personal care products will grow by12.5% in 2012, compared with 12.4%in 2011. It also estimates thatUnilever’s market share was 4.1% in2011, compared with 15.9% for themarket leader in the region, Procterand Gamble. While no specificinformation on the turnover from itsChinese operations was disclosed,Unilever expects that the economicslowdown in China will have no majorimpact on its turnover as it is lessvulnerable to fluctuations in consumerconfidence than suppliers of luxuryarticles.

Original Source: Het Financieele Dagblad, 13 Sep2012, (Website: http://www.fd.nl/) (in Dutch) © HetFinancieele Dagblad 2012

Croda posts robust 2Q 2012 and recordinterim results

Croda reported strong interim resultswith its sales volumes and profits in2Q 2012 higher than 1Q 2012 levels,despite reduced European tradingdays. Sales for 1H 2012 were £572.9M, up 2.4% on 1H 2011. Operatingprofit was up 6.7% to £133.7 M, whileprofit before tax for continuingoperations increased by 6.3% to£132.6 M. Net profit was £90 M in 1H2012 compared with £86 M theprevious year. The company reportsthat strong demand in North Americain most business areas offset softerEuropean trading conditions andadverse currency translation. It madefurther progress in Asia and LatinAmerica in focusing on higher-margindifferentiated products, it says. Theresults across all areas of ConsumerCare improved, with return on salesincreasing to 31.1%. The sectorachieved sales of £310.5 M in 1H2012, up 5.8% year on year, withgrowth in all business areas. Marginsincreased due to price rises in Europeduring 2Q 2012 and a more-favourable sales mix, resulting in a9.9% increase in 1H operating profit to£96.7 M. Croda says its ‘resilient trackrecord of growth’ rests on itsconsistent ability to bring ‘innovative,high-margin products’ to market andexpand its presence in emergingmarkets.

Original Source: Croda International Plc, Cowick Hall,Snaith, Goole, DN14 9AA, UK, tel: +44 1405 860551,fax: +44 1405 861767, website:http://www.croda.com (24 Jul 2012) © 2012 CrodaInternational Plc

COMPANYNEWS

New Ecolab facility in Taicang to helpenhance Chinese food safety andpublic health

Ecolab Inc has opened amanufacturing plant and distributioncentre in Taicang, China, as part ofan expanding company presencewithin the country. The facility isEcolab’s third-largest in the world andthe company’s largest in the AsiaPacific region. The plant has thecapacity to produce 150,000 tons ofproduct annually. Initially, the facilitywill have 55 employees, and by 2017more than 350 employees will work atthe facility. The Taicang plant will becapable of producing all of the Ecolabproducts sold in China; a completeportfolio of cleaning, sanitation, foodsafety and infection preventionsolutions for customers in a widerange of growing industries, including:food and beverage production; foodretail; hospitality; healthcare; anddairy, meat and poultry processing.The facility operates using featuresthat reduce energy and waterconsumption while minimizing wasteproduction. All process wastewaterwill be treated for re-use on site.Ecolab has invested $150 M inChinese markets since 2008. Inaddition to the new Taicang plant, itcurrently operates five other plants inChina, in Nanjing, Suzhou, Shanghai,Guangzhou and Taiwan.

Original Source: Ecolab, website:http://www.ecolab.com/ (14 Aug 2012) © Ecolab2012

Toyo India wins contract to buildBASF’s Dahej project

BASF India Ltd has awarded ToyoEngineering India Ltd an Engineering,Procurement and ConstructionContract (EPC) to handle theconstruction, on a turnkey basis, of itsnew multi-business chemicalproduction site at Dahej in GujaratProvince, on the west coast of India[Focus on Surfactants, Jun 2012].The site will be an integrated hub forpolyurethane production and willinclude manufacturing plants for carechemicals and polymer dispersions

for coatings and paper. The carechemicals facility will producesurfactants largely for home andpersonal care. The facility isanticipated to be operational in 2014and will employ 250 personnel.

BASF India Ltd plans to invest Rup10,000 M (c €143 M) to set up thegreenfield project at Dahej. Theinvestment will be entirely funded bydebt from fellow group firm BASF Co-ordination Centre NV. The debt will bein the form of external commercialborrowings. In addition to the Dahejsite, BASF also operates a 200-acremanufacturing facility in Mangalore.The parent company has identifiedIndia as a key driver for its exportgrowth in South Asia. The opening ofexport opportunities to Pakistan hasstrengthened its exports ofperformance chemicals to SouthAsian markets. BASF India posted anet profit of Rup 1,000 M on anoperating profit of Rup 35,160 M in2011-2012 as against a net profit ofRup 1,180 M on an operating incomeof Rup 30,640 M in 2010-2011.

Original Source: APCJ, Asia Pacific Coatings Journal,Aug/Sep 2012, 25 (4), 4 (Website:http://www.asiapacificcoatingsjournal.com/) © QuartzBusiness Media Ltd 2012. Original Source: CoatingsWorld, Aug 2012, 17 (8), 43 (Website:http://www.coatingsworld.com/) © RodmanPublishing 2012. Original Source: Business Line, 25Aug 2012, 19 (238), 3 & 1 Sep 2012, 19 (245), 3(Website: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/) © The Hindu Business Line 2012

Ecover buys Californian companyMethod

The Belgian ecological detergentsfirm Ecover has acquired the UScompany Method. This will expandEcover’s position on the US market,which has previously only accountedfor 10% of turnover. Method’sproducts are already distributed inFrance through Auchan, Cora andCarrefour. The two brands and teamswill continue to operate separately butwill pool their research anddevelopment resources. Ecover willmanufacture Method’s products at itsBelgian and French units using moreupbeat packaging. The acquisitioncreates the world’s largest ‘greencleaning’ company, with combinedsales of $200 M and around 300 staff,Ecover says.

Original Source: La Tribune, 8 Sep 2012, (Website:http://www.latribune.fr) (in French) © LaTribune.fr2012

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