FILM INDUSTRY
ICI and Toray struggle for PET film leadership / World market 800,000 tonnes
ICI (Wilton Works, PO Box 90, GB-Wilton TS6 8JE) is investing over £ 60m in its polyester (PET) film business, to support its No 1 position in the European market. And, coinciding with the news, is an announcement that the Japanese group Toray Industries (2-2-1, NihombashiMuromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103, Japan) has purchased the European No 3 PET film producer, Rhône-Poulenc Films (RPF, Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost, BP 140, F-01701 Miribel) as part of a planned worldwide build-up (see Plasteurope.com No 04/1996, "Pointers").
ICI will build the world's largest single polyester thin film production unit, at its plant in Dumfries, Scotland, where it will add an estimated 20,000 t/y to its worldwide capacity, with polymer from its existing sources, so using ICI's integrated position in polyester.
The Rhône-Poulenc PET film business has a capacity of 30,000 t/y, located near Lyon, France. With it, Toray has production bases throughout the world, with about 110,000 t/y capacity. Other plants are in the USA and Malaysia. The R-P business was worth about FF 700m sales in 1994. The purchase price is estimated at about FF 15-20bn. Toray has been developing contacts in Europe, with film from US production and is building a new plant in the USA. The company aims to have 170,000 t worldwide PET film capacity within the next few years.
ICI's strategy is aimed at size and flexibility. The new unit will give it at least twice as many production units as its nearest competitors, in a world market currently estimated at about 800,000 t/y. It markets PET film worldwide under the brand name Melinex, with sales of about £ 350m, of which £ 150m is in Europe. ICI plans later to add to its US capacity (at Hopewell, USA), together with further development in the Asia Pacific region, where it opened its latest plant, in Ibaraki, Japan, in 1990.
ICI will build the world's largest single polyester thin film production unit, at its plant in Dumfries, Scotland, where it will add an estimated 20,000 t/y to its worldwide capacity, with polymer from its existing sources, so using ICI's integrated position in polyester.
The Rhône-Poulenc PET film business has a capacity of 30,000 t/y, located near Lyon, France. With it, Toray has production bases throughout the world, with about 110,000 t/y capacity. Other plants are in the USA and Malaysia. The R-P business was worth about FF 700m sales in 1994. The purchase price is estimated at about FF 15-20bn. Toray has been developing contacts in Europe, with film from US production and is building a new plant in the USA. The company aims to have 170,000 t worldwide PET film capacity within the next few years.
ICI's strategy is aimed at size and flexibility. The new unit will give it at least twice as many production units as its nearest competitors, in a world market currently estimated at about 800,000 t/y. It markets PET film worldwide under the brand name Melinex, with sales of about £ 350m, of which £ 150m is in Europe. ICI plans later to add to its US capacity (at Hopewell, USA), together with further development in the Asia Pacific region, where it opened its latest plant, in Ibaraki, Japan, in 1990.
15.03.1996 Plasteurope.com [20221]
Published on 15.03.1996