|
Click
image to see digital edition
Privacy
Policy
|
News
Polystyrene recycling plant closes
After more than 16 years of operation, the Canadian Polystyrene Recycling Association's PS recycling plant in Mississauga, Ont., suspended operations in December. The facility, opened at a time when plastics were often seen as impossible to reprocess, has been a standard bearer for polymers recycling in this country. However the viability of a plant supplying a recycled version of a commodity plastic – and one for which world demand has dropped in recent years – has been problematic recently, and a high Canadian dollar had an additional impact. The plant also had to shut down for some weeks after a fire two years ago.
"Our challenge has been that we're an industry association," said Roman Talkowski, CPRA's chairman. "To succeed today, you have to be entrepreneurial and highly adaptive to changing market conditions,"
CPRA's members – resin producers, product manufacturers, distributors and end-users of polystyrene products – invested close to $7-million in recycling equipment over the years. Over that period, CPRA has had to contend with high fixed costs, single material dependence, and blue-box volumes that fall far short of capacity. The city of Toronto has been planning to accept polystyrene in its blue box program sometime in 2008, and CPRA believed that the expected 1,500 tonnes of material would help ensure its sustainability. In anticipation of higher volumes, it spent $300,000 on new sorting equipment earlier in 2007. But the relative fall of the US dollar resulted in a 30 per cent decline in revenue.
"Even though we had made a significant investment, we couldn't hold on until Toronto's volumes kicked in," Talkowski says. "We became a victim to timing. We simply cannot continue to sustain the operation,"
CPRA has met with its financial advisors to determine the best course of action. After suspending operations it filed a notice of intention to file a proposal. It is already working with others in the industry to try to put in place a more viable polystyrene recycling operation responsive to market forces and, therefore, more competitive than the Association business model. Over the short term, it will use brokers to take the recycled materials. Ultimately, the goal is to have CPRA's equipment purchased and integrated into an established plant where PS recycling is part of a more comprehensive recovery program.
Sorting of scrap PS at CPRA during its heyday.
Quebec CPIA to get new executive director
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association's Quebec region has let go its executive director, Pierre Fillion, and is looking for a replacement. Former CPIA national president Pierre Dubois is filling in as acting executive director in the interim.
The change comes at a crux-point for CPIA Quebec, as it grapples with the issue of greater autonomy. Serge Lavoie, current CPIA president, says that when CPIA was formed out of the old SPI Canada in 1997, it was intended to be a federation, but it still has a high degree of centralisation. As revenues have shrunk over the past couple of years, the association has had to revisit some of its activities, and over the past year it has eliminated regional offices. However, the Quebec region has a large enough plastics industry to be viable on its own, and maintains a fully staffed office in Boucherville, Que.
"The change in executive director will not affect ongoing initiatives in Quebec, such as Expoplast and the APAC conference being held with that show," Lavoie said. "However, there will be changes in the CPIA Quebec governance structure in 2008."
www.cpia.ca
Battenfeld sale made and rescinded
Battenfeld Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH was briefly sold to a new company, British-based OOD Private Equity Ltd. in December, but has since reverted to its previous owner, Adcuram Group AG (Munich, Germany). The machinery builder's management submitted a request to open insolvency proceedings in Austria after what it termed "a surprising and unexpected change in ownership."
Battenfeld's acting managing director, Georg Tinschert, is on record as saying the order situation is good, and Battenfeld's books are completely filled for the next three months. All sales orders will be fulfilled as agreed.
The preliminary turnover for fiscal 2007 is about €85 million. Worldwide, Battenfeld employs 630 staff.
www.battenfeld-imt.com
Berry Plastics buys MAC Closures
Berry Plastics Corp. (Evansville, Ind.) has bought MAC Closures Inc. of Waterloo, Ont.
MAC Closures makes stock and custom products in Canada and the US. Berry's products are used for packaging pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, personal-care products and industrial chemicals.
"The acquisition of MAC Closures is a continuation of Berry's strategic plan to expand our North American position by combining with industry-leading companies to provide a full product offering of plastic packaging to our customers," said Berry Plastics chairman and CEO Ira Boots in a press release.
In addition, Berry has acquired all outstanding common stock of Captive Holdings, Inc. (Piscataway, NJ), the parent company of Captive Plastics, Inc. which is owned by First Atlantic Capital, Ltd. Berry is paying approximately $500-million in cash for Captive
Captive blow-molds bottles and injection-moulds closures for the food, healthcare, spirits and personal care markets. It operates 13 plants across the US.
Berry Plastics employs about 12,700 at 56 plants around the world.
www.berryplastics.com
Retailers ban some plastics
Retailer Sears (Chicago) plans to phase out products and packaging containing PVC, citing associated health and environmental concerns. Sears said it plans to show preference for PVC-free products and will encourage vendors to reduce or eliminate use of vinyl in products and packaging.
Sears' announcement follows a move by Mountain Equipment Co-op (Vancouver) to pull polycarbonate water bottles, because of concerns over bisphenol-A as a feedstock. However, Mountain Equipment is not withdrawing items such as filters made by PC, recognising that PC is the best choice of material for these that's presently available.
The federal government is looking into whether BPA poses any health threats to humans, and is expected to release its findings by this May.
www.sears.com, www.mec.ca
TOP
Plastics in Canada's
enewsletter goes out every two weeks to over 7,500 confirmed recipients.
Advertising to reach all these decision-makers can be very cost efficient.
Call Gillian Thomas today at 416-764-1506 to find out more. Creative
advice and services are also available.
|
Changes
Frigel North America (Lake Zurich, Ill.) has named Plastic Automation Engineering, (Toronto) as its representative in Canada, with the exception of Alberta and British Columbia. The company is headed by Nick Doiu, and also represents Negri Bossi, PEM-Fluidtec Gmbh fluid and gas assist technology and Niedermair Plastic Technologies process control equipment.
www.frigel.com, pae.inc@rogers.com
Cutline
Nick Doiu of Plastic Automated Engineering
The Wire Association International (WAI), Inc. (Guilford, Conn.) has appointed Ronald W. Reed as president of the association for a one-year term. Reed will serve as the 54th president of the 78-year-old association. He is the general manager of Horizon Wire and Cable (Leominster, Mass.), a division of RapcoHorizon Co. (Jackson, Mo.).
www.wirenet.org
Steve Reko, 70, founder of toolmaker Reko International Group Inc. (Oldcastle, Ont.), died on December 22, following a brief illness. An immigrant from Hungary after the failed 1956 uprising there, he founded the firm bearing his name in 1977. It grew to have 10 plants in the US and Canada.
www.rekointl.com
Steve Reko, pictured in the mid-1990s.
Mike Dubreuil has been promoted to sales manager of Ampacet Canada Co. and is responsible for all aspects of Canada's domestic sales organisation. He joined Ampacet in 2000, as an account executive and advanced to senior account executive in 2002. Before coming to Ampacet, he held progressively senior positions with DuPont Canada, NOVA Chemicals and Canada Colors and Chemicals.
www.ampacet.com |
 |
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and the Packaging Association of Canada have released their sustainable packaging curriculum, The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging. The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging is a two-day introductory course on sustainable packaging that will be taught in locations across North America in 2008. The inaugural course will be held January 22-23, 2008 in Chicago, the heart of the packaging community. A pilot course is offered on January 15 and 16 in Toronto, at a 50 per cent discount.
www.pac.ca
Equiplas, headed by Sam Fenomeno, now represents the AEC line of auxiliary equipment in Canada. The company is at 220 Monarch Park Ave. Toronto, Ont., M4J 4S1: 416-407-5456.
www.aecinternet.com
Mettler-Toledo Inc. is moving its Canadian headquarters to a new location, at 2915 Argentia Rd., Mississauga, Ont. The 13,788 square foot facility will be home to the Canadian operations of Mettler-Toledo Inc. and sister company, Rainin Instrument LLC, Canada.
www.mt.com
Sun Chemical (Parsippany, NJ), a manufacturer of printing inks and organic pigments, has appointed Rudi Lenz as its CEO and president. Lenz assumes leadership after serving as senior vice-president and chief financial officer, and a Sun Chemical board member since 2002. He succeeds Dr. David Hill, who announced his retirement in late 2007.
www.sunchemical.com
Rudi Lenz
Custom PVC profile extruder Casement Ltd. (Toronto) has entered a joint support agreement with VAP Global Industries Inc. (Vancouver), part of the ZhongWang Group (Liaoyang, China) in a move designed to prevent supply disruption for customers of both companies. The arrangement ensures VAP customers will not face supply interruption, a significant concern in buying from offshore suppliers. Also, Casement can supply smaller orders to China, giving it access to a large potential market.
www.vapglobalindustries.com
DSM Venturing BV (The Netherlands) has invested in Novomer Inc., (Ithaca, NY) which produces biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonates from epoxides and carbon dioxide. Novomer's materials can be used in a range of applications, from injection moulded parts for electronics to paper coatings and medical implants.
In addition, DSM Venturing and Novomer intend to sign a cooperation agreement. Both arrangements will help DSM build its efforts in material science and life science to speed development of bio-based performance materials.
www.novomer.com
Frigel (Lake Zurich, Ill.) has named Lou Zavala its national sales manager. In this position, Zavala will be responsible for the North American sales representative network and advancing industry awareness of Frigel's revolutionary technology. Among other jobs, he was vice-president of sales and marketing at NRM, business unit manager at Davis Standard and regional manager for Conair before being promoted to national sales manager of its water division, Tempro. He has also held marketing, engineering and consulting roles at AEC, Sterling and Xaloy.
www.frigel.com
Lou Zavala
Joy Gallo has been named director, source management, composites, for Ashland Distribution (Dublin, Ohio). Gallo will oversee all sourcing functions for Ashland Distribution's composites business, including developing supplier, business and sales plans, helping set growth strategies for the business.
www.ashland.com
Joy Gallo
Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.) has put its PE, PP and PC businesses into a new $11-billion joint venture with Petrochemical Industries Co. (Safat, Kuwait). The 50-50 owned business, based in the US, will have more than 5,000 employees worldwide.
www.dow.com
Spencer James has joined the Global Group of Companies (Tilbury, Ont.) as vice-president. He will initially be responsible for managing Global's Tooling and Automation Division as well as participating in a senior management role overseeing the strategic growth of Global's three other Divisions. He has an extensive background in tooling and automation, specifically for the plastic fuel tank industry.
www.globalvehicle.ca
Entek Manufacturing Inc. (Lebanon, Ore.) has named Dean Elliott extrusion lab manager. He worked for the past two years at Kroy Corporation's vinyl and composite fence and railing products plant in Fairbluff, NC, and prior that at CertainTeed Corp.
www.entek-mfg.com
Dean Elliott
Absolute Haitian (Worcester, Mass.) has appointed EPM Sales Co. as sales representatives in the Midwest. Absolute Haitian will use EPM's 10,000 sq ft plastic technology center to serve area processors with training and demonstrating new machine technologies.
www.absolutehaitian.com
TOP
Classified Ads
Job Forum
Businesses For Sale
Miscellaneous
- Equipment Financing The Plastics in Canada e-newsletter Classified Ads section offers a platform
to reach 7,500 recipients every two weeks.
Just e-mail gillian.thomas@plastics.rogers.com with
your classified ad and we take care of the placement.
The cost is $150.00 per insertion. TOP
Coming
Events
2008
January 15 and 16: Pilot Course in Sustainable Packaging, using the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and Packaging Association of Canada curriculum. (Contact: Colin Turner at 416-490-7860 or cturner@pac.ca). January 17: Ontario section of the Society of Plastics Engineers dinner meeting, featuring Victor Satov of Canada Colors & Chemicals speaking on Developments in Flame retardants. (Contact: Joe DeRose at 416-410-2286 or jderose@axispsi.com)
February 12: Plastic Film Manufacturers Association of Canada's Triple M Technical Conference, with table top exhibits.
At Bellvue Manor, Vaughan, Ont.
(Contact: Marilyne Berman at 905-678-7748 or mberman@cpia.ca).
March 12: Space draw for Expoplast 2008. Details to follow. (Contact: Tom Sockett at 905-678-7748 or tsockett@cpia.ca).
April 6-9: The International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) Annual Expo will be held at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Fla. (Contact: Stacy Flint at 609-799-4900, ext. 62, or SFlint@icma.com).
April 8-11: Plastimagen 2008, Mexico's premier plastics show, at Centro Banamex, Mexico City (Contact: Guadalupe Olvera Arellano at 52-55-1087-1650 or golvera@ejkrause.com)
May 22: The Plast-Ex Summit 2008 is a look at the urgent issues facing the plastics industry in Canada. Co-sponsored by Plastics in Canada magazine and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association. At the Rogers Center, Toronto. (Contact: Sally Damstra at 905-678-7748 at sdamstra@cpia.ca).
September 30 - October 2: Interplas 2008, Britain's national plastics show, at the Birmingham NEC, UK. (Contact: Graham Earl at 020 8910 7890 or graham.earl@reedexpo.co.uk). October 20-21: Expoplast 2008, Quebec's triennial plastics show, at the Palais de Congres in Montreal. (Contact: Tom Sockett at 905-678-7748 or tsockett@cpia.ca)
October 22-23: Rotoplas '08, the international rotational moulding event, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. ( Contact: Maria at 630-578-3266 x225, or mariap@cmservnet.com) TOP
Coming
Soon From Plastics In Canada Magazine -
February issue
Automotive exterior components
Mould steels- what's new
Extrusion report on sheet and profile production
Injection moulding – Developments in controls
Spotlight on Chillers
Raw materials report
Processor profile
Closing: January 16, 2008
Reach
7,500 plastics industry decision makers
online! Advertise in this bi-weekly Plastics
in Canada E-newsletter with a banner ad
that links to your site. For
advertising information contact:
Our
latest
issue is now available online at
www.plasticsincanada-digitaledition.com
TOP
Mailing
Address
Rogers Media Publishing - Plastics in Canada
One Mount Pleasant Road, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5 |
