In Q1 textile industry showed flat demand

(textileworld) -- The first quarter of 2012 was well below the hopes and expectations of many spinners.

"We've been really disappointed in the activity for the first part of the year," said one Carolinas spinner. "There was a spike earlier in the year ≈ a very brief one ≈ that gave us hope that things were turning back around. But it was very short. Since then, orders have been very slow and very small."

A yarn broker who buys and sells in the United States and Central America said he has noticed increasing competition from Asian suppliers. "Last year, companies from China, India, Pakistan and other eastern nations were caught up in the same raw material shortages that affected us here in the Western Hemisphere," he said. "As a result, they focused more on making sure they could meet the needs of their domestic markets. Now, with raw material prices and availability back to about where they were before the spike, these companies can be more aggressive in pursuing business over here."

MRC

(Reuters) - Swiss specialty chemicals maker Clariant expects business to pick up in coming months as the global economy gains strength, after sluggish demand and a strong Swiss franc hit quarterly profit.

"Clariant expects further sales growth in local currencies and sustained profitability in 2012," it said on Thursday.

The chemical industry's dependence on highly cyclical machinery makers, car manufacturers and builders makes it especially vulnerable to economic downturns.

Clariant said that during the first three months of the year the cyclical parts of its business, which make products such as de-icing fluid, faced headwinds partly because of economic uncertainty in Europe. First-quarter net profit fell 84 percent to 20 million Swiss francs (USD22 million).

First-quarter sales rose 13 percent to 1.945 billion francs, compared with a forecast for 1.968 billion, boosted by Sued-Chemie. German rival BASF also saw a stronger-than-expected performance by its oil and gas unit.

MRC

(evonik) -- Following the approval of the Evonik Supervisory Board and the relevant antitrust authorities, Evonik Industries has successfully concluded the sale of the global colorants business. The transaction was closed on April 30, 2012. The new owner is the U.S. private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners, of New York. By mutual agreement the financial terms are not being disclosed.

The Colorants business develops, produces, and markets colorants under the COLORTREND brand name for decorative applications in the architectural sector. Furthermore, CHROMA-CHEM products are used in industry, for example for maintenance and in marine and wood coatings. Evonik generated sales of about EUR130 m from its Colorants business in the year 2011. More than 300 employees, integrated into a global organization, work for Colorants in production plants and laboratories as well as sales and marketing offices. These sites are located in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Australia, China, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.

MRC

(process-worldwide) -- ACG Worldwide presents new technology for manufacturing, packaging and R&D solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry. The company issues new solutions for the blistering and packaging of pharmaceuticals.

The company boast to be among the very few suppliers of complete technology for manufacturing, packaging and R&D solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry. This year, ACG introduces the B 45 blister packaging machine for thermoforming films, cold forming packaging materials and multiple lidding foils.

The B 45 operates at 45 cycles per minute for PVC-ALU blisters and 35-cycles/per minute for ALU-ALU blisters with large format area. It incorporates a fully cGMP balcony type design, which was designed for easy access for operation and cleaning, the manufacturer says. It is designed to meet the Pharmaceutical Industry's GMP and regulated market audit needs. According to ACG, the B 45 ensures fast changeovers and has an integrated camera system for online blister inspection.
MRC

(Reuters) - Turkish petrochemicals maker Petkim posted a first-quarter loss of USD4.6 million, with rising oil prices more than offsetting higher sales.

"High prices for raw materials put pressure on product prices ... in the first quarter, and margins were negative, especially in January and February," chief executive Hayati Ozturk said.

Sales at Petkim, owned by Azerbaijani state oil company Socar, rose 28 percent to 1.21 billion lira in the first three months of the year. It made a 77 million lira profit in the 2011 period.

Crude oil prices have risen amid worries the West's dispute with Iran over its nuclear programme would disrupt global supplies. Petkim said it spent USD15 million in the first quarter to expand capacity, improve efficiency and for planned maintenance.

MRC