NEWS


Uponor improves sales through higher prices


Uponor, the Finnish pipe manufacturer, says it had a “good year” in 2022 – with a modest increase in sales but a fall in profits.


Net sales for the year


were nearly €1.4 billion (US$1.4bn), a rise of nearly 6%. Comparable operating profit was nearly €154m (US$164m), a fall of more than 4% compared to 2021. Sales growth was mainly driven by higher pricing and currency effects, but negatively affected by a cyberattack at the end of 2022 – which pulled sales down in Q4. The cyberattack also affected profitability – as did the write-down of Russian operations, said the company. In Q4, sales fell by 16% to


same division in North America saw sales rise by nearly 3% as operating profit dipped by 8%. The com- pany’s infrastructure division raised sales by more than 9%, while profitability grew by around 43%. Although the USA


Rauterkus: “Despite a volatile market environment, we did well in 2022”


€277m (US$296m), while comparable operating profit more than halved to around €11m (US$12m).


Building solutions in


Europe saw a 6% rise in sales for the year, but a 33% dip in profitability, while the


remains the largest sales region for Uponor, its share of sales fell to 28.3%, from 33.8% in 2021. The next largest market is Sweden, with a 12.9% share of sales. For 2023, Uponor expects net sales of between €1.3bn and €1.4bn (US$1.4-1.5bn). “Despite a volatile market


environment, Uponor did well in 2022,” said Michael Rauterkus, president and CEO of Uponor. � www.uponor.com


NPE floor space selling quickly


The US-based Plastics Industry Association has sold more than 1 million sq ft of space for the NPE show – to more than 1,100 exhibitors.


The space was sold at an in-person Space Draw event. NPE takes place on 6-10 May 2024 in Orlando, Florida. “We’re thrilled to see this


level of commitment, 14 months ahead of the show opening,” said Matt Sea- holm, president and CEO of the association. � www.npe.org


ADS third quarter


sales fall US-based pipe extruder Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) saw reduced sales but higher profits in the third quarter of 2022. The company reported


sales of US$665 million for the period – a decrease of more than 8% compared to the same period in 2021. At the same time, net profits rose nearly 12% to US$83m. For the first three


quarters overall, ADS saw a 17% increase in sales to nearly US$2.5 billion, and an 87% rise in net profits to US$425m. “We executed well in the fiscal third quarter despite a challenging demand environment,” said Scott Barbour, president and CEO of ADS.


“Business was down, primarily due to weakness in the non-residential and retail businesses.” ADS expects full-year


sales of around US$3bn. � www.ads-pipe.com


Plastics associations fight against pellet loss


Two European plastics associations have launched a certification scheme to prevent pellet loss. Plastics Europe, which represents


resin producers, and EuPC – the association for European plastics converters – say that the certification to Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) will help companies tackle pellet leakage through a series of recommendations and tools. It will set common minimum


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requirements (based on the six pillars of the OCS pledge) that will be audited regularly. “The OCS Europe certification scheme is an important step to further improve the impact of the OCS pro- gramme and help our members prevent pellet loss,” said Hervé Millet, director of climate and production, Plastics Europe. The certification scheme was developed with input from policymak-


PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | March/April 2023


ers, certification bodies and industry – and recommendations from a public consultation. Geoffroy Tillieux, technical director


of EuPC, added: “We can now tackle the issue of pellet loss with a practical toolbox. Companies in plastics masterbatching, compounding and converting can now demonstrate how they prevent environmental pollution.” � www.opcleansweep.eu


www.pipeandprofile.com


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