Supervisory Board of Anwil appoints new CEO

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Anwil’s Supervisory Board appointed Mr Jacek Podgorski as CEO of the company on 17 November 2014, reported the company on its site.

Mr Piotr Chelminski, member of the Management Board of PKN Orlen overseeing development and power generation who has been delegated to act as the company’s CEO will continue to be President of Anwil’s Supervisory Board.

The present composition of the Management Board of Anwil is the following:

Mr Jacek Podgorski - CEO and General Manager;
Mr Arkadiusz Banaszek - Member of the Management Board, COO;
Mr Krzysztof Dzuba - Member of the Management Board, CFO;
Mr Miroslaw Kwiatkowski - Member of the Management Board, CSO.

Mr Jacek Podgorski has many years of experience in management, acquired during his career at companies from various sectors. He started his career in banking in Petrobank (presently Nordea Bank Polska). In 1997–2004 he worked for Pekao S.A. Group as Vice-President for Finance at Pekao Development and Pekao Leasing. In both companies he was responsible for introducing systemic changes with the aim of increasing effectiveness of the company’s business. He started his career at PKN Orlen Group by joining Orlen Asfalt. Since 2007 he was Member of the Management Board at Basell Orlen Polyolefins, where he managed finance, accounting and IT departments.

Mr Jacek Podgorski is an economy graduate from the University of Lodz and a management graduate from the University of Warsaw. Mr Podgorski is a licensed stockbroker. He has completed numerous courses in finance and management.

As MRC wrote before, on 17 October 2014, Anwil resumed production at its monomer vynil chrolide plant in Wloclawek, Poland, after maintenance works. The company's polyvynil chloride (PVC) plant started its operations already on 15 October.

Anwil, founded in 1966, is the Polish producer of petrochemical products and fertilizers. In October 1989 PVC compounds plant construction was started and so completed with the start-up in June 1992. In the years 1999-2003 the vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride plants were modernized and enlarged increasing their production capacity to 300,000 tons per year each. In May 2002, Anwill signed joint-venture agreement with South-Korean companies SK Global and SK Chemicals to build a PET bottle-chip plant with the capacity of 120,000 tons per year. Since 2008 Anwil has owned 100% of shares of the Czech company Spolana.
MRC

Global flexible packaging market to grow at CAGR of 4.4% till 2019

MOSCOW (MRC) -- By 2019, global demand for flexible packaging will be valued at USD99.10 billion, registering a 4.4% CAGR from 2013 through 2019, said Plastemart, citing Transparency Market Research.

By value, the global demand for flexible packaging in 2012 was pegged at USD73.56 billion. The report also estimates the market in terms of value, stating that the demand will go from 18,666.0 kilo tons in 2012 to 24,728.7 kilo tons in 2019, charting a CAGR of 4.1% through 2019.

The convenience offered by plastics in packaging is unparalleled, making it the dominant segment in the market (70% market share as of 2012). However, the market is beginning to turn in favor of cellulose-based flexible packaging over the next five years, as environmental consciousness heightens. Nanotechnology could potentially create path-breaking developments in the global flexible packaging market as intensive R&D activities are being reported in this domain.

Flexible packaging for the pharmaceuticals market will be an area to watch out for as new tamper-proof packaging mandates have opened up opportunities here. The report also states that the Asia Pacific region will present the highest scope for growth through 2020.

Packaging is essential to preserve the quality of the product and it also prevents it from chemical reactions endangering the consumer’s health. Rise in the consumption of packaged products offers a strong customer base for the global flexible packaging market. Hence, an efficient and suitable packaging is imperative for every product.

The important materials used in flexible packaging market are polyethylene, polypropylene, BOPET, EVOH, polyamide, paper, aluminum, cellulosic, and PVC. This raw material is converted into films that are further converted into pouch, sachet, and bags in which the products are packaged.

Food dominated the flexible packaging market and pharmaceutical segment promises a healthy and fast growth in the market. Asia-Pacific has the highest market share and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 7.1% during the period under review.

Europe is growing with a CAGR of 3.9%, and is driven mainly by the East European markets. The CAGR for ROW is 6.0% from 2013 to 2018. The four most potential nations for flexible packaging market are India, China, Russia, and Brazil which are poised to exhibit the fastest growing trend.
MRC

HDPE imports in Ukraine decreased by 28% in January - October 2014

MOSCOW (MRC) - Total imports of high density polyethylene (HDPE) in Ukraine has decreased by 28% in the first ten months of the current year. The smallest decline in deliveries occurred for injection moulding HDPE, according to MRC DataScope.

October HDPE imports in the country decreased slightly to 10,100 tonnes, compared with the September level of 10,600 tonnes. Total HDPE imports in Ukraine decreased to 83,400 tonnes in January - October of this year, compared with 115,400 tonnes year on year.

Demand for HDPE decreased in all sectors, with the smallest reduction occurred for the injection moulding HDPE - down 8%. Structure of HDPE imports over the reported period was as follows.

Ukraine's HDPE imports dropped to 4,500 tonnes in October, compared with 4,900 tonnes in September. Ukraine's imports of film HDPE totalled 33,700 tonnes in the first ten months of the current year, down 28% year on year. Main import volumes occurred for the material from Europe and the Middle East.

October imports of pipe HDPE decreased almost twice compared with the September level to 1,100 tonnes. Ukraine's imports of pipe HDPE decreased to 15,300 tonnes in January - October 2014, compared with 24,000 tonnes year on year.

October imports of blow moulding HDPE in Ukraine rose to 2,100 tonnes, compared with 1,700 tonnes in September. Total imports of blow moulding HDPE in the country were 15,000 tonnes in the first ten months of the year, compared with 21,000 tonnes year on year.

October imports of injection moulding HDPE in the country practically remained at the level of September at 1,600 tonnes. Total imports of injection moulding HDPE in Ukraine decreased to 15,000 tonnes in January - October 2014, down 8% year on year.

Total imports of HDPE in other consumption sectors for the reported period were 3,500 tonnes, compared to 7,200 tonnes year on year.


MRC

Ukrainian PC market remains stable

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The Ukrainian polycarbonate (PC) market remained stable from January to October 2014 compared to last year, it totalled 3,600 tonnes, according to MRC DataScope.

Despite the devaluation of the national currency and higher domestic PC prices, the market managed to retain the previous consumption volumes. Converters said most contracts with the neighboring countries were still valid, despite the political and economic crisis in the region. This is mainly true for the injection moulding sector. Export shipments of injection moulding PC remained unchanged.

Traders also said new small converters that are domestically oriented had appeared in the injection moulding sector. They are given more attractive prices for PC shipments to facilitate the market entry.


Most traders were still working on prepayment basis. Settlements with buyers were done at the current interbank exchange rate at the time of payment. Payments to suppliers of material were often effected upon the receipt of payment from customers at the same exchange rate. Importers said it became somewhat easier to get the required amount of the foreign currency to repay debts.

The Ukrainian PC market completely depends on imports. Most supplies are made from the European region. Due to the instability of the national currency, PC prices are more dependent on the hryvnya exchange rate than on such traditional factors, as buying activity, seasonality, demand in the finished products market.

MRC

LDPE production in Belarus dropped by 2.6% from January to October 2014

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Belarus' overall production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) decreased by 2.6% over the first ten months of 2014 and totalled 111,900 tonnes, reported MRC analysts.

According to the National Statistics Committee of Belarus, Polymir, a local LDPE producer, reduced its polyethylene (PE) production to 7,600 tonnes in October from 11,000 tonnes in September. Last month's fall in production was caused by a scheduled maintenance at the plant's second reactor. The overall LDPE production in Belarus totalled 111,900 tonnes over the first ten months of the year versus 113,700 tonnes a year earlier.

Polymir was founded in 1968. Technologies of the largest foreign firms of England, Japan, Germany, Italy (Courtaulds, Asahi Chemical Co. Ltd, Kanematsu Gosho, SNIA BPD, etc.), as well as developments of the CIS' scientific research institutes, were used in the process of creating the plant's technological base. The plant's annual production capacity is 130,000 tonnes of LDPE.
MRC