CHANDLER, Ariz.  — July 9, 2018 — Rogers Corp., a producer of engineered material solutions, has announced the acquisition of Griswold LLC, a manufacturer of custom-engineered cellular elastomer and high-performance polyurethane. Griswold’s products and solutions serve a variety of applications in the general industrial, electronics, automotive and consumer markets. Griswold’s custom-engineered cellular elastomer expands the product portfolio of Rogers’ Elastomeric Material Solutions (EMS) segment, while Griswold’s high-performance polyurethane products increase Rogers’ existing EMS capabilities.

“Griswold LLC is an outstanding strategic fit with Rogers’ Elastomeric Material Solutions business. This acquisition demonstrates continued execution on synergistic M&A, a core element of our strategy,” said Bruce Hoechner, Rogers’ president and CEO. “Like our recent DeWAL and Diversified Silicone Products acquisitions, the Griswold acquisition builds on our existing EMS platform of highly engineered materials and adds new products and capabilities to our EMS portfolio. We are excited Griswold is now a part of Rogers Corporation, and our focus has turned to a successful integration in the months ahead.”

The transaction closed Friday July 6, 2018. Terms were not disclosed. Rogers’ expects the transaction to be accretive to 2019 earnings per share. Trailing twelve month revenues for Griswold were nearly $30 million, and Rogers plans for Griswold’s profitability to be comparable to EMS’ current product lines in 2020 and beyond.

Rogers delivers Power Electronics Solutions for energy-efficient motor drives, e-Mobility and renewable energy; Elastomeric Material Solutions for sealing, vibration management and impact protection in mobile devices, transportation interiors, industrial equipment and performance apparel; and Advanced Connectivity Solutions for wireless infrastructure, automotive safety and radar systems.

Posted July 9, 2018

Source: Rogers Corp.

MASON, Ohio — July 9, 2018 Through its membership in 1% for the Planet, Downlite has donated 1% of  fiscal year sales of its re/charged™ down, a GRS certified 100% recycled performance down supplied to outerwear and sleeping bag manufacturers, and Downlite direct-to-consumer e-commerce bedding products to The Conservation Alliance.

Downlite’s partnership with The Conservation Alliance will help support the group’s efforts to fund conservation organizations working to protect North America’s last wild spaces. Downlite will play a key role in the distribution of Conservation Alliance grant funds, and have the opportunity to nominate two projects and cast one ballot for each bi-annual grant funding cycle.

“Support for our public lands, which so many of us take such pleasure from, has never been more important,” said Josh Werthaiser, Downlite CEO. “We are proud to join The Conservation Alliance and look forward to being an integral member for years to come.”

“We welcome Downlite into Conservation Alliance with much enthusiasm” said John Sterling, executive director of The Conservation Alliance. “Downlite is the industry leader and setting the bar high with their commitment to conservation and protecting the places we love to play. We look forward to a long term partnership!”

Joining The Conservation Alliance aligns with Downlite’s commitment to continually improving its efforts around sustainability, recycling, and social good stewardship. In 2017, Downlite joined 1% for the Planet with the intention of making a financial contribution to environmental concerns. Additional corporate sustainably initiatives include the installation of a water recycling and treatment facility in its Down & Feather processing plant, which saves nearly 40 million gallons of water annually; and the launch of its new planetWISE™ bedding and packaging that focuses on using recycled and sustainable materials.

“When nonprofits and businesses come together the planet wins,” Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet. “All over the planet, nonprofits are doing essential work on behalf of the environment, many times their biggest challenge finding the funding to accomplish their goals. At 1% for the Planet we are proud to connect to dollars with doers to protect our planet for future generations to come.”.

Posted July 9, 2018

Source: Downlite

WILMINGTON, Del. — July 9, 2018 — Dr. Michael Saltzberg, the global business director for Biomaterials, will take the stage July 17 at the 2018 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. Saltzberg is set to speak to the future of biomaterials — including DuPont’s latest investments in new research and development.

Two other leaders will address the BIO crowds in Philadelphia. Todd Sutton, president of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, will touch on sustainable and performance-based bioplastics and how his company is addressing the challenges of bringing new biobased materials to market. Vincent Sewalt, senior director of Product Stewardship & Regulatory, will appear on a panel addressing microbial enzymes in food and feed ingredients.

Saltzberg will be chairing the session entitled “The Sleeping Giant Awakens: 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid” including giving a talk that will look toward the coming impact of bioplastics on the materials and packaging industries. Earlier this year, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) opened the world’s first biobased furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) pilot production facility. Combining their respective expertise in chemistry, biomaterials and agricultural value chains, DuPont and ADM developed an innovative and efficient process for turning fructose from cornstarch into FDME, which can be used to create a variety of biobased chemicals and materials that are ultimately more cost-effective, efficient and sustainable than their fossil fuel-based counterparts.

“Our newly-opened plant is the centerpiece of a long-standing partnership that will help bring a greater variety of higher performance, sustainably sourced biomaterials into the lives of consumers,” said Saltzberg. “We are especially excited about what this means for new biobased plastic packaging materials.” Saltzberg will update audiences at BIO on the status of commercialization of FDME, as well as progress made at DuPont on producing high-quality materials such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polytrimethylene furanoate (PTF) for packaging applications from FDME.

This year’s BIO World Congress takes place in Philadelphia – a stone’s throw from DuPont’s headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, where the company has been located since its founding in 1802. Just last month, DuPont’s Industrial Biosciences (IB) business officially opened the doors of its renovated global business headquarters at the Wilmington location. This new center of technological innovation, known as Building E353, is part of DuPont’s Experimental Station, the source of numerous industry-altering technologies over the decades, from nylon to DuPont™ Kevlar® to Tyvek®  to IB’s own renewably sourced Sorona®.

DuPont Sorona polymer contains 37 percent annually renewable plant-based ingredients by weight. It is used primarily in high-performance fiber applications, including textiles for apparel and home, office and automotive interiors, residential and commercial carpeting and automotive mats. One critical component of the renewably sourced material is Bio-PDO™, made by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle through a fermentation process from corn sugar. As president of the joint venture, Todd Sutton oversees the production of this ingredient, as well as other biobased performance brands Susterra® and Zemea® propanediol.

“Our products provide customers across a wide variety of markets and applications with a competitive advantage by offering improved, higher-performing ingredients from a petroleum-free, sustainable and renewable source,” said Sutton, who will chair the session entitled “Sustainable and Performance Based Bioplastics and Biopolymers” as well as highlight key commercial examples of successful innovations in biomaterials during his presentation.

Vincent Sewalt will showcase the diversity of applications for DuPont enzymes on a food-focused panel: “GRAS Conclusions: An Uncompromising Approach to Facilitate Market Access for Safe Food Ingredients from Industrial Biotechnology.” Sewalt has spent the last 10 years at DuPont leading programs in regulatory and safety of industrial biotechnology products used in food, feed and other industrial applications.

“I’m looking forward to providing insights on the GRAS process for Industrial Biotechnology products and providing some counsel on preparing successful GRAS Notifications for the FDA,” said Sewalt. “I think BIO attendees will be interested to learn how our enzymes used as food/feed ingredients are uniquely suited to this process.”

DuPont is a Gold Sponsor of the 2018 BIO World Congress and will be hosting the Wednesday, July 18, breakfast plenary entitled, “Biobased Materials Redesigning Consumer Markets and Fashion Trends.”

Posted July 9, 2018

Source: DuPont Industrial Biosciences

YORKVILLE, Ill. — July 9, 2018 — Aurora is investing in American manufacturing and celebrating that investment with an old-fashioned lawn picnic at its Yorkville, Ill., manufacturing plant today, July 9, complete with hot dogs, bratwurst, apple pie and a raffle for baseball tickets. Employees, customers, friends and local officials have been invited.

Three years ago, Aurora made the decision to expand U.S. operations by investing in a new plant at home with state-of-the-art, world-class technology to help its customers keep pace with the dynamic, quickly-evolving markets it saw opening in the United States and abroad.

Aurora has been successful and today’s picnic kicks-off a six-month program focused on the lessons learned and the multiple benefits to its customers here and abroad, of the investment. Today also celebrates the value this has brought to the local communities, regional economies, U.S. supply chains and global industry sectors we serve.

“Overall, we’ve learned that investing in manufacturing operations at home is both great for local and regional economies and smart business,” said Dan LaTurno, president of Aurora. “In the next weeks, we’ll look at the specific values this brings to our customers here and abroad and discuss the benefits of working with a U.S.-based manufacturer that operates with the highest standards of manufacturing and sustainability.”

Supporting American Manufacturing has always been part of Aurora’s mission as a subsidiary of Meridian Industries, Inc., LaTurno added.

“Today as we celebrate the birth of our nation and the strength and vitality of American manufacturing, it’s important to add that Meridian’s owner, Bruce Pindyck, has a long history of being an advocate and voice for American Manufacturing and manufacturing jobs for American workers. He believes the United States needs a strong American manufacturing infrastructure to support our military to protect our interests abroad and domestically. Aurora and our associates have been and continue to be a critical part of that infrastructure.”

Posted July 9, 2018

Source: Aurora Specialty Textiles Group