Plastics News - Consumer products

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Consumer products

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ITW purchases Dow’s Trymer foam operation
GLENVIEW, ILL. (July 18, 8:20 p.m. EDT) -- Glenview-based Illinois Tool Works Inc. has acquired the assets of Trymer — the polyisocyanurate rigid foam business of Dow Chemical Co.’s building solutions unit — for an undisclosed sum.

Tenacore, recently purchased Newport, growing
SANTA ANA, CALIF. (July 18, 7:55 p.m. EDT) -- Owners of Tenacore Holdings Inc., which acquired Newport Plastics LLC earlier this year, are upgrading both operations.

Rubbermaid raising prices, cutting lineup
SANDY SPRINGS, GA. (July 18, 4:10 p.m. EDT) -- Newell Rubbermaid Inc. announced July 15 that it will enact a quarterly price adjustment mechanism beginning Jan. 1 — with increases as high as 22 percent — in the latest move by a major plastics processor to cope with high resin costs.

ACC’s Russell: Challenges keep growing

Russell

PALM DESERT, CALIF. (July 17, 5:35 p.m. EDT) -- Since Steve Russell took over as managing director of the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council, the group has dealt with more than 400 pieces of anti-plastics legislation. He said the group has made progress in being more aggressive and promoting the benefits of plastics. Still, he knows there is a lot more to do.

China still competitive venue, but not cheapest
HONG KONG (July 16, 5:55 p.m. EDT) -- Like many Chinese manufacturers, injection molder VS International Group Ltd. is feeling the pinch from rising costs and a stronger Chinese yuan, and seeing customers shift work to cheaper manufacturing locations.

D&J Plastics reels in money for expansion
GEORGETOWN, GA. (July 16, 5:45 p.m. EDT) -- D&J Plastics Inc., a maker of soft fishing lures, is boosting its manufacturing space about 50 percent with a planned 14,000-square-foot addition to its plant in Georgetown.

Michigan molder Modern Plastics closing
BENTON HARBOR, MICH. (July 16, 11:55 p.m. EDT) -- Modern Plastics Corp., founded in 1937, and one of the oldest U.S. plastics companies, is closing down — blaming too-high costs for resin, utilities, transportation and health care, the inability to pass along price increases, customer financial problems and loss of work to Mexico and China.

Parmelee closing Mo. plant, shifting output
WINDSOR, MO. (July 10, 4:55 p.m. EDT) -- Parmelee Industries Inc. is closing its Windsor facility and moving production to its Lenexa, Kan., headquarters plant. The Sept. 30 closing will affect 47 employees.

Moll again expanding clean room production
SEAGROVE, N.C. (July 9, 10:50 a.m. EDT) -- Moll Industries Inc. is investing more than $2 million to expand one of its five clean rooms in Seagrove, to boost its ability to make medical components.

Cargill building soybean-based polyols plant
CHICAGO (July 8, 2:55 p.m. EDT) -- Cargill Inc. has broken ground on a $22 million plant in Chicago to make soybean-based polyols, targeting the material as a replacement for petroleum-based chemicals traditionally used in polyurethane products such as flexible foam.

Cereplast to open Indiana site this month
GALVESTON, TEXAS (July 7, 11:50 a.m. EDT) -- Cereplast Inc. expects to open a 50 million-pound-capacity bioplastic compounding site in Seymour, Ind., by the end of July. The firm also was granted several new patents July 1 for its compostables product line.

Defunct flamingo maker Union liquidating
WORCESTER, MASS. (July 7, 10:40 a.m. EDT) -- Union Products Inc., former maker of the plastic pink flamingo, is filing a voluntary petition for Chapter 7 liquidation. Among Union´s 36 unsecured creditors is former President Don Featherstone.

Lego taking production back in-house
BILLUND, DENMARK (July 2, 3:50 p.m. EDT) -- Toy maker Lego A/S said July 1 it will end its outsourcing agreement with electronics manufacturer Flextronics International Ltd. in 2009. The Danish firm will take over Lego production from Flextronics factories in Juárez, Mexico, and Nyíregyháza, Hungary.

Maker of EcoHangers raises $10 million
NEW YORK (July 2, 2:45 p.m. EDT) -- Hanger Network Inc. has raised $10 million in a second fund-raising round to expand distribution of its EcoHangers made of plastic and paper. The 5-year-old firm claims to have grown 500 percent since 2005.

Ideal Tool gets new owner, somewhat-new name
MEADVILLE, PA. (July 2, 12:35 p.m. EDT) -- Joint Venture Tool & Mold LLC has acquired Ideal Tool Co. Inc., picking up new capabilities in molding, more employees, a larger customer base and a new home and name.