NEWS
Petoskey funds expansion
US-based film manufac- turer Petoskey Plastics is to invest nearly US$30m to expand its operations in Morristown, in Tennes- see. The move will increase capacity there, and create around 70 jobs there over the next five years. “We needed to add additional capacity – which has required us to invest in more capital,” said Jason Keiswetter, executive vice president of Petoskey Plastics. “We look forward to complet- ing the building addition in 2018 and continue to add capacity and jobs within the structure for several years to come.” Petoskey will add 30,000 sq ft – an expan- sion of around one-third – to its existing Morristown facility, which specialises in polyethylene (PE) film. It has multiple extrusion lines using recycled materials, as well as converting lines. Work on the expan- sion is scheduled to begin in the second quar- ter of 2018. The company anticipates the first phase of the new expansion will be operational by the end of this year. Petoskey operates
three manufacturing plants across the US and has more than 400 employees, 100 of them in Morristown. �
www.petoskeyplastics.com
6
Bio-polymer capacity growing at same rate as conventional plastics
Production capacity of bio-based polymers is growing no faster than that of conventional polymers – meaning they will continue to account for around 2% of the market. A report by the Nova Institute of Germany says that capacity is growing by 3-4% per year. However, it says that bio-polymers are growing at different rates: while some are “virtually collapsing” compared to previous forecasts – such as bio- based PET – others are showing constant or slightly increasing capacities, while other materials (such as PLA) are showing significant growth. “Additionally, for some bio-based polymers such as PHA, PEF, bio-PE and bio-PP, the prospects for the future are quite positive,” said the report. The report estimates that,
in 2017, worldwide capaci- ties for bio-based polymers reached 4.6 million tonnes
Dedicated bio-polymers, which have no ‘petroleum equivalents’ are expected to see fast growth
(which rises to 6.4m tonnes if bio-based PUR – which is hard to quantify – is includ- ed). The forecast for 2022 shows 5m tonnes (or 7.5m tonnes including bio-based PUR).
However, growth of
‘dedicated’ bio-based polymers – which have no direct counterpart in the petrochemical world – is faster, and price pressure
from cheap crude oil is lower than for other groups. These materials, such as PLA, PHA and PEF – also offer new properties and functionalities. “As a consequence, the highest innovation takes place in this group, and a number of new develop- ments are still to be expect- ed,” said the report. �
www.nova-institut.de
Clean expansion in Mexico
Prent, a US-based specialist in custom medical and electronics thermoformed packaging, is building a 45,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Tijuana, Mexico. The facility, which will become operation- al in the fourth quarter of this year, will meet growing regional demand for medical packaging. The new facility will be an ISO 9001-certi-
FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | June 2018
fied plant with a certified Class 7 clean room environment. As part of Prent’s vertical integration
strategy, it will access Prent’s Global Package Design Teams, Worldwide Machine Build and Custom Tool Build facilities – ensuring the same standards there as in other Prent facilities. �
www.prent.com
www.filmandsheet.com
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