NEWS Job cuts at KraussMaffei IN BRIEF...
KraussMaffei is to cut jobs as it positions itself for what it describes as “an increasingly challenging market environ- ment.” Several hundred positions are to go in non-production areas; cuts are not expected in manu- facturing and assembly. “In the light of internal
and external challenges, tak- ing actions to enable us to be more competitive is important to restore profitability at KraussMaffei,” said CEO Li Yong. “Various measures have been initiated to improve opera-
KraussMaffei CEO Li Yong
tional performance, increase work efficiency and reduce the cost base, including job reductions. We are confi-
dent that KraussMaffei will get back on the road to success.” KraussMaffei has been investing heavily in its operations over the past few years. Its extrusion and recycling divisons relocated to a new 97,000m2
facility at
Laatzen near Hanover in September last year while its injection moulding, RIM, additive manufacturing and automation units moved into its new 200,000m2
HQ
at Parsdorf near Munich last December. �
www.kraussmaffei.com
Orbia turns in ‘solid’ results
In its 2022 full year results, Orbia reported net sales of $9.61bn, an increase of 10% on 2021, while its EBITDA was $1.91bn, a decrease of 7%. The company described the performance as ‘solid’, exceeding the upper end of its EBITDA guidance. “2022 was a challenging
year for us and the world at large, marked by the war in
Ukraine, inflation, rising interest rates and waves of pandemic-related shut- downs,” said CEO Sameer Bharadwaj. Total 2022 sales for the company’s polymer solutions division (which includes Vestolit and Alphagary), were $3.71bn, a 7% increase on 2021. EBITDA was down by 29% to $804m.
Vestolit and Alphagary focus on general purpose and specialty PVC resins and PVC and zero-halogen specialty compounds. The company said the sales increase was driven primarily by strong prices during the first half of the year. EBITDA decreased due to higher feedstock and energy costs. �
www.orbia.com
Heubach Group has appointed Lintech International to distribute its portfolio of organic, inorganic, and anti-corro- sive pigments, including pigment dispersions, across the US. The move means customers can now source products previously supplied by Heubach Colorants USA (formerly Clariant Pigments) and Heubach Ltd from a single source.
www.heubach.com
www.lintechinternational.com
US medical compounds specialist Foster Corpora- tion has been appointed as a marketing partner for Röhm’s Cyrolite, Cyrolite MD and XT acrylic-based polymers for medical applications in the US. The materials are USP Class VI and ISO 10993 certified, offer transparency, toughness and chemical resistance, and support gamma and ethylene oxide sterilisation.
www.fosterpolymers.com
www.roehm.com
Palsgaard expands Dutch plant
Denmark’s Palsgaard has started work on a major expansion at its Nether- lands plant, where it produces high- grade polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), primarily used as a co-emulsifi- er in chocolate production but also as a plant-based alternative to petroleum- based wax dispersing aids for plastics. Scheduled for completion in 2024,
Above: Breaking ground on a site expansion that will double capacity for PGPR dispersing aids
10 COMPOUNDING WORLD | March 2023
the expansion will double the com- pany’s global PGPR capacity to 11,500 tonnes/yr. The company says demand is currently growing at 10% each year. Palsgaard Chief Operations Officer
Kim Bøjstrup said: “We are already market leaders in PGPR and the world’s only commercial source of fully sustainable emulsifiers. Our expanded Netherlands plant will continue to manufacture the highest quality, palm-free PGPR products.” The facility achieved CO2
-neutral
production (Scope 1 and 2) status in 2018. The new extension includes an additional 1,500m² of solar panels and complete electrification of PGPR production. �
www.palsgaard.com
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: PALSGAARD
IMAGE: KRAUSSMAFFEI
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