HOUSTON — April 2, 2019 — Ascend Performance Materials announced today that its wildlife sanctuary maintained at the company’s Pensacola site has received the Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation Certification.

The Ascend Pensacola Plant Wildlife Sanctuary, first certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council in 1994, comprises 2,000 acres, 1,300 of which are primarily “undisturbed” land managed by employee volunteers.

“One of Ascend’s values is ‘we care,’ which means not only caring about our fellow employees but also caring about the communities we operate in and our environment,” said Sharhonda Owens, senior quality specialist for Ascend’s Pensacola site and Wildlife Sanctuary coordinator. “We’ve been in the Pensacola community for more than 50 years and we feel a strong sense of responsibility to leave things better today and tomorrow than when we came. Preserving the land and wildlife on it is personal for us.”

Volunteers manage the land with bluebird nest box monitoring, bat boxes, wildflower and pollinator beds, gopher tortoise nest monitoring, a white-tailed deer management program and a number of other conservation projects.

“The Ascend Pensacola Plant Wildlife Sanctuary is recognized as meeting the strict requirements of WHC Conservation Certification,” said Margaret O’Gorman, president of WHC. “Companies achieving WHC Conservation Certification, like Ascend Performance Materials, are environmental leaders, voluntarily managing their lands to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them.”

Ascend will be recognized at the 2019 WHC Conservation Conference in November and eligible for a WHC award.

Posted April 3, 2019

Source: Ascend Performance Materials

BANGKOK — April 3, 2019 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global chemical producer, announced that it has completed the share purchase of 83,000,000 newly issued shares in Indo Rama Synthetics (India) Ltd. (IRSL), equaling to approximately 31.79 percent of IRSL’s enlarged share capital at the price of INR 36 per share. IRSL is a fiber manufacturing facility located in Nagpur, Maharashtra state, India. This facility has a combined capacity of 605,000 tonnes/annum, consisting of polyester chips, fibers and filament yarns.

IRSL is a strong strategic fit with IVL’s Fiber strategy in home and apparel, where the company focuses on building a low-cost position in Asian operations and leveraging innovation in high-margin growth markets. This strategic investment provides IVL entry into a large domestic market where local presence gives duty and logistic benefits.

IVL has already invested in India over three years in the PET business. India is the second largest polyester market in the world after China with consumption growing at about 7.0 percent per annum, with a population of 1.2 billion. India’s per capita consumption of polyester is about 3 kg, compared to 14 kg in China. This low level per capita consumption is expected to increase along with the rise in India’s per capita GDP, which will provide affluence-related consumption and opportunities for growing into more functional and High Value-added (HVA) products. IVL is in a strong position to benefit from this evolving trend, backed by its strong R&D capabilities.

The textile industry contributes 15 percent of India’s exports and employs 4 percent of the population and therefore has an important part in India’s industrial policy.

Aloke Lohia, group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said: “This strategic investment is another step in executing our strategies to position IVL for sustainable growth. India has been on our radar for some time. It is the only large domestic market for fibers where we are not present. The market for fiber in India is expected to grow exponentially and is still largely untapped.

India is the largest textile market and IRSL has a key position. The strategic investment is expected to grow shareholder returns. This market has a large, untapped potential that will be highly lucrative as it expands.

As a company listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, we put the circular economy and sustainability as a priority. We will bring our knowledge and expertise of recycling to play a role in the creation of awareness and practices thus protect the environment and society.”

Posted April 3, 2019

Source: Indorama Ventures (IVL)

VIENNA, Austria — April 3, 2019 — More than 100 international speakers from industry and research will present the latest innovations of the fiber and textile industry at the Dornbirn-Global Fiber Congress (GFC) 2019 from September 11-13, 2019. As generator of ideas and networks, the 58th Dornbirn-GFC would especially like to offer the platform to young companies by organizing a Startup Event in cooperation with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a worldwide leading and internationally operating auditor and consulting firm. As the world’s biggest Fiber Innovation Congress, the Dornbirn-GFC has been an inherent part in the calendar of approximately 700 participants of more than 35 nations.

DORNBIRN-GFC as Generator of Ideas and Networks

Last year, more than 700 international participants — 70 percent from Europe and 30 percent from Asia and America — utilized the Fiber Innovation Congress in Dornbirn as networking platform and 50 new companies were welcomed to the congress.

The crème de la crème of the fiber industry as well as international global players of the entire value chain will be present at the 58th Dornbirn-GFC. This year, the congress is entirely dedicated to the topics of sustainability and digitalization. Thus, the top-class lead sponsor Lenzing Group, Indorama Ventures and Märkische Faser as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks will be expected as important partners.

More than 100 expert lectures concentrate on the following key themes:

• Fiber innovations;
• Circular economy and recycling;
• Digitalization and smart textiles;
• Surface modification and additives;
• Sports and leisure wear; and
• Nonwovens and technical textiles.

A few Highlights of this Year’s Congress:

• A CEO panel and a panel discussion on digitalization will accompany the expert lectures of more than 100 international speakers.
• Austrian’s federal minister of Digital and Economic Affairs as well as high-level industry leaders of Lenzing, Indorama Ventures, Oerlikon, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, PwC and others are looking forward to a highly interesting discussion.
• In cooperation with PwC, 50 “Startups” will be invited and given the opportunity to present their business models in Dornbirn.

Because of success, the “Young Scientist Forum” will also be held for the fourth time. The workshop will take place on September 10, 2019, under the leadership of the industrial consultancy SYNGROUP. The purpose, inter alia, is to enhance and enable a network amongst young scientists.

Because of the vast interest from industry and trade and the strong support of the EU Commission “Circular Economy” is a focal point this year again.

International Cooperations

In recent years, various cooperations have been initiated in order to support and promote the Dornbirn-GFC. These efforts will be extended in 2019.

Techtextil – May 17, 2019, Frankfurt, Germany

The Dornbirn-GFC organizes a symposium on “Sustainable Fiber Innovations and Applications” at the Messe Frankfurt’s Techtextil Forum on May 17, 2019.

Take part in the Techtextil Forum on May 17, 2019 (Hall 4.1/J39) or get more information at the Techtextil fair booth (Hall 4.2/C27).

More information on the programme can be found on www.dornbirn-gfc.com/news.

EDANA

EDANA, an international association of nonwovens manufacturers, supports the Dornbirn-GFC very constructively through the organization of highly qualitative lectures from the nonwovens industry as well as enabling the participation of young scientists of the industry in the “Young Scientist Forum“.

TAPPI

TAPPI, which is a big U.S.-based “Learning & Networking” organization for the industry is cooperating with Dornbirn-GFC in the promotion of the congress.

Sponsors as the Key Elements of the Success of Dornbirn-GFC

Particular emphasis should be placed on the economic region Land Vorarlberg and “the smart city” Dornbirn which have tremendously supported the congress since its foundation.

Lenzing AG, the associations CIRFS (European Fiber Association) and IVC (German Fiber Association) are the initiators of this annual congress.

Lenzing AG, an innovative cellulose fiber producer — this impressive company with high innovative power will be represented as the lead sponsor of the congress.

It is especially delightful to have gained PwC as an important partner for the Dornbirn-GFC 2019.

The renowned sponsors of last year’s congress as well as several new sponsors will contribute to the success of the event in 2019:

• AVANTEX/Messe Frankfurt France (FRA);
• Techtextil/Messe Frankfurt (GER);
• CHT Beitlich (GER);
• CIRFS (BEL);
• Dralon (GER);
• Ecoplus. Niederösterreichs Wirtschaftsagentur GmbH (AUT);
• EDANA (BEL);
• Gherzi Textil Organisation (SUI);
• Glanzstoff Industries/Indorama (AUT);
• Groz Beckert (GER);
• IFG Asota (AUT);
• IKV Innovative Kunststoffveredlung (GER);
• Kunstuniversität Linz (AUT);
• Land Vorarlberg (AUT);
• Lenzing AG (AUT);
• Märkische Faser (GER);
• Microsoft (AUT);
• Oerlikon Manmade Fibers (GER);
• Perlon Nextrusion Monofil (GER);
• PricewaterhouseCoupers PwC (AUT);
• PHP Fibers/Indorama (GER);
• Saurer AG (SUI);
• Stadt Dornbirn (AUT);
• SYNGROUP (AUT);
• WISTO – Wirtschaftsstandort Vorarlberg GmbH (AUT); and
• WKO Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg (AUT).

Dornbirn-GFC App

Improving the flow of communication and information throughout the congress is the main purpose of the app. It enables participants to familiarize themselves with speakers, participants and exhibitors as well as to arrange personal meetings prior to the congress. In 2018, the app was utilized by more than 50 percent of the participants. In 2019, an expansion of its functions is planned.

Networking Event on the Last Day

In 2018 for the first time, a networking event took place as closing of the Dornbirn-GFC on the last conference day. More than 100 congress participants enjoyed the Dornbirn-GFC closing party in a cozy atmosphere. The charming event enhanced the participants’ networking once again. A similarly special networking event will be organized again this year.

Dornbirn-GFC on Social Media

Updated information about the Dornbirn-GFC can be found on:

• LinkedIn/Dornbirn-GFC
• Facebook/Dornbirn-GFC
• Instagram/@dornbirn-gfc.

In order to enlarge the “Dornbirn-GFC Innovation Community” every day, sharing of our postings within your contacts would be highly appreciated.

Posted April 3, 2019

Source: DORNBIRN GLOBAL FIBER CONGRESS (Dornbirn-GFC)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – March 25, 2019 — Braskem — the largest thermoplastics polyolefins producer in the Americas, and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world — today announced a new U.S. distribution partnership for Braskem’s growing U.S. polypropylene (PP) business with PolyQuest Inc., a North America-based polymer resin distributor and recycler. As a distributor of polypropylene, and the largest distributor of PET in the U.S., PolyQuest has long-standing relationships with customers in the sheet, film, textiles, strapping and BCF markets.

Mark Nikolich, Braskem America CEO, commented, “We’re pleased to be partnering with PolyQuest to expand our reach and presence with new clients and sectors, accelerating our market share growth, as well as supporting our position as the largest producer of polypropylene in the Americas. Just as importantly, PolyQuest shares a focus on advancing the future of the circular economy through a commitment to sustainable development. We look forward to leveraging our expertise in polypropylene recycling and closed-loop technologies with PolyQuest’s established U.S. recycling facilities. Our leverage across these activities will only grow in importance as Braskem remains on track to launch Delta, our new U.S. 450 kiloton polypropylene production line in early 2020.”

Tod Durst, PolyQuest executive vice president, commented: “There is no better partner for PolyQuest in the polypropylene market than Braskem and we look forward to expanding our relationship responsibly and rapidly. The expansion of our resin offerings in the U.S. to include polypropylene was a logical one for us as it further enhances our position as a value-added supplier to an important and growing segment of the industry. We’re delighted that the partnership occurred organically through one of our joint strategic packaging clients.”

With an increased focus from both producers, converters and brand-owners towards a sustainable and recyclable raw material, PolyQuest aims to provide a solution for post-consumer polypropylene products in the marketplace through its recycling facilities in New York and South Carolina. PolyQuest’s goal is to introduce several post consumer polypropylene recycled capabilities to customers in 2019.

Braskem has committed up to $675 million towards the design and construction of its new PP production line named Delta which is being constructed next to Braskem’s existing production facilities in La Porte, Texas. With main construction ongoing, Delta is targeted for initial production in early 2020. The new plant will have a production capacity of 450 kilotons (kt), or the equivalent of approximately 1 billion pounds, per year.

The new Delta line will represent additional production capacity of homopolymers, random copolymers, impact copolymers, and reactor TPOs, building upon Braskem’s current polypropylene production plant in La Porte which has a production capacity of 354 kt annually and will continue operations. Braskem also maintains a UTEC ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) production plant located at the same La Porte site.

The construction of Braskem’s new Delta production line is positively impacting economic activity in the La Porte region, employing approximately 1,000 development and construction workers to fully construct the facility. The Delta production line design is being developed directly in-line with Braskem’s commitment to sustainability and attention to eco-indicators such as emissions, water, and energy efficiency, as well as recycling and waste reduction.

Posted April 3, 2019

Source: Braskem North America