AKRON, OHIO — A polypropylene price increase and an usually flat period for polyethylene pricing are featured in this week's Material Insights video.
North American PP prices surged 5 cents in August but still are down a net of three cents so far in 2013. PE prices in the region now have been flat for three straight months. It's the first time that's happened since late 2009 and only the second time since mid-2000.
Another acquisition for A. Schulman Inc. is featured in this week's video. Schulman is paying $52 million for British compounder/distributor Perrite Group. It's the second acquisition for Schulman in 2013 and the firm's eighth in the last four years.
The video wraps up with news of a new shale gas report from IHS Inc. The report was supported by the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. and predicts that new shale gas supplies will create almost 15,000 new U.S. plastics industry jobs by 2020, as well as almost $1.3 billion in additional value for U.S. gross domestic product.