Bayer to reorganize rubber, polyurethane businesses

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (April 11)—Bayer A.G.'s plan to turn itself into a holding company with independent operating subsidiaries will result in the rubber and polyurethane businesses each being split into three main product units under the Bayer Polymers A.G. subsidiary.The rubber and PU units will be among 12 product groups within Bayer Polymers, which will also encompass the German group's plastics, coatings and colorants businesses, according to Bayer board member, Werner Spinner. Each of the 12 units will have responsibility for process technology, new product development, production and capacity planning, Spinner said. The rubber business group will be split into a general rubber unit for products such as BR and SBR; a unit for specialty elastomers, including EPDM, HNBR and ethylene vinyl acetate rubber; and a rubber chemicals unit, a company spokesman said. Polyurethanes will be divided into units for methylene diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate and polyethers. Other Bayer urethane chemicals activities, such as naphthalene diisocyanates, will be placed within a specialty products unit.