World News and Views: Europe

• Vinyls Italia Issues New Invitation for Acquisition Bids
  The government-appointed commissars at Vinyls Italia (Porto Marghera, Italy), the troubled producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), currently in special...
• VCI Lifts Forecast for Chemicals Output in Germany
  The upgrade follows a strong performance in the second quarter....
• H.C. Starck Sells Its Conductive Polymers Business
   Precious metals firm Heraeus (Hanau, Germany) has agreed to buy the global conductive polymers business of H.C. Starck (Goslar, Germany). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed...
• A. Schulman to Relocate Masterbatches Capacity from U.K. to Belgium and France
  A. Schulman says it will close permanently about 10,000 m.t./year of masterbatches capacity at Crumlin, U.K. and transfer production to the company's sites at Bornem, Belgium and Givet, France...
• Sherwin-Williams Completes Purchase of Swedish Industrial Wood Coatings Producer
   Sherwin-Williams (SW) has completed its previously announced acquisition of Becker Acroma (Stockholm) from Wilh. Becker (Stockholm) for SK1.7 billion ($227 million). Becker Acroma...
• La Seda More than Doubles Ebitda as PET Capacity Utilization Nears 100%
  La Seda de Barcelona (El Prat de Llobregat, Spain) reported a 123% increase in consolidated Ebitda to €30.3 million ($38.8 million) in the first six months of this year. Consolidated...
• Solvay Hikes Fluoroelastomers Capacity in Italy
  Solvay says its Solvay Solexis unit will invest €10 million ($12.8 million) to expand capacity for its peroxide curable (PC) fluoroelastomers at Spinetta Marengo, Italy to meet growing...
• Givaudan Plans Flavors Plant In Hungary, Closes U.K. Site
  Givaudan says it will invest SF170 million ($165.4 million) to build a savory flavors production facility at Mako, Hungary in order to supply the “fast growing” markets of Eastern...
• BASF Applies for Approval for Amadea, Another Starch Potato
  BASF yesterday celebrated the harvesting of its genetically modified Amflora starch potato at Zepkow in the Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania region of Germany in the presence of Rainer...
• Gaining Local Perspectives on a Global Business
  A recent survey featuring 1,300 companies conducted jointly by Accenture and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has reveals that chemical firms will have to be more deliberate if they are to meet the varied expectations of customers across regions. The survey also found that building operational excellence that enables customers to deliver the basics of product performance, quality and supply reliability is key to customer’s success....