Page 17 - Plastics News November 2017

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