Central America

Husky Injection Molding Systems (Bolton, ON) finished 2009 with a 19% decline in revenues, watching sales fall from $1.2 billion in 2008 to approximately $1 billion last year. According to the financial filings by the company's private equity owner, Onex Corp. (Toronto), revenues were down in all regions, except Latin America, where they rose 13%. Elsewhere, Asia (-3%), North America (-23%), and Europe (-31%) all experienced declines.

Houston, TX—Massive amounts of new capacity hitting the market at a time when demand for basic plastics and chemicals actually contracted on a year-over-year basis likely mean that pricing power will not return to resin producers until 2013. Gary Adams, president of industry consultant Chemical Market Associates Inc. (CMAI; Houston), delivered that viewpoint during his keynote address to the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) 2010 International Polyolefins Conference (Feb. 21-24; Houston).

Moldmaker, molder, and contract manufacturer MedTech Group (South Plainfield, NJ), which concentrates exclusively on the medical/surgical, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotech sectors, says it will establish a "best-in-class" moldmaking operation at its existing facility in Heredia, Costa Rica. Its New Jersey mold-building resources will focus on tooling design and engineering, as well as overall technology advancement.

Anduro Mfg. is a new name in the BOPP/PP packaging market, but the company’s lightning-fast entry into that arena is proving successful as it already looks toward adding a second facility.

Although often the unsung heroes in a plastics processor’s compound recipe, additives’ pace of development is as swift or swifter than in any other corner of the industry. The benefits of these, too, are as far-reaching as with any other development: Improved mechanical properties, weight savings, energy savings, and improved efficiency are just some of the benefits additives can bring to a processor’s game.

ExxonMobil Chemical, owner of the Santoprene line of thermoplastic vulcanizates and of other specialty elastomers, has tapped Marketing Services of America (MSA; Miami Beach, FL) to help the supplier expand these materials’ reach and use in the shops of Latin American processors. With a primary focus on Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), MSA will distribute the materials in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Want to get your plastics-related technology in front of a most influential audience? The deadline for filing the abstract for a paper to be presented at the Society of Plastics Engineers ANTEC 2010 conference (Orlando, FL, May 16-20) is coming up on September 4, 2009. Don’t panic; you can make it!

Compounding extruder manufacturer Farrel Corp. (Ansonia, CT) has retained ABC Plasticos for representation to the plastics processing industry in Mexico. Farrel had a rep in that country until about 12 months ago.

Polyethylene (PE) prices were lower in the spot market last week, as feedstocks were sold off and traders moved to reduce inventory levels, according to spot-trading platform The Plastics Exchange (TPE) and its reporting partner The PetroChem Wire. TPE says deals that were concluded were in single rail car or truckload quantities. Contract prices were not settled last week, with producers seeking increases of $0.05/lb for March.

“Peak Oil is not about running out of oil.” The fact that the Assn. for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) feels the need to mention that on its website likely means they’ve had to explain that concept, and formative reason for their existence, more than a few times. “Peak Oil” is actually about oil production peaking, or arriving at a time when an oil field or country has maxed out its production, and, quite literally, reached the point of diminishing returns.