As part of the ongoing restructuring at Swiss speciality chemicals manufacturer Clariant (Muttenz / Switzerland; www.clariant.com), the Masterbatch business will be “downgraded” from a division to a business unit and Pigments & Additives will be split into two separate divisions. From 1 October 2009 until the changes take effect on 1 January 2010, newly appointed managing board member Christian Kohlpaintner (46) will assume responsibility for Masterbatch and Mathias Lütgendorf will temporarily add Pigments & Additives to his other activities. Both divisions previously were overseen by Dominik Bertrab.

Clariant claims to be world’s largest producer of masterbatches, having doubled its stake in the market with the 1997 takeover of the Hoechst speciality chemicals activities. Both Bertrab and Kohlpaintner did stints within the Hoechst worldwide organisation, as did Ulrich Otto (52), the new head of German subsidiary Clariant Produkte Deutschland (Sulzbach; www.clariant.de). Otto replaces Hans Schmidt, who had held the German position since the beginning of this year.

Along with streamlining its organisation, Clariant will reduce its workforce to “under 17,900” by the end of 2009, after eliminating 1,500-1,600 jobs in the first half, Hariolf Kottmann, CEO since October 2008, said in an interview with the news agency "Reuters". This is more than announced in February – see Plasteurope.com of 26.02.2009 – however, the group said earlier this year there could be potential for more cuts. Depending on the results of a global site analysis, production capacities may be shifted to new locations as some plants close, Kottmann said.