WAYNE, N.J. (May 11)—International Specialty Holdings Inc., buoyed by marked improvements in its ISP Elastomers segment, reported record sales and operating income in the first quarter.
The synthetic elastomers segment—the former Ameripol Synpol activities acquired in August 2003—recorded a three-fold jump in operating income over the first quarter of 2004 to $5.9 million on favorable pricing and the impact of higher unit volumes, partially offset by higher material and manufacturing costs.
ISP Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Specialty Products Inc., reported operating income of $53.3 million, up 5.8 percent from a year ago, while sales jumped 12.8 percent to $338.8 million.
Net income slid slightly to $24.1 million after a non-cash, pretax charge of $10.5 million for the impairment of assets at one of the company's domestic plants related to restructuring and consolidation of production capacity in the specialty chemicals segment.