2002/5/7　
Lucite International is the new, chosen name for the world's leading methacrylates supplier as from May 2002.

The company, whose heritage is from DuPont and ICI has traded as Ineos Acrylics since its acquisition from ICI in October 1999 by Charterhouse Development Capital. The equity shareholdings remain unchanged, with Charterhouse holding 78%. ( Ineos 22%)

Scott Davidson becomes Chairman of the Group in addition to his current role of CEO, which he has held since 1992. Davidson said

"We want to target a flotation/IPO within the next few years and it is vital to establish an independent company brand as soon as possible. This is a new - but meaningful - name for a company with a long, successful history. ICI invented the first commercial process for MMA in 1932 and DuPont registered the Luciteｮ brand in 1935. Whilst the business has a great history, it also has a super future and we are bursting with new energy and ideas to serve our customers even better."

4 October 1999

Ineos acquires ICI Acrylics

　Ineos, headed by Jim Ratcliffe, a well-known player in the chemical industry, has partnered with Charterhouse Development Capital to fund the purchase of ICI Acrylics for £505m ($837m).

　ICI Acrylics is the world's leading producer of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Methacrylates are the foundation for a wide range of acrylic products, and are used in applications from coatings, appliances, electronics, adhesives and corporate imaging, through to baths, spas, kitchen work surfaces and construction. The business portfolio also includes the 'LUCITE' and 'PERSPEX' brands.

　Jim Ratcliffe was the co-founder of Inspec, a £40m leveraged buyout from BP of its specialty chemicals business in 1992. It was floated with a value of £131m in 1994 and was taken over by Laporte for £611m last year. He has continued to build his track record of successful organic growth and strategic acquisition as CEO of the Ineos Group, holding company for Ineos NV, the leading European producer of Ethylene Oxide and Derivatives based in Antwerp, Belgium.

　Ratcliffe comments: "This is an excellent business to buy, particularly in terms of its leading market position and its extensive programme of innovation. The Acrylics business fits well with our longer term objectives of building the portfolio of the Ineos Group and I look forward to seeing the business grow and prosper."

　Chief Executive of ICI Acrylics, Scott Davidson welcomed the acquisition: " We are delighted to have been bought by a dynamic partnership from the chemical and finance world. The track record and skills of Jim Ratcliffe and CDC, combined with those of our business, generates extra energy for future growth and financial success.

　"This is exactly what we need to give us the extra competitive edge, to support our customers even better and bring out the best in our people. I 'm really looking forward to a new era for our business."

　With its headquarters in Belgium, ICI Acrylics has 15 manufacturing facilities in nine countries and employs over 2,000 people across Asia, the Americas and Europe, who will transfer to the new company. The company also has five technical centres where it carries out the research and development required to maintain its market leadership. These are located in Wilton and Darwen (UK), Memphis (USA), Ibaraki (Japan) and Thane (India).

　The Ineos Group will include two separate businesses, Ineos NV and the Acrylics business. Scott Davidson, currently CEO of ICI Acrylics will be Chief Executive of the new business, with Jim Ratcliffe as Chairman.

　The acquisition is financed primarily by Charterhouse Development Capital, the original and also one of the largest and most successful private equity firms in Europe. Charterhouse Development Capital has led and advised on some of the highest profile and successful buyouts of the past decade, with a value of in excess of £4.5bn ($7.3bn).

2000/6/1 Ineos

Ineos Acrylics Announces Key Expansion Projects In The United States

　The Board of INEOS Acrylics has approved several key expansion projects for its U. S. Operations following a strategic review of the business.

　INEOS will expand its methylmethacrylate (MMA) operations at Beaumont, Texas by 50 million pounds bringing its annual capacity at the site to 340 million pounds. Combined with its Memphis, Tenn., U. S. A. operations, INEOS' U. S. capacity will be 680 million pounds. This new capacity will lift the company's global MMA availability to more than 1.3 billion pounds, reinforcing its world leadership position.

　In addition, INEOS will expand its Olive Branch, Miss., U. S. A. wide-width, automated LUCITE R CP extruded sheet capability and its continuous hot-melt acrylic polymer feed capacity by 45 million pounds. This increases its extruded sheet offer for customers to 120 million pounds. Including its Memphis LUCITE R continuous cast sheet line, INEOS will bring a total of 175 million pounds of sheet capacity to its U. S. customers.

　INEOS brings unique supply chain benefits to its customers and the business. Coupled with its low-cost, continuous polymerization operation, local MMA supply and its Memphis location as the premier distribution center in the U. S., INEOS offers distinct benefits to its customers.

　INEOS Acrylics has also approved construction of an integrated pilot plant for its new, patented ethylene-based process to make MMA. This is the first major step change in MMA technology since its predecessor, ICI, invented the commercial route to MMA in 1934. This revolutionary technology has been developed over the past seven years and will require only a relatively short "pilot" stage emerging at the end of 2001.

　The process has been designed to liberate the industry from the traditional dependence on acetone, HCN and isobutylene. This so-called Alpha process also eliminates the need for expensive acid recovery installations or the use of exotic materials of construction and reduces overall capital costs. It is a big leap forward in technology and will give Ineos' customers a strong competitive advantage versus other polymers and resins.

　Scott Davidson, CEO of Ineos Acrylics worldwide operations commented, "These projects are evidence we will invest in the future of INEOS Acrylics and we intend to make it a world-beating business."

ACW　2003-10-9

Lucite has option to expand China MMA plant to 150 kt/yr

Lucite International, the world's largest producer of methyl methacrylate (MMA), said on last Friday that it has an option to expand the capacity of its planned new plant in China to 150 000 tonne/year.

The 93 000 tonne/year facility at Caojing near Shanghai, which is due onstream by mid 2005, is being built at an initial cost of $100m (Euro87m), said Lucite.

UK-headquartered Lucite was unable immediately to comment on the timing or cost of any capacity expansion.

Lucite, which was granted an official business licence for the project on 25 September, said the new plant is being built to meet growing demand for acrylic-based products. It said that China is the fourth largest market for MMA with a current consumption of 200 000 tonne/year. China is now the world's fastest growing MMA market, added Lucite, with demand rising by around 10% a year.

The new plant, being built by Taiwanese contractor CTCI, will make Lucite the largest supplier of MMA in China.

Feedstock for the new plant will come from the 900 000 tonne/year cracker which is being built at Caojing by Secco, a joint venture between BP, Sinopec and Shanghai Petrochemicals Company (SPC). The cracker is on schedule for completion in the second quarter of 2005.

Roehm　　　　　　http://www.degussa.com/en/unternehmen.html

Portrait of the new Degussa

Degussa is a newly formed, multinational corporation aligned to high-yield specialty chemistry. As such, speed, flexibility, flat hierarchies and close proximity to customers and markets characterize it best. Responsibility for operational business is held by 23 business units gathered under six divisions (Health & Nutrition, Construction Chemicals, Fine & Industrial Chemicals, Performance Chemicals, Coatings & Advanced Fillers and Specialty Polymers). Degussa's management philosophy "As decentralized as possible, as central as necessary" expresses the significance attached to the business units, which act as "entrepreneurs within the enterprise". They are supported by six global service units (accounting, human resources, information technology etc.) and ten regional service units, that compete with outside providers. The Dusseldorf Corporate Center and its satellite operation in North America provide strategic control functions with a staff of about 100.

Rohm Methacrylates & Specialty Acrylics

When pharmacist and chemist Dr. Otto Rohm discovered the efficiency of tryptic enzymes for bating animal hides in 1907, the invention of the tannery bate Oropon^® was only a step away. At last, it was possible to replace the conventional, extremely unhygienic dog dung bate with a scientifically based process.

In order to put his invention to commercial use, Dr. Rohm and his friend, merchant Otto Haas, founded Rohm & Haas GmbH in Esslingen, Germany, in 1907. This is the ancestor of our present company.
　
In 1909, Haas traveled to the United States to establish a branch office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
　　　　　　　　　→　Rohm and Haas

September 4, 2003 Dow Jones

Degussa Sets Up PMMA Extrusion In Russia

Business Unit Plexiglas of Degussa AG is investing in the extrusion of solid acrylic sheets, PMMA, in Russia, the company said Wednesday.

The facilities that are intended to go on stream in 2004 will be operated by a yet-to-be-established joint venture located in Podolsk. The company will be a joint venture between the 100% Degussa subsidiary Rohm GmbH & Co. KG, the Unichem Group and ZAO Orgsteklo JSC, a long-standing Russian partner of Business Unit Plexiglas. The planned capacity of several thousand tonnes is intended to meet demand on the Russian market and in the CIS.
(* KG=Kommanditgesellschaft合資会社)

"This joint venture is a milestone of Degussa's overall commitment in the CIS economies. It will sustainably strengthen our presence and lay the foundation for further activities in line with our specialties strategy," underlines Prof. Utz-Hellmuth Felcht, Chairman of the Management Board of Degussa AG, Dusseldorf, Germany.

For Dr. Hans-Jurgen Kress, President of Degussa's Business Unit Plexiglas and Member of the Management Board of Rohm GmbH & Co. KG, "this commitment represents a further step towards consolidating and expanding the market presence of PLEXIGLAS(r) in the CIS. Based on Degussa's strategy, the joint venture offers the ideal platform to serve this up-and-coming market with our PLEXIGLAS(r) specialities."

Degussa is a multinational corporation consistently aligned to highly profitable specialty chemistry. With sales of EUR11.8 billion and a workforce of some 48,000, it is Germany's third-largest chemical company and the world market leader in specialty chemicals.

CYRO Industries 　　　　　　http://www.cyro.com/Internet/Home.nsf/Main2!OpenPage

- Established in 1976
A joint partnership of Cytec Plastics Inc. (a subsidiary of Cytec Industries Inc.) and Rohacryl, Inc. (a subsidiary of Rohm GmbH & Co. KG, Darmstadt, Germany).

2001/7/1　発表

CYRO Industries Celebrates 25 Years

　This July marks the 25th anniversary of CYRO Industries, one of North America's leading manufacturers of acrylic sheet and acrylic molding and extrusion compounds. Formed on July 1, 1976, CYRO Industries is a joint partnership between Cytec Industries Inc. (formerly Cyanamid Plastics Inc.) and Röhm GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Degussa AG, based in Germany.
　Over the past quarter century, CYRO has spearheaded the development and expansion of continuously manufactured acrylic sheet products in North America, sold under the ACRYLITE^® trademark, in addition to a complete line of acrylic molding and extrusion compounds. Its products are used for store fixture and P-O-P displays, picture framing, signage, medical devices, architectural glazing, automotive parts, sanitary ware, and numerous other applications.
　"Since its founding, CYRO has been committed to providing the marketplace with superior acrylic products and excellent customer service," says John Medina, CYRO's President and CEO. "We anticipate that the acrylics market will grow due to the material's flexibility and versatility, and CYRO will continue to develop new niche markets."
　Headquartered in Rockaway, NJ, the company employs approximately 700 people along with its Canadian subsidiary, CYRO Canada Inc., based in Mississauga, Ontario.
　This spring CYRO launched E'crylic Central, the most comprehensive Web portal for specifiers, design engineers, and fabricators of acrylic. From www.cyro.com users have 24/7 access to over 150 years of combined acrylic experience and can send acrylic-related questions on-line to CYRO's technical staff. The portal also enables e-commerce transactions for purchasing regularly stocked items.
　In addition to its technical centers in Orange, CT, and Mississauga, Ont., CYRO operates manufacturing facilities in Westwego, LA; Wallingford, CT; Sanford, ME; and Osceola, AR. Following a $35 million dollar expansion program at the Osceola plant, CYRO is now North America's largest producer of continuously manufactured acrylic sheet. 　Commemorating its anniversary this month, CYRO has re-named the Osceola facility the Frank W. Miner Plant after the company's first president, who served from 1976-1986, in recognition of his leadership.
　All of CYRO's manufacturing sites are ISO 9002 certified with 100 percent vertical integration for monomer, polymer, and sheet product production. Its PMMA facilities are also QS-9000 certified.

Rohm and Haas 　　　

　　　History
　　
　　　Deer Park工場ＭＭＡ　増設　（→ 475,000t) (増設分はAtofina向け中心）

　　　Creation of a PMMA　Joint Venture with Atochem: AtoHaas
　　　　　　　　→　1998 　Sold to Atochem

　　　Rohm and Haas and Stockhausen to form joint venture to manufacture Acrylic Acid

　　　　http://www.rohmhaas.com/company/history.html

　More than 90 years ago, a chemist and a businessman decided to form a partnership to make a unique chemical product for the leather industry. That once tiny firm will enter the twenty-first century as one of the world’s top specialty chemical companies, with sales of approximately $7 billion, nearly 140 manufacturing and research locations in 27 countries and more than 18,000 employees.
　Yet despite the remarkable changes the company has undergone since it was founded by Otto Rohm, the scientist, and Otto Haas, the businessman, Rohm and Haas remains remarkably true to the vision of its founders: to be a high-quality supplier of specialty chemicals that improve the quality of life.

Following is a decade by decade summary of Rohm and Haas Company’s historical journey.

1901--1910　
　In 1907, two young German entrepreneurs, chemist Otto Rohm and businessman Otto Haas, establish a partnership in Esslingen to manufacture and sell a technologically superior leather bate, Oropon, to tanners. The Rohm and Haas Company is an almost instant success; in 1909, Haas is able to travel to the United States to establish a branch office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
　The success of the infant Rohm and Haas Company is based three principles: 1) offer a sophisticated, technically advanced chemical product; 2) use technically trained sales representatives; and 3) work with customers to help them exploit the products to maximum advantage.

1911--1920
　The second decade of the century sees the fledgling Rohm and Haas Company experience rapid growth and expansion in the United States. By 1917, the company is approaching $1 million in sales. With the entry of America into World War I, however, the company’s path takes a new turn. Under pressure from the federal government, the American portion of the company severs its ties with its German parent and becomes the independent American firm of Rohm and Haas under the sole leadership of Otto Haas. Although Haas later restores his friend’s holdings in the United States company, the relationship between the German parent and its American offspring is never reestablished.

1131--1940
　Although Rohm and Haas experiences difficult times during the Depression years, it survives better than most due to the nature of its business and the astute management of Otto Haas. Moreover, during the 1930s, seminal discoveries in the field of acrylic chemistry by Otto Rohm and others provide a host of new products that ultimately transform Rohm and Haas.
　The most prominent of the acrylic products is cast polymethyl methacrylate, which is marketed on both sides of the Atlantic under the Plexiglas® trademark. Introduced in the United States in 1936, it immediately finds favor in military aircraft, where its optical clarity, light weight, ability to be heat-formed, and shatter resistance make it an excellent replacement for conventional glass in canopies, gun turrets, windshields, and radar domes.

1941--1950
　The years of World War II and the period immediately after are a time of extraordinary growth for Rohm and Haas. Fueled by the enormous demand for Plexiglas sheet in military aircraft, company sales increase nine-fold during the war years. In addition to Plexiglas, company scientists create acrylic polymers used as oil additives, solvent-borne resins for coatings, and plasticizers.
　
1951--1960
　Rohm and Haas continues to mine acrylic chemistry to remarkably good effect during the 1950s. Much of its initial success in this area is predicated on the Company’s ability to find civilian uses for Plexiglas. Signage proves one of the more successful new applications; others include automotive taillights, skylights, room dividers, and safety glazing.
　Just as important as developing new markets for Plexiglas is the 1953 introduction of the first acrylic emulsions for use as paint binders. The advent of these products--which provide a host of benefits including ease of use, rapid drying, and soap-and-water cleanup--help spark the birth of modern latex paints, and they gradually became the dominant binders in the industry. Significantly, the utility of acrylic emulsion chemistry is not limited to paints. Waterborne acrylic polymers sold under the Rhoplexｮ name find use in a wide array of industrial markets, including inks, industrial and maintenance finishes, floor polishes, cement modifiers, roof mastics and adhesives.

1961--1970
　Otto Haas dies early in 1960. His older son, Fritz Otto, becomes CEO.
　Under the new leadership, the company continues to exploit its expertise in acrylic and small-molecule chemistries. It also embarks on campaigns to diversify and develop its foreign operations, and it invests heavily in new facilities. In traditional business areas, the Company’s acrylic emulsion business expands by leaps and bounds as latex paints and waterborne textile and nonwoven finishes become increasingly popular with consumers.

1991--2000
　In the 1990s, Rohm and Haas enters the most significant period of change since the advent of acrylic chemistry had transformed it in the 1930s and 1940s.
　While retaining much of its acrylic business, Rohm and Haas divests itself of its franchise in polymethyl methacrylate chemistry. Although this legacy of Dr. Rohm’s had been greatly responsible for Rohm and Haas Company’s success from the 1930s on, it has become a commodity item that no longer fits the company’s specialty chemical portfolio.

1992 Creation of a PMMA　Joint Venture with Atochem: AtoHaas
　　　　　　　　→　1998 　Sold to Atochem

2000/9/27

Methyl Methacrylate Monomer (MMA) capacity to be expanded at Rohm and Haas Deer Park, Texas plant

　ATOFINA and Rohm and Haas Company announced today that they have reached an industrial agreement under which the methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer capacity at Rohm and Haas’s plant in Deer Park, Texas, will be expanded to meet the needs of both companies.

　Bill Andrews, Rohm and Haas Vice President and Business Director for Monomers, said that 115,000 metric tons of annual manufacturing capacity will be added in 2002. The existing Deer Park plant has existing capacity of 360,000 metric tons per annum (tpa) and is the largest MMA facility in the world. This expansion will provide Rohm and Haas with necessary additional capacity to meet continued growth in its downstream acrylic polymer businesses, as well as ongoing merchant market demand for MMA.

　The majority share of the new capacity will be allocated to ATOFINA, primarily for its growing acrylic sheet and resins (PMMA) business, which is operated through its subsidiary Atoglas. Philippe Goebel, ATOFINA Vice President for Acrylic Monomers and PMMA, commented: "This agreement will allow us to expand significantly our worldwide MMA capacity and strengthen our support to Atoglas, along with our other acrylic-based businesses in North America, with a very competitive source of monomer." ATOFINA already has MMA capacity in Carling, France and Rho, Italy, totaling 180,000 tons of production. This latest development will raise ATOFINA’s MMA worldwide capacity to 250,000 tpa.

　Rohm and Haas is a specialty chemical company whose products consistently improve the quality of life for people around the world. Rohm and Haas technology is found in paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, household products, personal computers and electronic components, and construction materials. It also helps bring food to the table ? fruits and vegetables ? and salt, an essential ingredient for life . Rohm and Haas has annual sales of $7 billion and employs more than 21,000 people. The company operates approximately 150 manufacturing and research sites in 25 countries around the world.

　ATOFINA , the chemical branch of the TotalfinaElf group, represents annual sales of 18 billion euro. This turnover covers 3 core businesses : Petrochemichals and plastics, Intermediates and Performance Products, Specialties. Atoglas is the ATOFINA subsidiary specialising in the production of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). It operates four production sites in Europe (Carling and Bernouville in France, Rho in Italy, and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands) and four in North American continent (Kensington, Bristol and Louisville in the United States, and Matamoros in Mexico), and another in Korea.

　Methyl methacrylate is a key raw material ingredient used to make Atoglas’s PlexiglasR , Altuglas® and Oroglas® lines of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sheet and resin products, used in automotive, construction, appliances, and other end-use markets. Methyl methacrylate is used not only for PMMA, but also for acrylic emulsions, plastics additives, and specialty products that find their way into paints and coatings; packaging applications; vinyl siding and other construction materials.

ATOFINA September 27, 2000

MMA Capacity to Be Expanded at Deer Park, Texas

ATOFINA and Rohm and Haas Company have announced today that they have reached an industrial agreement whereby the methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer capacity at Rohm and Haas's plant in Deer Park, Texas, will be expanded to meet the needs of both companies.

Bill Andrews, Rohm and Haas Vice President and Business Director for Monomers, said that a 115,000 tpa capacity would be added in 2002. The existing Deer Park plant has a current capacity of 360,000 tpa and is the largest MMA facility in the world. This expansion will provide Rohm and Haas with the necessary additional capacity to meet continued growth in its downstream acrylic polymer businesses, as well as ongoing merchant market demand for MMA.

The majority share of the new capacity will be allocated to ATOFINA, primarily for its growing acrylic sheet and resins (PMMA) business, which is operated through its subsidiary Atoglas. Philippe Goebel, ATOFINA Vice President for Acrylic Monomers and PMMA, commented: "This agreement will allow us to expand significantly our worldwide MMA capacity, whilst strengthening our support to Atoglas as well as our other acrylic-based businesses in North America, with a very competitive source of monomer." ATOFINA already has MMA production capacities at Carling, France, and Rho, Italy, totalling 180,000 tpa. This latest development will raise ATOFINA's MMA worldwide capacity to 250,000 tpa.

ATOFINA, the chemical branch of the TotalFinaElf group, represents annual sales of euros 18 bn. This turnover covers 3 core businesses: Petrochemicals and Plastics, Intermediates and Performance Products, Specialties.
Atoglas is the ATOFINA subsidiary specialising in the production of PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). It operates four production sites in Europe (Carling and Bernouville in France, Rho in Italy, and Leeuwarden in the Netherlands), a further four on the American continent (Kensington, Bristol and Louisville in the United States, and Matamoros in Mexico), and another in Korea.

Atoglas 　　　　　http://www.replicationasia.com/DirectoryExhibitors/Atoglas-Europe20.htm

Company History/Background:

Present Activities:

Atoglas produces and markets throughout the world:

Acrylic resins for extrusion and injection moulding
Cast acrylic sheet
Solid extruded acrylic sheet
Solid polycarbonate sheet

With an annual production capacity of 250,000 tons of PMMA, Atoglas supplies 25% of the world market
Atoglas produces clear and tinted resins for injection moulding, injection blow-moulding, extrusion and coextrusion.

Principal products of Atoglas include acrylic sheet and acrylic molding and extrusion resins sold under the trade names
Plexiglas® (former R&H's brand) in North and South America, and
Altuglas®, Oroglas® and Goldglas® in the rest of the world.
We also produce and sell Implex® Impact Acrylic Sheet and the Tuffak® Polycarbonate Sheet family of products.

Plants 　　4 manufacturing sites in Europe:　2 in France, 1 in Italy, 1 in the Netherlands
　　　　　　4 manufacturing sites on the continent of America:　3 in the United States, 1 in Mexico
　　　　　　1 manufacturing site in Korea, covering the Asia/Pacific market
　　　　　　Production capacity:250,000 metric tons

Europe, producing 100,000 metric tons a year for all products combined.

France
　　Bernouville　　Products: extruded sheet
　　Saint Avold　　Products: cast sheet

Italy
　　Rho　（旧Vedril社、Enimont社にＰＥを出し交換）　Products: resins and extruded sheet

This plant has a unique continuous resin polymerisation process. To date, the performance of this technique remains unmatched.

Netherlands
　　Leeuwarden　　（Casolith社買収）　Products: cast sheet

Korea：Chinhae（鎮江）　15,000 metric tons a year, for all products combined

　　　Products: Resins - Extruded sheet - Extruded Polycarbonate sheet　　　

Continent of America：

Kensington, Connecticut

ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc., through its Atoglas Division, assumed ownership of the Kensington facility in 1998. The plant has been operating in Connecticut since 1975 and currently employs 80 full-time people.
The Kensington facility produces acrylic sheet products such as Plexiglas® and Implex® and polycarbonate sheet products such as Tuffak®.

Bristol, Pennsylvania

The Atoglas Division manufacturing plant in Bristol, Pennsylvania began making Plexiglas® acrylics (or resins) in the 1940's as a division of Rohm and Haas Company. The operation continued in October, 1992 after the formation of AtoHaas, when Rohm and Haas and Elf Atochem S.A. became joint venture partners. As of June 5, 1998 the Bristol plant is fully owned and operated by ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc. (formerly Elf Atochem North America, Inc.) and employs approximately 135 people.

The Bristol plant manufactures a variety of acrylic molding resins with properties like impact resistance and superior optics.

Louisville, Kentucky

The Atoglas Division manufacturing plant in Louisville began making Plexiglas® acrylics (or molding resin) in 1968 as part of the Rohm and Haas Company.

Matamoros, Mexico

It is located 1/2 mile south from the Rio Grand, the US/Mexican border, in the city of Matamoros in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The name of the Mexican company is Maquiladora General de Matamoros S.A. de C.V. (MGM for short). The name means General Tolling Company of Matamoros. It started operations in 1987, producing Plexiglas® acrylic sheets, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Rohm and Haas Company. MGM manufactures two different families of products: acrylic sheets, using the cell cast process; and plastic modifiers, using the bulk process.

2003/5/6 Atofina

Altuglas® - The new name for Atoglas's acrylic resins

The ATOFINA subsidiary Atoglas is to market all its acrylic products under a single trade name in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East: Atoglas acrylic resin, previously sold in these regions under the trade name Oroglas®, will now be marketed under the trade name ALTUGLAS®.

ALTUGLAS® is the well known trade name for acrylic sheet produced by Atoglas in Europe. By extending the scope of the ALTUGLAS® name to resin, Atoglas intends to promote recognition of its acrylic products as well as strengthen its world leading position in this activity.

This name change will in no way affect Atoglas's existing supply of products and services. The resins' formulations and technical characteristics will remain the same, and the ALTUGLAS® trade name will continue to be synonymous with outstanding customer service and technical support.

A new logo has been designed to boost recognition of ALTUGLAS® products. It will appear on packaging, literature and all visual communication from May 2003.

In North and Latin America, acrylic resin and sheet produced by Atoglas have been marketed for over 60 years under a single trade name: Plexiglas®. The Plexiglas® name will be maintained in this part of the world.

December 1, 2003 Atofina

Additional capacity of PMMA by Atoglas at its Jinhae Korean plant
　　　http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/f_elf_atofina_2.cfm?droite=actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11666

The Atofina subsidiary Atoglas will increase production of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, acrylic plastic) at its Jinhae, South Korea site in May 2004. The site today has capacity for 17,000 tons of acrylic resin as well as lines for the production of acrylic and polycarbonate sheet.

The new capacity of the site will reach approximately 40,000 tons of PMMA resin.

Bertrand Repelin, President and Managing Director of the Atoglas business unit stated: "This investment will further cement the presence of Atoglas in Asia/Pacific. Our Asian customers have been well served by our products from Jinhae and there is further demand to service growing markets, especially in China."

Atoglas is the world's largest producer of PMMA, with approximately a 20% share of global PMMA demand. Atoglas markets its acrylic resins and sheet under the brand name PlexiglasR in North and Latin America, and ALTUGLASR in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Polycarbonate sheet is marketed as the TuffakR brand worldwide.

2004/6/25 Platts

Atofina to close Dutch acrylic sheet business, expand French site

Atofina subsidiary, Atoglas announced plans to re-organize its acrylic sheet business, Friday by shifting its production from two sites into one. Atoglas plans to close its Leeuwarden site in the Netherlands by September 2006, and simultaneously focus production at new capacities in Carling-Saint Avold, France.

Atofina's management met with the Dutch trade unions Friday to discuss terms of the redundancy plan and the support measures to be made available for the project. After restructuring, Atoglas will comprise: a cast sheet plant in Saint-Avold; an extruded sheet plant in Bernouville; a European storage and cutting platform in Bernouville; off-site warehouses; a decentralized sales network; and a dedicated R&D and technical support team. "This latest project falls in line with the ongoing consolidation of our sheet business initiated last November through the consolidation of our extruded sheet activity," said Bertrand Repelin, CEO of Atoglas

---

Atofina 2004/6/25

Atoglas continues to streamline its acrylic sheet business in Europe
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/f_elf_atofina_2.cfm?droite=actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=13322

The Atofina subsidiary Atoglas intends to invest into new capacities in Carling-Saint Avold (France) by September 2006, and to concentrate on this site cast acrylic sheet production currently split between two sites in Europe.
The Leeuwarden site (Netherlands) would close on the same date. The management met with the Dutch trade unions today. Negotiations will relate to the terms of the redundancy plan and the support measures to be made available for this reorganisation project.

According to Bertrand Repelin, CEO of Atoglas, ≪ this latest project falls in line with the ongoing consolidation of our sheet business initiated last November through the consolidation of our extruded sheet activity, and confirms our resolve to remaining a major and efficient acrylic sheet player in Europe through our ALTUGLAS tradename ≫.

As a result, Atoglas will have a streamlined and efficient tool to serve its sheet customers in Europe, comprising:
- A cast sheet plant in Saint-Avold,
- An extruded sheet plant in Bernouville,
- A European storage and cutting platform in Bernouville, to execute group deliveries of ALTUGLAS
　extruded and cast acrylic sheet, as well as TUFFAK polycarbonate sheet,
- A number of off-site warehouses,
- A decentralised sales network, close to its customers,
- A dedicated R&D and technical support team.

ALTUGLAS acrylic sheet has a wide range of applications, as the preferred support for visual communication (illuminated signs, shop fittings, etc.), sanitaryware (baths, shower trays, basins, etc.), motorbike accessories (windscreens), noise walls for built-up areas, lightguide components in computer flat screens, etc.

RubberWprld.com 2006/6/2

EC fines acrylic glass cartel members 　　

The European Commission has decided that Arkema (formerly Atofina), Degussa, ICI, Lucite and Quinn Barlo (formerly Barlo) have violated the EC Treaty rules’ ban on restrictive business practices (Article 81) by participating in a cartel on the market for acrylic glass, used inter alia for vehicle lighting and dashboard instruments.

Four of these companies (Total/Elf Aquitaine/Arkema, Lucite, ICI and Quinn Barlo) were therefore fined a total of Euro 344,562,500. Arkema and ICI had their fines increased by 50% as they are repeat offenders. Degussa, also a repeat offender, would have been fined had it not received full immunity from fines under the Commission’s leniency regime for being first to provide information about the cartel.
The five companies agreed, fixed and monitored (target) prices for acrylic glass and exchanged commercially important and confidential information in the European Economic Area (EEA) between 1997 and 2002.

Acrylic glass - or Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) - is used for a range of applications. PMMA-moulding compounds are mainly used in the car industry for the production of headlamps, tail-lights and glass for dashboards.

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British Plastics & Rubber 2006/6/1

Hefty fines for acrylic price fixing

　　Europe's major producers of acrylic sheet and moulding compounds have been fined heavily by the European Union for price fixing. Degussa, Arkema, ICI, Lucite International and Quinn/Barlo were fined a total of Eur 344,562,500 making it the fourth largest penalty imposed by the European Union in a long list of cartel-busting actions.
     The price fixing started in a Dublin hotel room in 1999 when the EU says competitors met to co-ordinate an increase in the European price level for PMMA moulding compounds. Handwritten notes show that the participants agreed on a price increase for PMMA as of January 2000 with an announcement of the increase in November for the European market. It was agreed that Atofina (now Arkema) would announce the increase in France, Italy and Benelux, ICI in the UK and Scandinavia and Degussa in Germany and Spain.
     Records of another meeting in a German hotel room in 2000 reveal that the meeting focused on a co-ordinated price increase for November 2000, says the European Commission. The competitors, after exchanging details of their prices, agreed to raise the price of sheet by Eur 0·10/kg and also discussed the charges for extra services like cutting and dyeing.
     The largest fine, Eur 264,468,750, was imposed on Degussa/Röhm/Para-Chemie but not actually levied as the company was given full immunity for being the first to provide information about the cartel. The French grouping of Total/Elf Aquitaine/Arkema/Altuglas and Altumax also had their fines reduced for co-operating - by 40 per cent to Eur 219,131,250 - although Arkema had its fine increased by 50 per cent because it was a repeat offender. Lucite had its fine cut by 30 per cent to Eur 25,025,000. ICI, with Arkema a repeat cartel offender, also had a 50 per cent increase added to its fine to cost it Eur 91,406,250.
     Barlo Group was fined Eur 9 million as part of Quinn Barlo and Quinn Plastics, but the Commission said it had not linked its judgement with Quinn Group because the group only purchased Barlo after the end of the infringement.

2006/8/16 Platts

UK's Lucite starts building process of MMA plant in Singapore

The UK's Lucite has started construction at its first methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant, a spokesman for the company's PR company said Wednesday.
The unit, located in Singapore, will have 120,000 mt/year capacity, which saw due to start up in early 2008. Plans for a second plant, Alpha-2, with capacity of 250,000 mt/year and a start-up date of 2011, were said to be advanced.
Under the Alpha technology, the company uses ethylene, methanol and carbon monoxide as feedstocks, replacing the traditional acetone, HCN and isobutylene. Lucite calculated a reduction in manufacturing costs of up to 40%.

2006/9/14 Foster Wheeler

Foster Wheeler Awarded EPC Contract for Lucite International's New Chemical Facility in Singapore

Foster Wheeler Ltd. announced today that its UK subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energy Limited, and its Singapore subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., both of which are part of its Global Engineering and Construction group, have been awarded a reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Lucite International Singapore Pte. Ltd. (LISPL) for a new methyl methacrylate (MMA) manufacturing facility to be built on Jurong Island, Singapore. Lucite International is one of the world's leading manufacturers of acrylic products and owner of the renowned Lucite(R) and Perspex(R) brands.

The terms of the contract were not disclosed, and the project will be included in the company's third-quarter 2006 bookings.

Foster Wheeler has already completed the basic engineering design for this 120,000 tonnes per annum plant. Lucite International has recently marked the start of construction of the new plant with a groundbreaking ceremony held in Singapore in mid-July 2006. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in 2008.

The new plant will use Lucite International UK Limited's proprietary state-of-the-art Alpha technology which, according to Lucite International, offers significant economic and environmental benefits over conventional MMA manufacturing routes, and is set to revolutionize the production cost-base for MMA, the basic building block of the acrylics industry. This is the first in a series of Alpha-based facilities planned by Lucite International.

"We are delighted that Lucite International has awarded us the EPC contract on a roll-over basis for their new state-of-the-art MMA plant in Singapore," said Franco Anselmi, chief executive officer, Foster Wheeler Asia Pacific. "This award underscores our unrivalled track record as an EPC contractor in Singapore and also reflects the quality of our people and of our technical offering. We look forward to playing an integral role in this new chapter in MMA production."

"Foster Wheeler is one of the world's biggest and most respected engineering and construction contractors," commented Neil Sayers, chairman of LISPL and vice president of manufacturing. "Their long experience of working in Singapore, combined with strong operations in both the UK and locally in Singapore, make them the ideal partner for Lucite International in this groundbreaking new plant we are building."

2006/12/5 Degussa

China: RAG's subsidiary Degussa constructs methacrylate Verbund production

Degussa AG, Dusseldorf, plans to construct a major Verbund production (integrated production network) in Shanghai to manufacture methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylate specialties. The Degussa Supervisory Board has now given the go-ahead for this facility to be constructed. The investment volume for the entire plant including all intermediates is around 250 million euros, making it Degussa’s second-largest single investment. The world-scale facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2009 on completion of the construction phase, which should last approximately two years.

Dr. Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Board of Management of Degussa AG and Member of the Board of Management of RAG Aktiengesellschaft, comments: “The new MMA Verbund facility in China underscores our global growth strategy. We see an attractive market development in Asia, and this investment reinforces our position as one of the world’s leading methacrylate producers.”

Once all the approvals have been obtained from the Chinese authorities, Degussa will construct an MMA facility with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes, which will practically all be processed into highly-refined methacrylate specialties and polymers. These are components used in a wide variety of products, such as LCD screens, scratch-proof paints, top-quality adhesives, modern interior trims for cars and numerous plastics applications.

The facility will be built at Degussa’s multi-user site at Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Development Ltd., (SCIP), where the world’s leading specialty chemicals company has already established several new operations. In June 2006, for example, a polyester and a colorants plant came on stream at the site. In view of the upcoming construction of the MMA Verbund production, Degussa secured SCIP’s collaboration through a further cooperation agreement in September 2006.

Degussa regards China as one of the driving forces of global economic growth, and as such intends to increase its business in this attractive growth region to around 800 million euros within three years. In fiscal year 2005 more than 2,200 employees generated sales of 275 million euros, based on continuing operations. In the first nine months of this year Degussa increased its sales in China by more than 50 percent over the same period the previous year.

Degussa has been producing specialty chemical products in China since the early nineties, with wide-ranging trading relations already in place prior to this. The Group now owns more than 18 companies in the country, with production sites in Anqiu, Changchun, Jining, Liaoyang, Nanning, Nanping, Qingdao, Rizhao, Shanghai and Yingkou. Its broad product portfolio - comprising precipitated silica沈降シリカ, carbon blacks, rubber silanesゴム用有機シラン, amino acids, polyurethane foam additives, coating polyesters, pigment pastes, color tinting systems, high-performance plastics and initiators for plastics manufacture - caters for customers in China and throughout the whole of Asia.

Degussa - a wholly owned subsidiary of the RAG Group - is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Our business is creating essentials - innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to our customers’ success. In fiscal 2005 around 44,000 employees worldwide generated sales of 11.8 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of 940 million euros.

SCIPにはLUCITE MMAが100千トンのMMAモノマーを製造している。

2007/4/5　Degussa

RAG Subsidiary Degussa Receives Approval from Chinese Authorities to Build Integrated Methacrylates Production Facility

Degussa GmbH has received approval from the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to construct an integrated production facility for methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methacrylic specialties in Shanghai.

Dr. Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Managing Board of Degussa GmbH and member of the Management Board of RAG Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG, sees the decision of the NDRC as a further milestone in the successful implementation of the Group’s growth strategy. “With our methyl methacrylate activities, we are operating in an attractive growth market. By investing in the China region, we intend to serve our Asian target markets in the best possible way and thus expand our leading international position in specialty chemicals.”

The official starting shot for the specialty chemicals group’s currently largest individual investment measure is expected in a few months’ time. The investment volume for the entire plant including all preliminary stages is approx. EUR 250 million. The world-scale plant is to go into operation in the course of 2009, after a construction period of two years. Degussa’s Methacrylates Business Unit is responsible for planning, constructing and operating the plant, which gives it production facilities in Asia, North America, Central and Eastern Europe.

The production complex operates on the basis of C4 technology and is being built at Degussa’s multi-user site at Shanghai Chemical Industry Park Development Ltd. The integrated MMA plant is designed to provide an annual capacity of some 100,000 metric tons and to supply raw materials for downstream monomer and polymer specialties for applications in optoelectronics, the adhesives and coatings industries and automotive construction.

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2007/4/8 Asia Chemical Weekly

Degussa gets nod for integrated MMA project in Shanghai

On late March, Degussa has got finally approval from NDRC for its integrated methyl methacrylate (MMA) project at Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP), in Caojing, Shanghai.

With the total investment of RMB 2 billion (USD 258 million), the proposed project will based on C4 route. Last year, Degussa announced that it had obtained a C4 technology license from a Japanese Chemical company, to use at the proposed Methacrylates site in Shanghai, the estimated output of MMA would be around 100,000 tonne per year.

The details for production and MMA technology licensor is not disclosed yet, while according to industrial sources, the integrated project will include a 105,000 tonne/year isobutylene unit, a 115,000 tonnes/year MMA plant, a 15,000 tonnes/year methacrylic acid and 20,000 tonnes/year of butyl methacrylate and a 40,000 tonne/year PMMA unit, it is expected to start up in 2009.

Degussa uses the C4 route rather than the conventional ACH route, as this technology is more efficient and environment friendly, that is in accordance with the current environment policies in China.

Before, Lucite had commissioned a 100,000 tonne per year MMA unit in SCIP. The Lucite plant is based on the acetone cyanohydrin (ACH) process. It uses the by-product hydrogen cyanide (HCN) from SECCO as the raw material for MMA production.

Also, Mitsubishi Rayon Chemcial (MRC) had commissioned a 90,000 t/a MMA plant in Daya Bay, Huizhou, Guangdong Province. The plant is operated by Huizhou MMA Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of MRC. It is based on C4 route.

Degussa のMMA事業は元のRohm （旧称 Rohm & Haas）の事業で、1989年にHuls がRohm を買収した。
1899年にHuls と Degussaと合併してDegussa-Hulsとなり、2001年にSKW Trostbergと合併して現在はDegussaとなっている。
2005年にCytex との50/50ＪＶの米国のＭＭＡメーカー Cyroを100%子会社としている。
（注　米国のRohm & Haas は当初はドイツのR&Hの米国子会社で、第一次大戦時に独立した。）

Degussaは1990年代初めから中国に進出し、幅広くスペシャルティケミカルの製造販売を行っており、製造拠点も多数もっている。2005年時点で中国での従業員は2,200人以上、売上高は275百万ユーロに達している。
上海ケミカルパークではコーティング原料部門がポリエステル樹脂と着色料を製造している。

ーーー

なお、上海ケミカルパークではLucite がACH法で100千トンのMMAモノマーを製造している。
Lucite は1999年に Ineos と Charterhouse Development Capital がICIのMMA事業を買収して設立したもの。

また、三菱レイヨン100%の恵州恵菱化成有限公司が昨年末に広東省恵州大亜湾経済技術開発区でMMAモノマーの生産を開始している。
能力は9万トン（スタート時は7万トン）。

同社は中国で、1998年4月よりMMAの誘導品であるブチルメタクリレート（6.4千トン）を「蘇州三友利化工有限公司」で、2003年12月よりアクリル樹脂成形材料（4万トン）を「南通麗陽化学有限公司」で、さらに同工場に隣接して2005年6月よりアクリル樹脂板（2万トン）と塗料用アクリル樹脂（3.5千トン）を「三菱麗陽高分子材料（南通）有限公司」で、それぞれ稼働させている。

Apr 7, 2006 Degussa

Degussa to Introduce improved C4 Technology

Degussa AG, Business Unit Methacrylates, has obtained a C4 technology license from a Japanese Chemical company. The new technology will be introduced in production at the proposed Methacrylates site in China. Since the beginning of the year, Degussa has been operating a multi-user site at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park, which would also serve - subject to governmental approval - as the location of the Methacyrylates plant. The license will enable Degussa to increase its technology base needed for MMA and downstream production.

Degussa intends to combine the licensed know-how with its comprehensive knowledge in catalytic oxidation processes and the optimization of continuous operation plants on a world scale. The estimated output of MMA will be in the range of approximately 100,000 metric tons per year.

"Our aim is to continue to strengthen our leading position by increasing our knowledge in C4 technology and taking it a step further for the production of high-quality MMA", explains Gregor Hetzke, President of the Business Unit Methacrylates. "This will allow us to produce MMA to fulfill our requirements, as well as to accommodate our downstream units for specialties in the Methacrylates 'Verbund' Structure". Hetzke explains further, that this structure covers the essential steps in the production process, beginning with raw materials through various intermediate products, up to end products. Through this approach, Degussa will establish a highly cost efficient production process for the whole range of specialty monomers and polymers, which play a major role in its marketing and sales strategy for Asia.

MMA "Verbund" Integrated Production Complex in China
The proposed new site will enable Degussa to meet the increasing demand for methacrylates specialties and downstream products in Asia, from a local base. The plan is to construct the site as a fully integrated production complex, similar to its plants in Western Europe and North America. The MMA integrated production network links different production plants along the Methacrylates "Verbund" Structure, allowing for the resourceful use and recycling of intermediates, energy and exhaust gases.

Global Expansion of Production

The globalization of production is viewed as an important step within the business unit's global strategy. In today's methacrylate chemistry market, it is imperative to serve customers on both a global and local level with a competent sales and technical force. Additionally, there is an increasing importance of local supply availability, with good logistics, in order to accommodate customers who are investing in China and other regions of Asia. The international network of integrated production facilities allows the Methacrylates business unit to develop tailored solutions in line with the local needs of its customers and guarantee a consistent high quality standard of its products, world wide.

From world-renowned acrylic sheet products, to individually customized monomers and polymers, Degussa's Methacrylates Business Unit serves a variety of markets such as the coatings, adhesives and plastics industries, as well as the automotive, optoelectronics and cosmetics sector.

Degussa is the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Our business is creating essentials?innovative products and system solutions that make indispensable contributions to our customers' success. In fiscal 2005 around 44.000 employees worldwide generated sales of 11.8 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of 940 million euros.

2008/9/1 polymer-age.co.uk/　

Lucite considers sale or flotation

　 Perspex (MMA) producer Lucite International is considering a sale or public flotation and investment banks Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch are to assess the options. Mitsubishi Rayon is tipped as a potential purchaser with Dow Chemical, BASF and Asahi Kasei also in the running. A sale is anticipated to yield some £1·3 billion.
     A statement from Lucite hinges its future on its Alpha technology(エチレン法） which cuts the cost of making methyl methacrylate by 40 per cent. In 2006 Deutsche Bank carried out an auction - involving the same group of potential buyers being tipped today - but the sale was abandoned when it failed to reach the reported asking price of $2·5 billion. Lucite's feeling was that the potential of the Alpha technology was not being fully reflected in the offers.
     A refunding of the group later that year brought the resources necessary to put Alpha into commercial production with a plant in Singapore and plans for a further three, and progress has encouraged Lucite to go back to the market. A statement from Lucite says: "We were clear at the time of the refinancing that, once Alpha was proven, we would examine the options of either IPO or sale at the end of 2008/2009. We are very pleased with the progress made on Alpha. The project remains on plan and the plant will be operational by the end of 2008.
     "The Board has therefore decided that the time is now right to appoint Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank to examine and advise on the strategic options for Lucite International."
     Plans to reconsider a sale of the company were revealed by chief executive Ian Lambert in April this year, with the intention of waiting until the Singapore Alpha plant has proved itself and the likelihood therefore that a sale or flotation would take place in 2009.
     Lucite International was originally ICI's acrylics business, and was bought by private equity firm Charterhouse Development Capital in co-operation with Ineos in 1999 for £505 million. It was initially branded Ineos Acrylics and then rebranded Lucite International in 2002. Charterhouse holds an 82·5 per cent stake, with Ineos retaining 11·5 per cent and the rest held by management and other investors.

September 7 2008 ft.com

Lucite sees offers of $2bn prior to plant opening

Lucite, the maker of acrylic products ranging from bus shelters to McDonald’s golden arches, has received two $2bn (£1.1bn)-plus takeover approaches from Japan and Saudi Arabia seeking to pre-empt next month’s opening of its $500m (£282m) plant in Singapore.

The Southampton-based company, owned since 1999 by UK private equity group Charterhouse Capital Partners, has opened its books to Japanese rival Mitsubishi Rayon and a Saudi consortium of rich investors and Saudi International Petrochemical Company, Sipchem.

Both potential bidders approached the company with an eye on next month’s opening of its new state-of-the-art factory in Singapore, which promises to supply 100,000 tonnes of acetate a year at much lower cost than existing technology.

Lucite, known for its eponymous bathroom fittings and Perspex signs and windows, has been developing the so-called Alpha technology in its Singapore factory for a decade. It can make acrylic using ethylene, carbon monoxide and methanol, which are about a third cheaper than traditional raw materials, such as acetone.

As higher oil and gas prices have eroded the profitability of the acrylic industry, the ability to cut costs sharply with a new technology is particularly attractive. Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch are advising Lucite.

Charterhouse had planned to wait until next year, once the Singapore factory had opened and proved the commercial attractiveness of its technology, before either listing Lucite on the stock market or selling it.

But Mitsubishi Rayon, which slashed its full-year profit outlook last month and blamed rising raw material costs, decided to pre-empt the arrival of cheaper production near its home market by approaching Lucite about a potential bid.

This prompted interest from Sipchem and the rest of the Saudi consortium, which is eager for a second Alpha factory to built in the Gulf kingdom.

Lucite, created by the 1993 merger of the acrylics businesses of Dupont and ICI, made revenues of £849m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £114m last year. It employs 2,000 staff in 10 countries.

Its products include coatings for mobile phones and the “tombstones” that investment bankers use to commemorate successful takeover deals.

The company, which has a 25 per cent share of the acrylic market, was acquired by Charterhouse for $960m from ICI nine years ago. It is the final investment left from the private equity group’s £300m Fund V, which it raised in 1993.

If completed, a sale would be second time lucky for Charterhouse, which hired Deutsche Bank to sell Lucite two years ago but pulled the auction after bids failed to match its $2.5bn asking price. Charterhouse could not be reached for comment.

2008/10/31 telegraph.co.uk

Mitsubishi Rayon close to £1bn deal to buy Lucite
Japanese chemical giant Mitsubishi Rayon close to acquiring British-based Lucite, maker of acrylic-based goods such as Perspex, for about £1bn.

The eponymous acrylic is well-known in City circles because it is used to make the tiny "tombstones" that sit on the desks of investment bankers and buyout executives to commemorate successful deals.

The board of Mitsubishi Rayon and secretive private equity firm Charterhouse Capital, which owns Lucite, have agreed to a deal in principle, according to sources. Both parties are aiming to announce the transaction formally next month.

However, the deal could still fall apart as Mitsubishi Rayon, which is being advised by Credit Suisse, has yet to sign the share purchase agreement for Lucite. This is because the Japanese company is waiting for Charterhouse's lenders to waive certain covenants on the company's debt to allow the deal to complete.

Sources said Lucite, which has been hit hard by a rising oil price, breached some banking covenants at the end of September and there is a perceived risk that the company could do so again over the next few months.

More than 50pc of lenders have to agree to waive covenants and they have until November 10 to provide consent.

Lucite, which employs 2,000 staff in 10 countries, was created in 1993 by the merger of the acrylics businesses of Dupont and ICI. The company was acquired by Charterhouse for $960m (£591m) from ICI nine years ago. It is now one of the world's largest producers of methacrylate monomers, the building block of acrylic materials, and has 25pc share of the global market. Its patented brands include Lucite, Perspex and Tufcoat.

Charterhouse hired Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank earlier this year to advise on a sale of the business. A Saudi consortium of investors and Saudi International Petrochemical Company Sipchem is also believed to have been interested in buying the company.

However, people familiar with the matter said Charterhouse will only get a nominal amount for its equity investment.

Lucite declined to comment. Mitsubishi Rayon could not be reached for comment.

日本経済新聞　2008/11/11

英化学大手　三菱レイヨンが買収へ
　1500億円　日本企業、Ｍ＆Ａ攻勢　液晶部材用 樹脂原料世界首位に

　化学大手の三菱レイヨンは英化学大手ルーサイト・インターナショナルを買収する。買収額は1500億円程度の見込み。ルーサイトは液晶や車の部品に使われるアクリル樹脂原料の世界最大手。同４位の三菱レイヨンは買収により、成長が見込める同分野で２位を大きく離す首位に躍り出る。米金融危機を背景に世界のM&A(合併・買収)が冷え込むなか、円高と世界的株安を生かして日本企業が海外企業を買収する動きが加速してきた。

　ルーサイトは株式を上場しておらず、英投資ファンドのチャーターハウスが株式の78%を保有している。三菱レイヨンは年内をメドにチャーターハウスの保有分をすべて買い取り、子会社にする計画。将来は英化学大手イネオスが保有する株式も取得し、100%子会社にすることも検討している。
　ルーサイトはアクリル樹脂の原料である「メタクリル酸メチルモノマー」の最大手。アクリル樹脂は液晶パネル部材や車用ランプ、建材など幅広い分野で使われ、需要が世界的に拡大している。三菱レイヨンは世界市場が年310万トンの同原料でシェア13%を握る４位企業。同22%のルーサイト買収によりシュアは35%に上昇。２位の米ローム・アンド・ハース(シェア15%)の２倍以上の事業規模を持つ首位メーカーになる。
　三菱レイヨンとルーサイトは同原料の相互供給で提携している。ルーサイトは2007年12月期の売上高が1300億円強で、最終損益は価格競争の影響などで70億円強の赤字だった。筆頭株主のチャーターハウスが保有株売却に動いたのを受け、買収を決めた。
　三菱レイヨンは衣料用のアクリル繊維やアクリル樹脂を核とする化学メーカー。０８年３月期の純利益はアクリル繊維の需要低迷などで前年同期比54%減の142億円に落ち込んだ。円高進行の機会をとらえ、大型買収により成長が見込めるアクリル樹脂事業を強化する。同社の手元資金は９月末現在で188億円で、買収資金は銀行借り入れなどで手当てするとみられる。
　M&A助言のレコフによると今年１−１０月の日本企業による海外企業のM&Aは総額6兆6678億円と前年同期の3.7倍に急増した。少子化で国内市場が成熟し、日本企業は海外に成長機会を求めている。金融危機を背景に円高と株安が進んだことで、財務体質が健全な日本企業の「買収余力」は高まっており、今後も「内ー外」型のM&Aが広がりそうだ。

2008/11/11　三菱レイヨン

ルーサイト社(英国)の買収について

　三菱レイヨン株式会社は、本日開催の取締役会において、世界最大手のMMA〈メタクリル酸メチル)メーカー、Lucite International Group Limited(本社:英国)の発行済み株式の全てを取得し、連結子会社化するための株式売買契約を締結することを決議しましたので、以下の通りお知らせいたします。


1.背景及び概要
当社は2008年度スタートの第6次中期経営計画において、コア事業であるアクリル系(MMA系、AN系)事業の拡大を重要課題に位置づけております。MMA系事業においては、既存の生産拠点である日本・中国・タイに加えて、韓国・タイでモノマー及びポリマー工場の新増設に着手し、アジアでのリーディング企業の地位の更なる強化を図るとともに、「規模、収益で世界No.1」を目標として、諸施策に取り組んでまいりました。
　当社がコア事業と位置づけるMMAは、透明性・耐候性・モノマーリサイクルが可能な環境対応性等の優れた特性を持ち、IT向け・自動車向けなど用途が拡大しております。今後においても更なる用途拡大が見込まれており、新興国の経済成長に合わせた需要の増大も期待されています。
　この度、当社とルーサイト社の筆頭株主であるFunds managed by Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP は、当社がルーサイト社の発行済み株式の全てを現金にて取得し買収することで合意に至りました。なお本件買収は、ルーサイト社取締役会の賛同を得ている友好的なものであり、ルーサイト社よりもプレスリリースが実施されます。
　ルーサイト社は、1937年に世界で最初にACH法によるモノマー生産を工業化した英国ICI社(Imperial Chemical Industries PLC)のMMA事業と、米国DuPont社の同事業を受け継ぐ専業メーカーであり、MMAモノマー製造に強みを持つリーディングカンパニーです。また同社はMMAモノマーの画期的な新製法である新エチレン法(アルファ法)を開発し、この新技術を用いたシンガポール新プラントの商業生産を、2008年度中に開始いたします。
　本件買収により、当社は世界のMMA市場におけるリーディング企業に躍進し、中期経営計画の重要課題であるコア事業拡大の第一歩を刻むことになります。また、本件買収後の合算売上高は約6,000億円となり、中期経営計画の基本方針である「１兆円企業を目指す」上で、大きな躍進となります。

2. 本件買収の目的
�@MMA市場におけるリーディング企業の実現
　両社合わせたMMAの生産能力は、グローバル市場におけるリーディング企業の地位を実現します。また成長著しいアジアでの地位をより一層強固なものとします。

�A米欧アジアでのバランスの取れた三極生産体制を確立
　当社のアジアでの生産拠点に併せて、ルーサイト社の米欧の生産拠点を獲得することにより、世界三極生産体制を実現します。これにより、米欧アジアで強固な顧客基盤を確保するとともに、東欧、ロシア、南米など成長の期待される新興市場への展開を加速することが可能になります。

�BMMA製造技術の拡幅(新エチレン法の獲得)
　直酸法(C4法)のパイオニアである当社と、ACH法及び新エチレン法(アルファ法)のパイオニアであるルーサイト社がそれぞれ保有する、世界最高レベルの技術力を戦路的に融合し、強化拡幅することが可能になります。
　また、MMAの主要3製法を保有する業界唯一のMMAメーカーとなり、足下に見られるような原料調達環境の厳しい変化にも柔軟に対応することが可能となり、顧客貢献の更なる向上が図れます。さらに両社の技術陣が培ってきた研究開発力と製造技術力を融合することにより、新規技術開発のスピード、コスト競争力等の一層の強化が可能となり、顧客の皆様の利益を図りつつ事業の成長に繋げられるものと確信しています。

�C買収シナジーの発現
　両社製品の相互融通による物流コスト削減、共同購入による調達効率の向上、営業拠点合理化等のコスト合理化効果も見込まれます。グローバルなビジネスに精通したルーサイト社経営陣や従業員、米欧アジアの拠点機能等を有効に活用し、研究開発から生産、販売、事業経営にいたる幅広い分野でノウハウ共有とシナジーの早期発現を図ります。また将来の新興市場への展開等での更なるシナジーを求めて、戦路的事業パートナーの参画も募る予定です。

3. 買収の概要
○対象会社　Lucite International Group Limited
〇株式譲渡元　Funds managed by Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP
　　　　　　　　　 Ineos Investors、ルーサイト社の取締役,その他全株主
○買収費用総額(予定)　16億USドル(既存外部借入金の引受けを含む)
○フイナンシャル・アドバイザー　クレデイ・スイス証券株会社、三菱UFJ証券株式会社
○資金調達　株式会社三菱東京UFJ銀行による融資
○スケジュール　2008年11月11日　株式売買契約締結、
　　　　　　　　 　 関係当局認可を経て、2009年1月本件買収完了予定

○事業パートナー　当社がマジョリティー保有の下、戦路的事業パートナーの参画を募る予定。
　　　　　　　　　　 　出資比率、出資タイミング等は調整中

4.当社保有のルーサイト社株式数の異動予定
　　　買収前保有割合　　0%
　　　買収後保有割合　100%[9,556千株］

5.今後の見通し
　　本件買収が成立した場合の当社連結業績への影響については、後日改めてお知らせいたします。


ルーサイト社の概要
商号:Lucite International Group Limited
代表者:Ian R Lambert (CEO:Lucite International Ltd)
本店所在地:英国サウザンプトン
主な事業の内容:MMAモノマー製造、MMAモノマーを使用したポリマー・樹脂製品等の製造
　　　　　　　　　　MMAモノマーでは世界シェアトップ
決算期:12月
従業員数：1,984名(2007年12月末時点)
株主構成および所有割合：

最近事業年度における業績動向:Lucite International Group Holdings　(単位:百万英ポンド)

※Total operating profit before exceptional expenses

参考 為替レート〔米ドル/英ポンド]

2008/11/11 Lucite

Mitsubishi Rayon to Acquire Lucite International for $1.6 billion

The Board of Lucite International Group Limited ("Lucite" or the "Company"), has announced that the Company is to be acquired by Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. ("Mitsubishi Rayon") for a total cash consideration of approximately $1.6 billion. The acquisition, which is subject to approval by the relevant regulatory authorities, is expected to be completed by the end of January 2009.

Lucite is the world's leading manufacturer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and owner of the globally renowned LuciteTM and Perspex brandsTM. The Company was formed from an amalgamation of the acrylics businesses of ICI and DuPont in 1993 and has been majority owned by the private equity investor, Charterhouse Capital Partners LLP, since 1999. Lucite owns the new low cost and proprietary MMA production route, known as Alpha technology. The Company has invested in the development of this new technology, which fundamentally changes the economics of MMA manufacturing, and the first Alpha plant has begun to manufacture MMA in Singapore in the last few days and will be fully operational by the end of this year.

The acquisition will make Mitsubishi Rayon the global leader in this market and confirms its position as the leading acrylics manufacturer in the fast growing Asian markets. The acquisition will lift Mitsubishi Rayon’s annual sales to approximately ¥600 billion, putting it well on the way towards achieving its target of ¥1 trillion annual sales. In the year ended 31 December 2007, Lucite generated revenues of £849 million and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £114 million.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Ian Lambert, Chief Executive of Lucite, said:
"The Board of Lucite International welcomes the acquisition of the Group by Mitsubishi Rayon today. We believe the new combined enterprise will create an opportunity for significant cross learning, productivity and efficiency gains that will benefit our customers and stakeholders. We look forward to working with Mitsubishi Rayon to realise the full potential from the combination of our two companies.

"We would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the support of Charterhouse Capital Partners who have enabled the group to sustain the highest standards of safe operation and to grow by, for example, investing in new facilities in China and the development of our revolutionary Alpha technology including the latest investment in Singapore.

Masanao Kambara, President of Mitsubishi Rayon, added:
"The acquisition of Lucite will give us an unprecedented range of production technologies in the industry, enabling us to adapt more flexibly to raw material trends and better serve our customers. In addition, the two companies’ proprietary technological expertise is also expected to lead to improved cost efficiency, bearing fruit in the form of further growth in the enlarged group’s revenues and earnings. We are delighted to have concluded our agreement with the Board of Lucite and welcome them to the Mitsubishi Rayon group."

Lucite was advised by Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch and Mitsubishi Rayon by Credit Suisse Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities.

Note to editors: About Lucite International Lucite International is the world leader in methacrylate materials and produces a range of high quality products comprising monomers, acrylic sheet, polymers and resins, marketed under their famous brand names including Lucite® and Perspex®. Customers convert these into a diverse range of consumer, architectural, high tech and medical products.

The Company has an annual turnover in excess of US$1.5billion and employs a workforce of over 2100 people serving customers in over 100 countries worldwide.

Lucite International strives for the highest standards in the operation of the business and places the highest priority on Safety, Health and Environmental performance with excellent results.

For more information about any of the points raised in the press release please contact:

2008/11/11　Lucite　

Lucite International’s Alpha Technology Starts Production Ahead of Schedule

The Board of Lucite International Group Limited is delighted to announce that the world's first Alpha plant has begun producing methyl methacrylate (MMA).

The new 120,000 plant is located on Jurong Island in Singapore and will supply customers in Asia, where demand for MMA has grown most rapidly. Alpha technology offers 40% savings over existing technologies in both construction and production and has the potential to revolutionise the cost base of the MMA industry.

The process uses readily available commodity chemicals ethylene, carbon monoxide and methanol as raw materials instead of conventional materials such as hydrocyanic acid and isobutylene. The fact these are so readily available means that future Alpha plants can be sited anywhere in the world and are not subject to the scale limitations which impact the existing MMA processes.

Commenting on today's announcement, Ian Lambert, Chief Executive of Lucite, said:

"We've been developing this revolutionary technology for over a decade. Today's announcement is an exciting milestone and we are very excited about the opportunities Alpha presents for the future of our business. The combination of low-cost feedstock, increased scale, lower unit capital costs and much higher conversion rates than existing processes, means that an immediate step change in cost performance will be achieved by our plant in Singapore, which will be the lowest cost MMA plant in the world when it achieves full production later this year."

Lucite International's second Alpha plant, which is already in an advanced stage of planning, will be designed with a 250,000 tes capacity.

2008-10-31　Evonik

Evonik to Expand PLEXIGLAS® Business in Russia
　- Joint Venture DESTEK Ltd. to Increase Extrusion Capacity in 2009

As part of its strategy to develop the PLEXIGLAS® business within the Russian Federation (RF), Evonik Industries and its Russian Joint Venture DESTEK Ltd. have decided to nearly triple the existing extrusion capacity at the companies’ Podolsk production facility. DESTEK is operating currently at capacity and the launch of a second extrusion line will give customers better access to locally manufactured, high-quality PLEXIGLAS® extruded sheets. The capacity expansion will support the business strategy to expand the leadership in quality and to become No. 1 locally in capacity.

For cast acrylic sheets customers, DESTEK is establishing a local inventory of PLEXIGLAS® cast sheets manufactured at other sites in Evonik’s global production network. The material is available at the Podolsk production facility to meet increasingly strict quality requirements in cast sheets and to reduce lead times.

DESTEK began operating in Russia in 2003. With this announced expansion activities, the company is underlining the importance of its presence in Russia and its faith in the stability and growth potential of the local market.

Company information

Evonik Industries is the creative industrial group from Germany which operates in three business areas: Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate. Evonik is a global leader in specialty chemicals, an expert in power generation from hard coal and renewable energies, and one of the largest private residential real estate companies in Germany. Our strengths are creativity, specialization, continuous self-renewal, and reliability. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In its fiscal year 2007 about 43,000 employees generated sales of about ?14.4 billion and an operating profit (EBITDA) of more than ?2.2 billion.

2008/9/29 Evonik

A Quantum Leap in MMA Technology: Evonik Industries Develops a New Manufacturing Process for Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) with AVENEER 　　大躍進

Under the name AVENEER, Evonik Industries has developed a new, pioneering manufacturing process for methyl methacrylate (MMA). The creative industrial company thus provides an answer to the question of how future methyl methacrylate monomers and polymers can remain competitive. “AVENEER represents a quantum leap in MMA technology. With this process, we are further expanding our position as an innovative trendsetter in methyl methacrylate chemistry. We can thereby ensure supplies for our customers in this high-demand market,” stated Gregor Hetzke, head of the Performance Polymers Business Unit, during a press talk at the EPCA 2008 in Monte Carlo. In addition to the site currently under construction in Shanghai with significantly further developed C4 MMA technology, a significant technology advance could also be achieved now in the classic ACH sulfur process.

Thanks to significantly improved efficiency in the use of “raw materials and energy” with regard to all established MMA processes, Evonik views itself as a future cost leader with the new process in this field. Like the traditional ACH sulfur process, AVENEER is based on the starting materials ammonia, methane, acetone and methanol - without the additional use of sulfuric acid. The omission of the reprocessing of sulfuric acid, which has now become unnecessary, both saves costs and conserves resources. “We use fewer raw materials for manufacturing, and can thus offer our customers the security of continuing to drive competitive MMA prices in the future,” explains Hetzke.

In addition, the new technology is distinguished by its regional and technological flexibility: On the one hand, it can be conducted in general at typical chemical plants around the world; on the other, it allows existing Evonik plants to be reequipped.

“This option presents interesting strategic possibilities to us with the opening of our first world scale plant,” adds Hetzke. Evonik has already proven the feasibility of the new process in test production. In addition to further optimizations, the planning of the first large-scale technical plant will begin in the next few months. It could be commissioned in 2012, according to the current state of planning.