The Resins Market
Wacker Chemie AG.
Resins suppliers reported modest recovery in 2011 and are optimistic that these
improvements will continue into 2012.
by Tim Wright, Editor
and Kerry Pianoforte, Associate Editor
The resins market improved slightly in 2011 over 2010 and suppliers are optimistic that 2012 will continue the up- ward trend.
“The uncertainty over the global economic recovery, with
every region having some bad economic news over the course of
the year, dampened consumer and commercial enthusiasm which
was necessary to sustain the recovery,” said Thomas Hall III, senior market development manager, BASF. “The forecast for 2012
is positive with a growth rate for the coatings market in the two
to three percent range.”
According to Hall, infrastructure is a hot market for 2012,
which spans everything from painting bridges to building
pipelines to transporting oil and gas across North America. “
Although the automotive industry is forecasted to have a great year,
the degree of innovation and the number of suppliers to that industry continues to diminish,” he said.
Specialty Polymers said it has achieved growth in all the dif-
ferent markets it serves. “Volumes in 2011 were much stronger
than in 2010,” said Steve Reiser, vice president, sales and mar-
keting, Specialty Polymers, Inc. “This strength has continued into
the first quarter of 2012. If this pace continues, 2012 could be
one of the best we’ve seen in a long time.”
Celanese Emulsion Polymers reported flat sales in mature
coatings markets, but growth in emerging regions. “Our sales
into the resins segment in coatings were fairly flat for 2011 ver-
sus 2010, mimicking what many of our customers were seeing in
the mature coatings segments of the U.S. and Europe,” said Brad
Moncla, marketing manager, Americas, Celanese Emulsion Poly-
mers. “We did see an uptick in demand during 2011 in the
emerging regions of Brazil, China, India and Thailand.”
According to Moncla, the exterior coatings segment is a
strong area to keep an eye on. “Research from the Paint Con-
sumer Research Program, which is the research arm of the Amer-
ican Coatings Association, shows that exterior sales were a bit
stronger than recent historical data for 2011 while consumer
DIY purchases overall were fairly flat in the U.S.,” he said. “The
www.coatingsworld.com
April 2011
