The Smithers Group announced today the appointment of Nathaniel “Nat” Leonard as President for Smithers Rapra and Smithers Pira. Leonard will report to Smithers Group President and CEO, Michael Hochschwender. “Nat is an exceptional leader with a tremendous amount of…
Sinopec takes 10% stake in Sibur
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec), a major global petrochemical corporation, has taken up a 10% minority interest in Russia’s largest gas processing and petrochemicals company Sibur. The successful completion of the transaction will deepen the cooperation between the two…
ChemChina acquires KraussMaffei Group for EUR 925 million
The leading Chinese chemical company China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) accepts the KraussMaffei Group of the Canadian Onex Corporation (Onex). The companies present value amounts to 925 million euros. The KraussMaffei Group is a leading global manufacturer of high quality…
China still biggest rubber consumer, says report
Due to substantial decline in global natural rubber prices, the world’s natural rubber output fell by 1.5% from a year earlier to 12.07 million tons in 2014. Over the same period, global consumption of natural rubber saw a year-on-year growth…
Lexus LC500 features Michelin tyres
The new Lexus LC500 luxury sports coupe wore Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP tyres at its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. During an intensive development period, the project included more than 1,200 prototype tyres…
Trelleborg enters shoe business
Through the recent acquisition of polyurethane specialist Uretek, Trelleborg has also entered the shoe market, by developing a brand new application for shoe manufacturer New Balance. “Putting together a pair of high-tech shoes that people feel really comfortable in is…
Freudenberg Medical expands in California
Freudenberg Medical announces the expansion and enhancement of its extrusion and molding cleanrooms at the company’s silicone operations in Carpinteria, California. The cleanroom enhancement project includes floor expansion, updated layout and optimized workcells to accommodate future growth, along with state-of-the-art…
Usher Eco to develop “green” silica extraction plant
Usher Eco, a subsidiary of Usher Agro, was granted a US$28 million loan to develop the world’s first commercial scale silica extraction plant for producing “green” high quality precipitated silica from rice husk ash. This ash is generated by burning…
Falken names Rick Brennan VP Marketing
Sumitomo Rubber North America, Inc., a leader in high performance tire brands announced senior management changes today to further strengthen the Falken Brand in the marketplace. Effective immediately Rick Brennan, formerly Executive Director of Marketing, is promoted to Vice President…
Univar expands agreement with Dow Corning
Univar, a chemical distributor, announced the expansion of its European distribution agreement with Dow Corning to include the UK and Ireland markets. Effective January 2, 2016, Univar will begin distribution of Dow Corning silicone products into these new geographies. “Univar…








