCE: CHEMICALS)(Union des Industries Chimiques)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Trade group Union des Industries Chimiques (UIC) has downgraded its forecast of French chemicals output growth this year following disappointing first quarter figures. The UIC now expects chemicals production to grow by 1.9% in volume...

Bonds raise $1.25bn.(GERMANY: SPECIALITY CHEMICALS)
June 14, 2004... Private investment company Blackstone has raised an extra $1.5bn on the US and European financial markets to help pay for its acquisition of German speciality chemicals giant Celanese in May. Most of the new financing came from a 3 June...

Nitramonia to lose 640 jobs.(ROMANIA: MODERNISATION)
June 14, 2004... Romanian fertilisers and explosives producer Nitramonia Fagaras is to cut 640 jobs--over a third of its work-force--under a restructuring and modernisation agreement with the State Assets Recovery Authority (AVAS). Under the agreement,...

Sulphur sellers need to look further afield.(TSI: SUPPLY)
June 14, 2004... Sulphur producers are being urged to discover new markets and find more outlets for the distribution of material to help improve consumption levels. Kuwait Petroleum is among the latest oil companies to join The Sulphur Institute (TSI), a...

Rolph forecasts healthy returns for polyolefins.(EUROPE: PRODUCER)(David Rolph of Borealis A/S)
June 14, 2004... David Rolph, Borealis executive vice president polyolefins, speaking to ECN at a pre-K2004 briefing noted: 'The European polyolefins markets took a decisive step in an upward direction in May.' European demand remains reasonable, 'so with...

Benzene soars to $900/tonne.(AROMATICS: PRICES)
June 14, 2004... Benzene prices have once again topped the $900/ tonne mark, despite naphtha levels having fallen on the back of weaker oil prices. Opec decided to increase crude oil output quotas by 2m bbl/day from 1 July and by a further 0.5m bbl/day from 1...

Polymer hikes.
June 14, 2004... Dow Chemical has announced a 150 [euro]/tonne increase for its Questra crystalline polymers in Europe from 1 July. The hikes are in response to rising energy and feedstock costs. They aim to recoup margins which, according to Dow, are at 'an...

APP prices hike.
June 14, 2004... Air Products Polymers Europe intends to increase the prices of its dispersion products as of 1 July. These include vinyl acetate homopolymers, vinylacetate-ethylene copolymers and styrene-acrylate co-polymers. Increases are needed to offset...

Flame retardants.
June 14, 2004... Albemarle is targeting hikes for all its Saytex and Pyro-chek brominated flame retardants from 1 July, or as contracts allow. If successful, the Saytex 102E, RB-49 and RB-79 flame retardant prices will be increased by 10%, while Saytex CP 2000...

Supply deal.(Celanese Corp supplies carbon monoxide to Nanjing Chemical Industry Park)(acetic acid reactor purchased from AstroCosmos)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Celanese has signed supply agreements for its planned 600 000 tonne/year acetic acid plant at the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park in China's Nanjing City. The company has signed a 15-year agreement with BOC for supply of carbon monoxide, as well...

Price increases.(lubricants and waxes)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Rohm and Haas has announced European price increases of 10% for its Paraloid impact modifiers and processing aids, as well as 12% for its Advastab stabilisers, Advalube lubricants and Advawax waxes. The price hike is in response to prolonged...

Wax prices set to improve.(INCREASES: PARAFFIN WAX)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Paraffin wax producers are targeting price increases of up to 50-60 [euro]/tonne from July as a direct result of the surge in oil prices. Slackwax prices, the feedstock for paraffin wax, have climbed as high as 400-450 [euro]/tonne, while...

Performance drives ETPs.(US: ENGINEERED PLASTICS)
June 14, 2004... High performance, low maintenance materials are expected to drive demand in the US engineered plastics sector above 2.495m tonne by 2008, worth around $10.16bn (8.35bn [euro]). According to a recent study by the Freedonia Group, demand for...

MTBE plummets to $480-495/tonne: MTBE is affected heavily by volatile gasoline prices with speculation of a further drop. Ammonia has climbed with the possibility of further rises due to tight supply and strong US demand.(Market trends)
June 14, 2004... Naphtha values have slipped to $352-355/tonne cif NWE, following weaker crude oil prices. Markets remain extremely volatile. Demand from Asia has also dipped, which has contributed to the downward drift in prices. However, take up from the...

Toluene spikes on the back of oil: toluene prices were volatile on the back of WTI crude, with offers seen as high as $1,87/gal, Ethylene prices stayed unchanged again, while butadiene rose after ten stagnant months.(US monitor)
June 14, 2004... The US ethylene contract price remained unchanged in May at 31.50 cent/lb for the fifth month in a row. There had been some expectation that higher crude oil, naphtha and natural gas prices would place upward pressure on ethylene numbers. ...

Precipitated silica: Europe will continue to see small but steady growth as most of its various end-uses are in mature markets, Suppliers are still struggling with high energy costs and thin margins.(Product profile)
June 14, 2004... Uses Precipitated silica is highly versatile and many of its applications take advantage of its unique surface structure, its good flowability and its high adsorptivity. Its largest volume application is as a filler in rubber and major...

Suppliers must join Asian market early, despite risks.(ASIA: DISTRIBUTION)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Chemical distributors must make efforts to set up operations in Asia, as the opportunities now far outweigh the risks, says Wolfgang Falter, head of Global Competence Centre Chemicals & Oil, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Falter was...

FECC: new chief.(Logistics & Distribution)
June 14, 2004... Jim Norman (pictured), managing director of Wessington Group, has been elected president of the European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC), and will succeed Edgar Nordmann. Accepting the position at last week's FECC congress in...

Growth to peter out in 2004.(GERMANY: HELM)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... After a record year in 2003, Germany's Helm is not expecting any further growth in 2004. Poor economic forecasts, poor demand for chemicals, the large fall-off in prices for fertilisers and very high freight rates, especially in bulk shipping,...

Houston start-up.(Katoennatie N.V.opens new service centre)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Katoen Natie has opened its $75m logistics and services centre in La Porte, Texas, US. The Houston Polymers Terminal includes 1.2m [ft.sup.2] of warehousing, a 300-car rail storage yard, bulk packaging and blending capabilities and a...

Biocides for EU.(Albion Chemical Partners and Solvadis International distribute biocides of Prom Chem)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... UK-based Albion Chemicals and EU partner Solvadis International have been appointed pan-European distributors for Prom Chem's range of Promex industrial biocides and PromCure initiators. Prom Chem, also of the UK, has developed the...

Online tenders.(mark)(Royal Numico and Freight Traders )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Royal Numico of the Netherlands, specialist in baby food and clinical nutrition products, has used Freight Traders for a third time to carry out its annual European primary transport tender. The company claims to have saved 10% on transport...

Explosion inquiry.(Odfjell Tankers (USA) Inc., Maritime Administration to enquire about the blast )(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Odfjell has confirmed that an official maritime inquiry will be carried out by Norwegian authorities into the fatal explosion on board its chemical tanker NCC Mekka. One crew member died and another was critically injured following the blast,...

How to use customer innovation to achieve a cutting edge reputation.(DOW CORNING: Smart Innovation series brought to you by Dow Corning)
June 14, 2004... Meeting Customer Needs: Most companies are keen to be viewed by their customers, employees and shareholders as innovative, operating at the cutting edge of their particular sector. Achieving and maintaining an innovation identity is becoming...

Surfactant squeeze: producers are struggling to maintain margins in an industry riddled with high feedstock costs, Will the end result mean consumers having to pay?(surfactants industry affected)(Cover Story)
June 14, 2004... While the European surfactants market continues to show modest growth, survival is becoming increasingly difficult, with producers struggling against rising feedstock costs, overcapacity and environmental pressures. 'This is a very important...

Foaming new lines: surfactants players find themselves looking laterally at their market coverage. The aim is to develop speciality product lines that can ultimately boost bottom lines.(Surfactants: product mix)
June 14, 2004... With margins remaining tight for surfactants in the mature markets of western Europe and North America, commodity surfactant producers are getting some relief by successfully developing and selling speciality products. Most are adapting...

Cleaning up the act: the detergent industry is happy with EC proposals regarding new regulations, but environmentalists argue that the move is not enough, especially when it comes to phosphates, Muriel Cozier discovers what the disagreements are about.(Surfactants: regulations)
June 14, 2004... While industry and legislators have locked horns over the proposals that constitute Reach, when it comes to detergents, the two sides seem to have had a slightly more harmonious relationship. In 2001 the European Commission proposed a new...

Is Pittsburgh the latest hot spot? Nova Chemicals took the decision to up sticks and move its operational headquarters from Calgary, Canada, to Pittsburgh, US, because it wanted to keep its investors sweet, Glenda Thisdell finds out why the region also appeals to other chemical firms.(US: relocation)
June 14, 2004... To say you cannot overstate the importance of communication is to state the obvious. But when times are hard and a chief executive officer is asking investors to continue to back a business on the strength of his faith in a bright future,...

Opportunity knocks: it's time for the chemical industry to shift its gaze away from China and focus on the newest members of the EU, The central and east European states can offer business stability, democracy and huge potential for development and growth. Will Beacham assesses the untapped opportunities.(Eastern Europe)
June 14, 2004... While the chemical industry continues to obsess about China, a quiet, almost noticed revolution has taken place much closer home which offers great money-making potential through growing domestic and export markets in a much less risky...

Conferences.(Diary)(Calendar)
June 14, 2004... International conference on phosphorus chemistry 4-9 July Birmingham, UK Tel +44 20 8334 6518 Website www.icpc2004.com Chisa 2004 22-26 August Prague, Czech Republic Tel +420 221 082 248 Fax +420 221 082 366...

Bayer CropScience.(People on the move)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Germany's Bayer CropScience has unveiled a new streamlined management structure, with a smaller executive committee. The new organisation, to be implemented on 1 July, includes the appointment of three new management board members. They...

British Vita.(People on the move)
June 14, 2004... British Vita has handed Jacques Potier responsibility for European purchasing for the company's cellular polymers division. The responsibility is in addition to his role as general manager at ICOA France, a French cellular polymers business...

Distrupol.(People on the move)
June 14, 2004... Distrupol, a subsidiary of Dutch distributor Univar, has appointed a new sales professional to its existing team in Finland. Jussi Kohler comes to Distrupol from a Finnish company where he worked as a sales engineer for two years. ...

Sika.(People on the move)
June 14, 2004... Swiss construction chemicals and material group Sika is promoting its deputy chief executive Ernst Baertschi to chief executive as part of a boardroom reshuffle prompted by the retirement of chairman Hans Peter Ming. Ming, who is 66, will...

25 years ago: ECN 11 June 1979.(energy market in America)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Spot crude is surging towards $40/ barrel; America and Europe are at each others' throats over products subsidies; Saudi Arabia is reluctant to boost production; traders are being castigated by all sides; a hard-line Opec meeting is due at the...

Debate over PVC suitability unfolds.(polyvinyl chloride)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... The European PVC industry has welcomed the findings of a European Commission report on PVC lifecycle assessment (LCA), saying it confirms PVC is 'as good a material as any other, with both strong and weak points, depending on the application...

EC launches health plan.(SCALE: STRATEGY)
June 14, 2004... The European Commission has launched an action plan to address environmental pollution and health. The plan, for its science, children, awareness, legislation and evaluation (Scale) strategy, would develop an EU system integrating information...

CSTEE slams organotin draft.(Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... The Scientific Committee on xicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) has criticised a revised draft risk assessment of organostannic compounds, saying it under-estimates public exposure and that the possibility remains that human health...

Must do better, says report.(European Union's environmental policy)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... The European Union needs to make yet more efforts to put the environment at the heart of its policy decisions, says a new report out this month from the European Commission. 'Failure to integrate environmental thinking means ongoing costs for...

Great Lakes sells.(HOLYWELL: DIVESTMENT)
June 14, 2004... Great Lakes Chemical has completed its withdrawal from the fine chemicals sector with the sale of its Holywell, UK, facility to Ian Shott Development (ISD) for an undisclosed sum. The deal has been funded by Five Arrows Commercial Finance, part...

Cool tasting!
June 14, 2004... Rhodia has upped capacity to make N-2,3-trimethyl-2-isopropylbutanamide (WS-23) by adding a second stream at Annan, UK. The chemical is a flavour and fragrance building block, for applications where a physiological coolant is desired. Fine...

Plant expression.
June 14, 2004... Dow Chemical has bought a licence to certain patents and patent applications from Epicyte Pharmaceutical, relating to expression of antibodies and immunoglobulin-derived molecules in plants. Fine chemicals editor alan.tyler@rbi.co.uk

Peboc upgrade.
June 14, 2004... Eastman Chemical has received FDA clearance to produce APIs at its Peboc facility in Wales. Fine chemicals editor alan.tyler@rbi.co.uk

Crucell signs licensing deal.(NETHERLANDS: BIOTECH)
June 14, 2004... Dutch biotech player Crucell has signed a research licensing deal with PanGenetics, also of the Netherlands, giving it access to Crucell's PER.C6 technology. The licence allows PanGenetics to use the PER.C6 cell line for pre-clinical...

Agchem shifts to output trait R&D.(BIOTECH: TRENDS)
June 14, 2004... The focus of R&D in the agricultural biotechnology sector has shifted toward development of output traits, away from input traits. But, warns consultancy Phillips McDougall in its latest newsletter, this is an area 'where the potential...

DuPont wins case.(FIRE PROTECTION: PATENT)
June 14, 2004... DuPont has fought off a challenge from Solvay to its European patent covering the use of HFC-227ea in fire protection systems. The European Patent Office last month rejected Solvay's claim, thus ending a dispute that began in 2001 and...

Earnings forecast.(CB and I)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... CB&I has revised its earnings expectations for the second quarter and full-year 2004 as a result of unrecoverable costs on two projects. One project, in Saudi Arabia, has reached an unanticipated level of uncertainty and instability due to...

Azerbaijan boost.
June 14, 2004... According to reports in Azerbaijan, the head of the executive body of Sumgayit City, Vagif Aliyev, has said that $500m is needed to develop its chemical industry. Sumgayit, the third largest city in Azerbaijan, has household chemicals and...

Fibre expansion.
June 14, 2004... Honeywell has announced a $20m investment to boost its production of Spectra fibre to meet an increased demand from the North American armour industry. The first investment will boost capacities in Richmond, Virginia, US, by 2005 and Honeywell...

PO capacity.
June 14, 2004... Dow Chemical will upwardly adjust the nameplate capacity of its propylene oxide (PO) plant in Stade, Germany, from 550 000 to 590 000 tonne/year. As the world's largest single producer of PO Dow produces 1.8m tonne/ year at sites across US. ...

BDF plant earmarked to replace Degussa jv.(UK: POLYMERS)
June 14, 2004... Victrex is considering building a benzophenone difluoride (BDF) plant in the UK. The high performance polymer feedstock plant is being considered for the company's main manufacturing site at Thornton Cleveleys in Lancashire, UK. ...

Cracker investment.(SAUDI ARABIA: ETHYLENE)(Eastern Petrochemical Co. and Saudi Basic Industries Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Japan's Saudi Petrochemical Development Co (SPDC) is considering an investment of Yen250bn (1.86bn [pounds sterling]/$2.28bn) in a 1.2m tonne/year cracker in Saudi Arabia. The project will be driven by Eastern Petrochemical Co (Sharq),...

Biox plans newbuild.(CANADA: BIODIESEL)
June 14, 2004... Biox is planning to proceed with a 60m litre/day biodiesel plant near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to increase its North American supply by 50%. In a statement Biox said that the federal government has in-principle approved a Can$5m (3m...

Unipol output set to soar.(RUSSIA: POLYETHYLENE)
June 14, 2004... Kazanorgsintez will triple the capacity of two of its three Unipolpolyethylene (PE) reactors, using Univation technology. Kazanorgsintez will also be able to add new breakthrough PE products to its manufacturing portfolio, with access to...

Huntsman awaits decision.(UK: LDPE)
June 14, 2004... Huntsman expects to learn within the next three to four weeks whether its request for a substantial regional development grant towards its low-density polyethylene (ldPE) plant proposed for Teesside, northeast UK, has been approved. The...

SPC builds third fertiliser unit.(IRAN: AMMONIA/UREA)
June 14, 2004... Iran's Shiraz Petrochemical Complex (SPC), part of state-owned National Petrochemical Company (NPC), is to build a third ammonia/urea facility. NPC is preparing tender documents for the project at Shiraz. The plan is to add plants to...

Aker Kvaerner in $50m deal.(NORTH ADRIATIC SEA: LNG)(liquefied natural gas terminal)(Brief Article)
June 14, 2004... Aker Kvaerner has received a $50m contract to conduct detailed design and planning activities for future offshore phases of the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the North Adriatic Sea. Kvaerner has completed the front-end...

Total Energie puts funds on solar panel.(FRANCE: INVESTMENT)
June 14, 2004... Total Energie is to spend about 6m [euro] to build a photovoltaic solar panel plant near Toulouse in southwest France. It will be owned by Tenesol Technologies, a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Total Energie. The company said the investment...

Expansion plans.
June 14, 2004... French industrial gases company Air Liquide is planning to spend Can$30m (18.2m [euro]/ $22.3m) to expand nitrogen capacity at the Strathmoor facility near Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. Output will rise by 198 000 tonne/year in two phases. The...

Building delays.
June 14, 2004... US pharmaceutical company, Andrx, said last week that it is delaying the construction of a new manufacturing facility in North Carolina. The company said it made more sense to expand its plant in Florida instead and create near-term capacity...