ICI Acrylics (Everslaan 45, B-3078 Everberg) has further reinforced its global position in the acrylics sector by concluding a marketing arrangement with the ICD Group BV (NL-Amstelveen). Under the agreement, ICI will market all the methyl methycrylate (MMA) produced by ICD in Russia and the Slovak Republic, other than that required for the domestic markets. The MMA is produced predominantly by the Nitron plant in Saratov, Russia, and the Povanske plant in Zilina, Slovak Republic. The plants can produce up to 30,000 t/y MMA for external sales. ICD is a Company that specialises in the process or conversion of hydrocarbon feedstocks into chemical intermediates, plastics and synthetic fibres at plants situated in East Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Company has a turnover of about $ 600m.

Both companies are considering the establishment of further links being extended to other monomers as well as acrylic sheet and PMMA, and also the long term technical development of the domestic markets in Russia and Eastern Europe. Matthew Rigby, formerly of ICI Acrylics, has joined the ICD Group to help develop this relationship. – ICI: "The announcement is the second significant development made by ICI Acrylics in Eastern Europe this year. In January, ICI acquired the Klöckner Pentatec manufacturing plant and business based in Nischwitz, near Leipzig, Germany which produces extended acrylic and polycarbonate sheet" (see Plasteurope.com No 02, 1995). Scott Davidson, Managing Director of ICI Acrylics said, "this agreement marks an important step for ICI Acrylics' business growth in Eastern Europe and gives us an even bigger global footprint. Working with ICD will enable us both to develop the acrylics sector in this region".