Coatings World - August 2016

ALTANA’s largest division BYK Additives & Instruments. “In acquiring Addcomp, we are continuing to systematically pursue the ALTANA strategy of generating value-creating growth through targeted acquisitions,” said Dr. Christoph Schlünken, member of the ALTANA Management Board.

Additives from Addcomp enhance
functional performance of nearly every
type of thermoplastic material for various
applications like automotive, construc-
tion, packaging, etc. “The acquisition is
an ideal fit for BYK. The combination
of BYK’s chemical and product expertise
together with Addcomp’s unique process
technology will enable us to develop and
manufacture new and differentiating ad-
ditives for the Thermoplastic market,”
states Dr. Stephan Glander, President of
BYK Additives & Instruments. “Through
this acquisition we are systematically ex-
panding our product portfolio and our
application spectrum in the field of plas-
tic additives.”
The acquisition adds a broad range
of additive solutions with different
functionalities, such as antifogging, im-
proved processing, flame retardancy,
heat stabilization and UV stabilization
to BYK’s portfolio. Addcomp is a leader
in applying masterbatch technology to
achieve superb dispersion, to simplify
handling of such difficult additives as
liquids and viscous materials, and to
provide the highest additive concentra-
tions. The company, headquartered in
Nijverdal, the Netherlands, employs 45
persons and operates production facili-
ties and sales offices in Nijverdal and in
Rochester Hills, Michigan.

BASF Completes
Divestiture of Global
Polyolefin Catalysts
Business to W. R. Grace

BASF has closed the previously announced transaction to divest its global Polyolefin Catalysts business to W. R. Grace & Co., a global leader in specialty chemicals and materials. The relevant merger control approvals have already been granted.

Included in the transaction are tech-
nologies, patents, trademarks and the
transfer of BASF’s production plants in
Pasadena, Texas, and Tarragona, Spain.
Approximately 170 employees have also
transferred to Grace.

Air Products’ Spin-Off
Company Versum Materials
Headquarters to be in
Tempe, Arizona

Air Products continues to work toward the previously announced intended spin-off of its Materials Technologies’ Electronic Materials Division (EMD), to what is to become Versum Materials. As part of this continuing process, Versum Materials announced when it becomes a standalone company, its headquarters offices will be located in Tempe, Arizona.

“Part of our overall strategy as a
separate company is to be more mar-
ket facing and agile by co-locating our
business capabilities closer to the com-
panies we serve. Our focus is on serving
our semiconductor customers. We have
existing Electronic Materials produc-
tion, research and development, and a
workforce in Tempe, and our major U.S.
customers are located in the Western
U.S.,” said Guillermo Novo, who
will be the CEO of Versum Materials.
“Additionally, over 70 percent of the
market is now in Asia and it continues
to grow. Locating in Tempe will allow us
to improve our connectivity with both
our U.S. and Asia teams and customers.
This decision is part of a broader plan to
be closer to our customers and position
Versum for success.”
Novo added certain administrative
functions will remain in Pennsylvania
in the Allentown area. “We have great
people with experience and knowledge
performing jobs that are critical to our
company, like Accounting and IT, for
example. These people have been inte-
gral to the transition as we move toward
Versum. Having employees who under-
stand our business will allow us to stay
focused on our separation and continue
to support our business performance go-
ing forward,” Novo said. “Between our
manufacturing and administrative infra-
structure that will remain, Versum will
continue to have a significant footprint in
the Lehigh Valley area.”
The headquarters announce-
ment follows several other
moves that have been decided
as the business separation in-
tended for September 2016 nears. Most
recently it was decided Versum’s research
and development labs would be relocated
over the next year to Tempe; Hometown,
Pennsylvania; Taiwan; and Korea. The
commercial organization for much of the
business is also relocating to Tempe.

EMD had approximately $1 billion in sales in 2015. It employs approximately 1,900 people and includes major production facilities in the U.S., Korea and Taiwan. Versum Materials’ focus is to be the materials partner of choice for the semiconductor industry, providing high value in-use products for next generation chips used in mobile devices, Internet of Things, and PCs.

WACKER Expands
Production Capacity for
Silicone Sealants

Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its silicone elastomer production capacity in Jincheon, South Korea. The new facilities will include production plants for silicone sealants, specialty silicones and liquid silicone rubber. At the same time, existing production units in Jincheon will be transferred to the new site. Investments for the expansion will total approximately € 16 million. The new expansion project is WACKER’s response to growing regional demand for silicone elastomers in the construction, electronics and automotive industries.

The new production site is located in Jincheon, roughly 100 km southeast of Seoul. “The Asian market for sealants and encapsulants is growing at an incredible rate,” noted WACKER Executive Board member Auguste Willems. “In order to meet increasing demand over the long term, we have decided to significantly increase our production capacity in Jincheon. In this way, we intend to secure and continue expanding our position as a leading silicone manufacturer in the region and profit from Asia’s strong growth.”