Page 17 - Plastics News November 2017
P. 17

COMPANY NEWS



          Clariant, Huntsman call off                            Decatur  invests  $3  million  in

          merger plans                                           expansion, job training


            wiss specialty chemical maker Clariant and the US-based   ecatur Plastic Products Inc. is investing $3 million
         SHuntsman have agreed to terminate their proposed  Din job training and an expansion at its two facilities
         merger due to uncertainty in getting shareholders' nod   in North Vernon, Indiana. As part of the expansion,
         from the former company.  Clariant's Indian subsidiary   the custom injection molder is modernizing and
         communicated this in a regulatory filing today.         updating its injection molding facility, which includes

         "Clariant and Huntsman Corporation have jointly decided   its corporate headquarters, as well as installing new
         to abandon the planned merger due to increased          equipment. Decatur also has a target of creating up
         uncertainty of securing two-thirds majority of Clariant   to 40 jobs over the next year.
         shareholders," Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd said in a BSE   “We’ve redone the floor layout,” said Gary Riley Jr.,
                                                                 vice president of supply chain. The company has also















         filing. In May 2017, the company had announced merger
         of the global holding company Clariant and Huntsman     installed overhead cranes to help operators manage
         Corporation. Clariant deals in care chemicals, catalysis,   mold changes. Decatur is adding two more injection
         natural resources, plastics and coatings.  Its Indian   molding machines to the facility, bringing the total
         arm, headquartered in Mumbai, focuses on pigments,      to 23 presses with clamping forces ranging from 55-
         masterbatches and additives, which deliver solutions for   1,574 tons. For job training, Decatur has implemented
         the emerging industry sectors.                          the Routsis Training system at its injection molding
                                                                 facility, where employees can manage their own
         While  the merger was called off it did notr affect the   skills and development with mold technology
         business.  Net  profit  of  Clariant  Chemicals  (India)  rose   training modules. The company has been offered up
         27.17% to Rs 4.40 crore in the quarter ended September   to $75,000 in conditional training grants from the
         2017 as against Rs 3.46 crore during the previous quarter   Indiana Economic Development Corp. dependent on
         ended September 2016.                                   documented training hours. “As [employees] move

         Sales rose 3.87% to Rs 244.19 crore in the quarter ended   up in the training modules, they gain levels and then
         September 2017 as against Rs 235.10 crore during the    their pay goes up,” Riley said. At its flocking facility
         previous quarter ended September 2016.                  in North Vernon, Decatur has increased its number
                                                                 of flock lines and installed an automated flock line,
         Clariant India has started operations of a new healthcare   where a robot applies the flock to the parts and places
         packaging facility in the Tamil Nadu. Located in Cuddalore,   them on the oven.
         the new facility will produce the company's line of Sorb-  The company, which primarily serves the automotive
         it, Tri-Sorb, 2-in-1 Can, and Getter Can sorbent canisters   industry at its Indiana facilities, sees the expansion as
         for the Indian and Asia-Pacific pharmaceutical packaging   a way of getting new customer opportunities. Decatur
         markets.The  facility  produces  products,  which  are  in   is manufacturing and flocking glove boxes for the 2019
         line with the US FDA, USP and EU standards for use in   Dodge Ram pickups for Faurecia, which has largely
         pharmaceutical applications.                            driven some of its capacity expansion,


                                                                            17    N ovember  2017   Plastics News
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