Market Data

Some 78% of Americans have a strong view of the significance of manufacturing, seeing it as very important to the country's economic prosperity, while 76%, indicate that manufacturing is very important to the standard of living in the U.S. Contrast that with the fact that 55% think the long-term outlook for American manufacturing will be weaker moving forward, with only 30% of respondents saying they would encourage their children to pursue a manufacturing career.

Based in California's Bay area, custom molder Jatco Incorporated has already gone international with a plant in GuangDong, China, and now it's going national with a new molding-centric facility that will open in South Carolina during the first quarter of 2011.

Ahead of labor, materials, and energy costs, a new report states that access to talented workers capable of supporting innovation are the key factor driving global competitiveness at manufacturing companies. The 2010 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index, a research report from Deloitte's Global Manufacturing Industry group and the U.S.

After a week of disappointing economic indicators, including sobering home sales and durable goods reports, as well as a downward revision to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, the American Chemistry Council's Economics and Statistics Group's running tab of positive indicators slipped by one to 12 out of 20. The ACC continues to fly a yellow-green banner to signal continued caution.

The first plant in China to manufacture polypropylene (PP) from coal-generated olefins will utilize Dow's Unipol gas-phase process. The China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Baotou Coal Chemical Co.'s Shenhua Baotou Coal Chemicals business started up the 300,000-tons/yr PP facility in early August. Located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the plant uses gasification technology to convert coal into a synthesis gas or syngas. That syngas is used to produce methanol, which is transformed into PP building blocks, olefins.

JM Eagle, the world’s leading manufacturers of plastic pipe used in infrastructure projects globally, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Contech Construction Products that allows end users across the country access to Eagle Corr PE™. This partnership ties directly into JM Eagle’s strategic mix of customers and enhances its nationwide footprint for this line of products.

Overview: The spot resin market was noticeably slower this past week as transacted volumes dropped after several weeks of heightened activity, according to spot-trading platform, The Plastics Exchange (TPE). Most grades of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) again saw stable prices, although film-grade PE continues to climb amid tight supplies. Overall resin demand remained strong, but buyers seemed unwilling to chase higher-priced offers.

According to the quarterly SupplierBusiness Confidence Index released on Aug. 23, suppliers to the automotive industry continue to be concerned about the long-term strength of the recovery and its stability, in spite of industry growth. Overall though, positive trends remain in place among suppliers, with all four elements of the index—New Orders, Production Volumes, Inventory levels and Employment—scoring over 50, suggesting they are in an upward trend.

Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd. (Chicago) has acquired consumer and foodservice packaging manufacturer Pactiv Corp. (Lake Forest, IL) for $6 billion in a deal that pays Pactiv shareholders $33.25/share. That price was 39% higher than Pactiv's close of $23.97 on May 14, before talks were disclosed, according to The New Zealand Herald.