Dow Chemical Competition
Now Viewing Dow Chemical's competition in: Plastic Resins & Synthetic Fibers
Recent Developments
More Reviews for Alternatives to Bisphenol A - Concern that the chemical bisphenol A can leak from plastic food and drink containers has led some consumers to switch to containers without the chemical, but questions are being raised about how safe the alternatives are. Many experts say that some chemicals used to replace bisphenol A haven't been studied in depth to fully verify their safety. The American Plastics Council, an industry lobby group representing bisphenol A manufacturers, says consumers should stick with products containing bisphenol A because it's been well studied.
Packaging Material may Contain Heavy Metals - Plastic packaging materials are a source of excessive heavy metals in the environment, according to the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse. Tests reveal that packaging with flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contained excessive amounts of lead and cadmium. Flexible PVC packaging is typically used for home furnishings, toys, and cosmetics exported from Asia.
Proposals to Ban Plastic Bags Proliferate - A bill introduced in the Hawaii legislature would ban nonbiodegradable plastic bags from supermarkets and retail stores and prohibit the use of polystyrene foam takeout food containers. Many environmentalists say that plastic bags contribute to litter problems and endanger marine life when they blow into storm drains and oceans, but opponents, such as the Hawaii Food Industry Association, say that a ban won't solve those problems. San Francisco banned plastic bags in 2007, and the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County in Hawaii are considering bans in 2008.
Competitive Landscape
Demand depends on the level of manufacture of plastic products, which is closely linked to US industrial production. Because resin manufacture is a high-volume process, the profitability of individual companies depends on operating efficiencies. Large companies have significant economies of scale in production and in the purchase of raw materials. Smaller companies can compete effectively by producing specialty resins and fibers. Many smaller companies buy commodity resins from large producers and rework them into specialty compounds. The industry is highly automated: annual revenue per worker is over $700,000 in large production plants, close to $500,000 in smaller ones.
Full Industry Overview For Plastic Resins & Synthetic Fibers
Plastic Resins & Synthetic Fibers Industry Forecast
from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research
The output of US plastics and synthetics, which includes plastic resins and synthetic fibers, is forecast to increase at an annual compounded rate of 7.7 percent between 2007 and 2012.
Plastic & Synthetics Production Growth Volatile
First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.
First Research Opportunity Rating
The First Research Opportunity Rating is First Research's estimate of industry performance vs. industry risk over the next 12 to 24 months.
- Demand: Good demand for consumer products
- High oil prices hurt profitability
- Risk: Slowing economy cuts domestic demand
Industries Where Dow Chemical Competes
- Chemicals
- Plastic & Fiber Manufacturing
- Agricultural Chemicals
- Basic and Intermediate Chemical & Petrochemical Manufacturing
- Paints, Coatings & Other Finishing Product Manufacturing
- Specialty Chemical Manufacturing
