2016 Year in review: January-March

Take a busy year for tire manufacturers, a lousy one for companies that serve the oil and gas industry, add in some major changes in the industry supply sector and finish with a large amount of plant expansions, and you have a capsule of what has happened in the rubber industry in 2016. The following is a synopsis of many events from January through March.

January

ExxonMobil Corp. and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. plan to spend $3.4 billion to expand the capacity of a joint venture site in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Dow Chemical Co. gains full control of Dow Corning Corp. by paying partner Corning Inc. $4.8 billion in cash.

Weak market conditions in the off-road tire market prompt Titan Tire Corp. to lay off 280 workers in the U.S. and Europe.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. buys a 65 percent stake in China's Qingdao Ge Rui Da Rubber Co. Ltd.

Private equity companies Blackstone Group L.P. and Kirbi a.s. agree to buy Armacell L.L.C.

Sil-Pro L.L.C. acquires Sil-Pro Machining Solutions from sister company Precision Associates Inc.

DuPont Co. moves to reduce its work force by more than 5,000.

Bostik S.A. opens a hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesives plant in Mexico.

Custom silicone compounder Global Silicones Inc. adds a third plant to its Buellton, Calif., operations.

For the second time in less than a decade, the United Steelworkers union and Titan Tire International Inc. seek government relief from what they claim are subsidized off-the-road tire imports, naming China, India and Sri Lanka in their petition.

The Bridgestone Americas Inc. tire plant in Wilson, N.C., will get a 10 percent capacity expansion during the next five years, the company announces.

Fenner P.L.C. continues a restructuring of its conveyor belt plants by cutting 20 percent of its work force at a facility in Port Clinton, Ohio.

Hutchinson opens its first North American Technical center at its Grand Rapids, Mich., facility.

Wacker Group announces an expansion of its functional silicones fluid capacity at a site in Burghausen, Germany.

The ContiTech A.G. division of Continental A.G. earmarks $7.2 million to expand its industrial hose factory in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Freudenberg Medical expands its silicone manufacturing operations in California.

As part of an ongoing growth initiative, Apache Inc. buys Pacific Belting Inc.

EnPro Industries Inc.'s Stemco Division signs a licensing agreement allowing it to continue to use the Goodyear name for air springs, after acquiring the business from ContiTech A.G. last year.

Royal Adhesives & Sealants L.L.C. purchases the stock of Adhesives Systems Inc.

Polyurethane and recycled rubber product maker Accella Performance Materials Inc. renames seven key businesses.

Chinese tire maker Qingdao Sentury Tire Co. Ltd. considers building a passenger tire plant in the U.S. in 2017.

Anne Forristall Luke becomes president and CEO of the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the first woman selected for that post.

American Roller Co. makes two acquisitions to boost its chill roll product line.

A Jan. 19 fire destroys the Tristan Rubber Molding Inc. factory in North Canton, Ohio.

Iran's Sabalan Tyre Co. aims to begin construction of a $222 million radial tire plant.

China National Chemical Corp. acquires machinery maker KraussMaffei Group.

A report by market researcher Freedonia Group Inc. predicts global demand for tires will rise an average of 4.1 percent annually for the next four years.

Trelleborg Wheel Systems opens its first North American tire plant, in Spartanburg, S.C.

PanAridus L.L.C. wins another patent to aid guayule harvesting.

February

Audax Private Equity and some officials purchase Preferred Compounding Corp. from another private equity business, Wingate Partners. The mixer also plans an expansion.

At its Advanced Technology Groupheadquarters in Kulpsville, Pa., Greene, Tweed & Co. opens an elastomer research and development center.

Producers of rubber products for mining expect another down year in 2016.

GAF Materials Corp. agrees to buy European roofing products maker Icopal.

Continental A.G. confirms it will build a commercial vehicle tire plant in Mississippi.

Cooper Standard Automotive Inc. opens two factories in China.

Bridgestone APM Co. selects a site in Wheatville, N.Y., as the location for a new urethane-based automotive seat foam factory.

The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a Missouri parochial school's appeal concerning a rejected application for a state grant to install recycled rubber playground surfacing.

Dayco Products L.L.C. opens a sales office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Three federal agencies join in a research project to study the human health and environmental effects of recycled crumb rubber used as artificial turf on athletic fields and playgrounds.

Home Rubber Co. plans to celebrate its 135th anniversary, operating out of the same factory where it was founded.

Titan International Inc. threatens to sue off-the-road tire/wheel assembly importers for fraud.

A new Lanxess A.G./Saudi Aramco synthetic rubber joint venture is christened Arlanxeo.

A news report alleging financial improprieties at Ontario Tire Stewardship prompts an audit by Waste Diversion Ontario.

Nokian Tyres P.L.C. plans to build a third tire plant, possibly in the U.S. but not in China.

A 20 percent hike in capacity at Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.'s tire plant in Shinshiro, Japan, gets the go-ahead.

Dutch tire machinery maker VMI Group takes action against alleged patent infringers, mostly in China.

Cri-Sil Silicone Technologies L.L.C. buys the Kencolor line of pigment and catalyst dispersions from Kenrich Petrochemicals Inc.

PolyOne Corp. buys Kraton Performance Polymers Inc. for $72 million.

Lubrizol Corp. opens a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride compounding facility in India.

East West Copolymer Inc. continues the revival of North America's oldest synthetic rubber plant, including a new investor and union contract.

Zinc oxide producer Zochem Inc. and its parent company, Horsehead Holding Corp., file for protection from creditors via Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy code.

March

Roy Armes announces his retirement in August as leader of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., to be replaced by Brad Hughes.

International Rubber Products and its IRP Medical unit buy ProPlas Technologies.

Bridgestone Canada Inc. embarks on a five-year, $250 million expansion of its tire facilities.

Dana Holding Corp. acquires the intellectual property of Magnum Gaskets L.L.C.

Michelin begins a major restructuring of its industrial and service activities at its plant in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

In a case that began 16 years ago, Dow Chemical Co. reaches an $835 million settlement over alleged price-fixing of polyether polyols.

Two Chinese nationals are arrested and charged with fraud against their employer, Goodyear.

EnPro Industries Inc.'s Stemco Division begins adding a research and development center in Fairlawn, Ohio.

The U.S. International Trade Commission rules against Titan Tire Corp. and the United Steelworkers union in their antidumping petition over off-the-road tires imports from China, but gives them a victory against India and Sri Lanka.

Zochem Inc.'s general manager advises customers the company's decision to seek bankruptcy court protection won't impact them.

Specialty chemicals and polymers maker Omnova Solutions Inc. sells its rubber operation in India.

Saint-Gobain S.A.'s Life Sciences division completes its purchase of SG Plasticos, a Brazilian thermoplastic and polyurethane components maker.

Starlim Group plans the expansion of two operations in Canada.

Albright Technologies Inc. adds to its silicone compression molding capacity.

Silcotech North America Inc. invests $2.5 million at its plant in York, S.C.

Lubrizol Corp.'s LifeScience Division plans to invest $15 million to expand its Vesta Inc. facility.

Arsenal Capital Partners' Polymer Solutions Group acquires Flow Polymers L.L.C.

A California state senator introduces a bill to severely restrict the use of zinc or zinc oxide in tires.

The U.S. could set a record for tire shipments in 2016, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

The U.S. International Trade Commission decides to continue antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into truck and bus tires imported from China.

Automotive supplier SaarGummi expands its sealing operations in Tennessee.

West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. plans to upgrade its factory in Kinston, N.C.

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations begins construction of an expansion of its Wilson, N.C., tire plant.

Trelleborg Industrial Solutions acquires Loggers Rubbertechniek B.V. to boost its marine anti-vibration products lines.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions opens an inspection facility in the Netherlands to validate custom seals for the oil and gas markets.