Plastics News - Construction

Friday, July 04, 2008

Construction

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Green design can bolster bottom line
CHICAGO (July 1, 5:15 p.m. EDT) -- “Going green” will demand changes in how people live, design products and operate businesses, but also can more than pay for itself. That was the message from a pair of sustainability experts at a "Greenstorming" workshop June 26 in Northbrook.

Norandex buy boosts position in South
MACEDONIA,OHIO (June 25, 7 p.m. EDT) -- Norandex Building Materials Distribution of Macedonia, Ohio, said it has acquired Area Vinyl Siding Distributors LLC, which serves the Baton Rouge, La., area.

European plastics turning to timber

VENICE, ITALY (June 23, 10:45 a.m. EDT) -- For pontoon operators and Venetian homeowners, marine borers cause a yearly problem in the canal-filled streets of Venice. To remedy this, two companies have introduced wood-plastic products to replace the age-old timber-made poles that make up many of the boats and homes. These innovative replacements are just one example of the growing European wood composites market.

ADS launching corrugated PP sewer pipe

HILLIARD, OHIO (June 23, 10:35 a.m. EDT) -- With a track record of success as piping material in Europe, polypropylene is expected to be a winner in the North American sanitary sewer and drainage markets as the continent’s largest corrugated pipe maker launches a new PP product. Hilliard-based Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. announce that it will launch a triple-wall corrugated PP pipe in spring 2009.

New methods shore up window profiles

PARIS (June 23, 10 a.m. EDT) -- PVC window frames exceed user demands in many respects, especially in cost and durability, but the relatively low stiffness and rigidity has proved to be a drawback. However, window makers continue to explore alternatives, with the goals of reducing cost and opening the way to more demanding commercial applications.

Canada wood composite use low

TORONTO (June 23, 9:35 a.m. EDT) -- With nearly every economic indicator stacked against it, wood-plastic composite decking continues to gain traction in North America, but with Canada lagging behind the U.S. Resin prices have shot up nearly 50 percent and, combined with comparatively low pressure-treated lumber prices, have continued to strain the Canadian market.

Finland firm boosts its WPC production
HELSINKI, FINLAND (June 18, 4:20 p.m. EDT) -- Global forest products group UPM-Kymmene Oyj is stepping up its production of wood-plastic composite products to meet growing demand, particularly from central Europe.

Sealed Air offers to settle nightclub fire case
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 17, 6:15 p.m. EDT) -- Packaging provider Sealed Air Corp. has agreed in principle to pay $25 million to victims and their families to resolve a lawsuit stemming from a 2003 fire at a Providence nightclub in which 100 people died and more than 200 were injured.

Brite Manufacturing shuts down, seeks buyer
BOLTON, ONTARIO (June 10, 7:05 p.m. EDT) -- Facing mounting cost pressures and dwindling demand, Canada’s largest wood-plastic composite deck maker has closed its doors and is soliciting potential buyers.

Deere buys Israel´s Plastro Irrigation
MOLINE, ILL. (June 16, 6:15 p.m. EDT) -- Deere & Co. said June 5 it has acquired the remainder of Israel-based Plastro Irrigation Systems Ltd., a maker of mostly plastic irrigation equipment and supplies. Deere said the purchase makes it the world´s third-largest agricultural irrigation company.

Ex-Textron exec acquires Accu-Tech Products
BATESVILLE, MISS. (June 5, 5:10 p.m. EDT) -- Former Textron Automotive Trim Division President William Maclean is back in the molding business — on a much smaller basis — by purchasing Accu-Tech Products Inc., a custom injection molder in Batesville.

Plastic pipes may indirectly pose lead problem
BLACKSBURG, VA. (June 3, 6:10 p.m. EDT) -- Plastic plumbing systems, such as those made from PVC and cross-linked polyethylene, are more likely to deliver lead-laden drinking water than their copper counterparts, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed Environmental Science & Technology.

Millenia and SPG enter production pact
EDINA, MINN. (June 2, 9:45 a.m. EDT) -- Millenia Wall Solutions has entered a manufacturing agreement with structural foam and injection molder Structural Plastics Group to make Millenia’s retention-wall products, which are designed to look like natural stone.

Yunnan Tin is adding second stabilizer plant
GEJIU, CHINA (May 29, 5 p.m. EDT) -- Yuntinic Resources Inc. of San Mateo, Calif., announced that its parent company, Yunnan Tin Co. Ltd., is doubling its capacity of tin-based plastic stablizers by adding a second plant in Gejiu.

Georgia Gulf cuts PVC jobs in Ontario
ATLANTA (May 23, 12:55 p.m. EDT) -- A weak construction market has led Georgia Gulf Corp. to lay off 28 employees at its PVC resin plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The layoffs were announced May 20 at the 450 million-pound-per-year-capacity plant, which has been idle since April 15.