Magnera is the newest big name in plastics processing. That’s the name of the new company being formed by the merger of Glafelter Corp. and Berry Global Group Inc.’s Health, Hygiene and Specialties nonwovens and films businesses.
In the news release announcing the rebranding, Berry noted that the new company’s name is pronounced “mag-nair-uh.” Hats off to Berry for saying that right from the start. In my role hosting PN’s weekly Material Insights video, I frequently end up scrambling to figure out how companies that are in the process of rebranding want people to pronounce the new name.
Usually I can find a video on YouTube featuring the company CEO talking about the rebranding. But you’d be surprised how often they don’t.
Sometimes I think you almost need a scorecard to keep up with plastics company name changes. Off the top of your head, do you remember the new name of DSM Engineering Materials? PolyOne Corp.’s compound and materials business? Solvay SA’s resin and composites business? (See below for the answers)
Earl Harris, one of my favorite former PN sales staffers, once suggested that we should publish a list of company names along with their former names to help readers keep track. Any readers think that idea has merit?
Editorially speaking, our style is to always list full company names and their headquarters in our stories. Pretty frequently the brand name that companies want to use isn’t the same as their legal name, so that can create confusion too.
This may also be a good time to remind readers that we don’t put company names in all capital letters either, unless that’s how you pronounce the name. In other words, IBM is all caps because that’s how you say it: “I-B-M.” But if you rename your company AWESOMEPLASTICS Corp., that’s not how we’re going to write it.
OK, now for those names: DSM Engineering Materials is now Envalior; PolyOne’s materials business is Avient Corp.; and Solvay’s resin business is Syensqo. And bonus points if you remember that PolyOne’s distribution business is now Formerra. Anyone go three for three?