the acquisition. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings and free cash flow after the first
year of the acquisition and to CFROI
in the mid-term.
The financing of the acquisition is
nearly completed. It consists of the issuance of around € 4. 7 billion senior and
hybrid bonds and the ongoing € 1.5 billion right issue.
Huber Carbonates, LLC
Breaks Ground on Major
Ground Calcium Carbonate
Expansion in Georgia
Huber Carbonates, LLC, a subsid-
iary of J.M. Huber Corporation, has
announced that it is substantially in-
creasing capacity at its ground calcium
carbonate (GCC) operation in Marble
Hill, Georgia.
“Huber has a long-term, multi-stage
plan to increase capacity in ground calcium carbonate, driven by customer
demand and new product sales,” said
Matt O’Brien, vice president and general manager of Huber’s GCC business.
The continuous investments in
ground calcium carbonate will position
Huber to continue supporting its cus-
tomers’ growth strategies with increased
capacity for both medium fine and fine
ground products.
“This expansion − coupled with the
recent expansion of our Quincy, Illinois,
GCC facility − is already in motion and
targeted for completion in 2016,” said
Rick Zwingelberg, operations director
for Huber’s GCC business. “We con-
tinue to be well-positioned to meet the
growing needs of our customers
in a number of markets.”
“The expansion plans we
are implementing build upon our
ongoing growth strategy,” added
O’Brien. “These continuing invest-
ments to expand and improve our
manufacturing capabilities underline
Huber’s long-term commitment to
the ground calcium carbonate busi-
ness and the customers we serve.”
Huber’s industrial GCC products
are used in a variety of consumer
and industrial applications, including building materials; drilling fluids;
rubber; thermoset composites; thermoplastics; swimming pool plasters;
pet food; cultured marble; paints and
coatings; and adhesives, caulks and
sealants. CW
industry.” Hellwig explained how they can be implemented
based on the example of the new Ningbo process, which was
engineered by LANXESS specifically for the environmentally
compatible production of red pigments in China and will be
used at its new production site in Ningbo. In contrast to the
conventional Penniman red process common today in China,
this new technology dramatically reduces waste gas emissions
and includes a very efficient treatment system for the process
water, which uses biological denitrification, ultrafiltration and
reverse osmosis so effectively that nearly all of the water can
be returned to the process.
Norbert Mahr, director of Global Procurement Inorganics
at BASF SE, explained at the LANXESS Pigments Symposium
how sustainable procurement management can help to combine economic and ecological objectives: “Sustainability in
procurement also means considering not just the economic
factors, but also the important aspects of environmental
protection, social responsibility and compliance with governmental regulations, and if necessary working with our suppliers on improvements.” BASF therefore has joined forces
with other companies, including LANXESS, in the Together
for Sustainability (TfS) initiative. The goal of this initiative is to
develop a global program for the responsible procurement
of goods and services and for improving ecological and social
standards at suppliers.
During the concluding podium discussion, Dennis
Scholz, general manager of Harold Scholz & Co. GmbH,
Clifford Schoff, Schoff Associates, Hao Li, general manager
of HCA Consulting China, and Christian Wolfrum, project
manager for Boston Consulting Group, discussed current market
developments, challenges, innovations and megatrends in the coat-
ings industry.
Like the kickoff event in 2013, this year’s symposium had the character of a high-level scientific exchange, giving guests an opportunity to talk extensively with industry experts and colleagues specialized in various areas. “The very positive response we received from
participants and speakers encourages us to continue holding this
event on a regular basis,” Hellwig said, and announced that the next
LANXESS Pigments Symposium is scheduled to be held in North
America in 2017.
