AkzoNobel names new UK and Ireland managing director

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Paints and coatings giant AkzoNobel Decorative Paints UK has appointed a new managing director for the UK and Ireland, as per Insidermedia.

Matt Pullen, who has been managing director of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints UK and Ireland and UK country director since January 2015, will leave the business at the end of May 2018. He will be succeeded by UK and Ireland sales director Alistair McAuley.

Pullen joined the manufacturer in 2010 from Norfolk turkey farming business Bernard Matthews. He was originally marketing director for the UK and Ireland, adding the Northern Europe region to his portfolio in 2011.

In 2016, he established the Dulux Academy training centre. He managed the opening of the company's GBP100m paint factory in Ashington at the end of 2017, while also overseeing the closure of the Slough Manufacturing factory where paint has been made for nearly a 100 years.

Alistair McAuley joined AkzoNobel in 2000 when his family business was acquired by ICI. He has held senior roles in marketing, sales and the Dulux Decorator Centre (DDC), and co-authored the company's new three-year strategy with Pullen, launched earlier this year.

Jan-Piet van Kesteren, managing director, decorative paints, Europe and Africa, said: "Matt made a vital contribution to AkzoNobel over a critical time. He steered the UK through an unprecedented period of change across the market, in the UK economy and within the business. AkzoNobel's UK market share continued to grow throughout this time against enormous pressures.

"In Alistair McAuley, we have a worthy successor with significant industry experience in a very wide variety of roles across the business."

AkzoNobel employs more than 3,500 people across the UK, with sites in Slough, Ashington, Felling, Stowmarket, Leicester, Southampton, Birmingham, Hull, Deeside, Leyland, Cork, Dublin, Altrincham, Runcorn and Didcot.
MRC

Total circular compounds containing recycled HDPE received FDA approval

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The US Food and Drug Administration has determined that Total’s secondary recycling process at its Antwerp Belgium site for the production of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Circular Compounds is effective in reducing contaminants from Post-Consumer Recycled HDPE (PCR-HDPE) material to an extent which allows for its use in food packaging, as per the company's press release.

Consequently, rPE 6306, a Circular Compound containing 50% post-consumer HDPE produced in Antwerp, meets the FDA requirements for use in the production of bottles for milk and juices, meat trays and other food packaging products at room and refrigeration temperatures. In Europe, this recognition paves the way for the use of the grade in demanding applications.

"’We had already demonstrated that a compound containing post-consumer HDPE and a specifically developed virgin ’booster’ product provides the same or even better performance than conventional virgin product. Now, we are pleased to have received the non-objection letter from the US Food and Drug Administration confirming the success of our efforts in upgrading recyclates. It is a milestone in the approval process. Our development contributes to a Circular Economy by enabling the use of recyclates in more and more applications,"’ stated Jean Viallefont, Vice President Polymers Europe for Total.

Total has also developed a range of polypropylene Circular Compounds with a high content of post-consumer recyclates which match key performance requirements for many applications including crates, caps, bottles and pails. In addition, Total continues to progress in its effort to industrialize the polystyrene recycling process on its own production lines.

We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, in January 2018, SunPower Corp. announced that an 8-megawatt SunPower Oasis Power Plant had been recently completed and was operating at Total's La Mede refinery in Chateauneuf-les-Martigues, France.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world with business in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia. The company's petrochemical products cover two main groups: base chemicals and the consumer polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) that are derived from them.
MRC

Evonik expands global R&D by opening a pioneering Asia research hub in Singapore

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Germany-based specialty chemicals company Evonik has opened its first research hub for resource efficiency topics in Singapore, internationalizing its research into the areas of functional surfaces and additive manufacturing, as per the company's press release.

Furthermore the new R&D hub will be the home for Evonik’s project house tissue engineering, which is under the leadership of Creavis, the strategic innovation unit of Evonik. Overall the new hub in Singapore showcases Evonik’s strategic decision to expand the internationalization of its research and development activities.

"Innovation is an integral part of our growth strategy," said Harald Schwager, Deputy Chairman of the Board for Evonik Industries during the opening ceremony. "We are actively pursuing new opportunities to boost our international R&D activities and the opening of this research hub is a significant contribution to these efforts. By focusing on promising research areas for the future this hub will strengthen our position as a global leader in specialty chemicals."

For Evonik, Singapore combines the best of two worlds: highly qualified researchers from leading science faculties and quick reaction times of local administration. "This research hub is ideally located to drive innovation for our Resource Efficiency segment by developing forward-looking solutions and technologies for our clients in all global markets", added Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Board of Management, Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH. He said: "With this new hub, we are taking advantage of a new approach to research: Enabling a creative environment for innovations and encouraging agile, flexible working."

Located in Biopolis, the home for international and groundbreaking research in Singapore, the hub offers national and international professionals and graduates - spanning from engineers to scientists - a creative environment for innovative ideas in a highly interactive workplace. Talent from all over the world will be brought together to carry out pioneering R&D by integrating scientific and technological capabilities in a collaborative lab concept.

With the research hub, Evonik is expanding its collaboration with public and private research institutions and organizations. Evonik has formed a partnership with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore to develop novel technologies in additive manufacturing for industrial application.

"Evonik has been present in Singapore for more than 20 years and our strong regional footprint has positioned us as a market leader in the speciality chemical industry, particularly in Asia," said Peter Meinshausen, President of Evonik Asia Pacific South. "The research hub will not only reinforce our competitive position, but will also play a critical role in pioneering impactful innovations to address industry needs and challenges in and beyond this region in the years ahead."

As MRC informed previously, Evonik Resource Efficiency will invest in a capacity expansion of its performance foams business at its production site in Darmstadt, Germany. The investment will increase the output of the facility by about 20% as a first step. The Group will be adding production equipment to its operations complex that manufactures products marketed under the Rohacell brand. The expanded production capacity is expected to be operational by the second half of 2017.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world.
MRC

HEMCO offers rust proof chemical resistant Corner Canopy Hoods


MOSCOW (MRC) -- Corner Canopy Hood is the solution to maximizing your wasted space in corner areas., HEMCO said. It is designed to capture and exhaust corrosive vapors, heat steam, and odors when mounted over areas that have water baths, hot plates or other lab equipment, as per Coatingsworld.

The canopy hood is molded one piece seamless of advanced composite resins that have superior chemical and corrosion resistance, are flame retardant and lightweight for a no rust guarantee, per HEMCO.

The corner canopy can either be wall mounted or suspended from the ceiling and can be equipped with optional side wall panels to prevent cross drafts from affecting the containment of fumes. Standard wall and island canopy hoods are also available both in composite resin and stainless steel.
MRC

Temasek subscribes to capital increase and acquires approximately 3.6 percent of Bayer

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The investment company Temasek has signed an agreement to subscribe to 31 million new shares of Bayer, corresponding to around 3.6 percent of the capital stock, for total gross proceeds of EUR3 billion, as per Bayer's press release.

With the consent of the Supervisory Board, the Board of Management of Bayer AG resolved to execute the capital increase out of authorized capital against cash contributions and excluding the subscription rights of existing Bayer shareholders. Under the agreement, Bayer is to issue to a subsidiary of Temasek at an at-market price the new registered (no-par value) shares with an entitlement to dividends as of January 1, 2017.

On completion of the capital increase, together with its existing shareholdings in Bayer, Temasek will hold approximately 4 percent of the issued capital stock of Bayer. The shares issued to Temasek will not be subject to any lock-up period. "We are very pleased that Temasek has significantly increased its holding in our company. Temasek takes equity positions in leading companies globally and is a long-term investor," said Bayer CEO Werner Baumann. "This investment affirms our business strategy including the proposed acquisition of Monsanto, as well as Bayer’s strong growth prospects."

The proceeds from this placement will be taken into account when determining the size of the previously announced share capital increase through a rights offering with subscription rights to existing shareholders to finance the proposed acquisition of Monsanto.

As MRC wrote before, in the second half of March 2018, Bayer received the green light from the EU to buy Monsanto, after promising to sell off substantial parts of its business, clearing a major hurdle to the last of a trio of mega-mergers consolidating the global agrochemical industry.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech polymer materials. As an innovation company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer's products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. In fiscal 2017, the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of EUR35.0 billion.
MRC