Rhein Chemie agrees to sell urethanes business to BUFA
MANNHEIM, Germany-Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH is selling its polyurethane and casting systems business, comprising polyol and isocyanate components, to BUFA Polyurethane GmbH & Co. K.G. of Oldenburg, Germany.
Rhein Chemie, a subsidiary of Lanxess GmbH, said its polyurethane additive and crosslinking agent business is completely unaffected by the sell-off, which is subject to approval by the appropriate antitrust authorities.
The sale will allow Rhein Chemie to focus on its core expertise, while the cold-casting systems developed by Rhein Chemie are a perfect addition to the BUFA Polyurethane portfolio, the companies said.
BUFA Polyurethane is a joint venture set up in 2003 between Bayer MaterialScience A.G. and Busing & Fasch GmbH & Co. K.G. of Oldenburg.
Hutchinson gives closure notice for English factory
TELFORD, England-Hutchinson S.A. is closing its automotive profiles factory in Telford because of high costs, industry overcapacity and future adverse trading conditions.
The January shutdown will affect 130 employees.
Production from the factory, known as Russells Rubber before Hutchinson bought it in 1992, will be shifted to the firm's plants in Poland and France, according to Hutchinson Managing Director Rob Fairclough. He said continued price increases in energy and raw materials and overcapacity in the industry made the factory uneconomic to run.
Employment is down from 400 just a few years ago.
Hutchinson said it will continue to have a small ``techno-commercial team'' in the United Kingdom to ensure continued customer service.
Dunlop Tyres shuts down plant because of problems
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe-Dunlop Tyres International Ltd. has been forced to close temporarily its subsidiary plant in Bulawayo, citing a hostile operating environment in Zimbabwe.
Among the reasons given were a lack of raw materials, local credit/currency problems, government regulations that restrict trade and a shrinking Zimbabwean economy.
Dunlop Tyres anticipates the factory will reopen after the operation is able to obtain foreign currency to purchase raw materials. The situation affects about 800 workers at the facility.
Chronos Richardson wins contract to supply tire plant
NOTTINGHAM, England-Chronos Richardson has won an order worth in excess of $3 million to set up silica-based tire compounding systems for the Nizhnekamskschina tire plant in Tartarstan, Russia.
The company, a unit of Premier Tech, will provide carbon black and silica intake, transfer and weighing; polymer weighing and feeding; oils weighing and dosing; dust collection and material re-feed; and two semi-automatic small chemical weighing systems with supervisory control.
The first equipment will be delivered in March 2006.
Freudenberg worker dies in accident at English plant
NORTH SHIELDS, England-A worker at Freudenberg Technical Products L.P. in Newcastle, England, was found dead inside a machine used to prepare metal components for rubber-to-metal bonding.