SILMIX - Competitors

SILMIX Competition

Now Viewing SILMIX's competition in: Plastic Resins & Synthetic Fibers (primary)

Recent Developments

Safer Plasticizers Being Developed - Polymer materials manufacturer PolyOne Corporation and Archer Daniels Midland are collaborating to develop bio-based plasticizers for use in polymer formulations. The companies will try to develop plasticizers from corns and oilseeds, in response to a ban that will take effect in the US in 2009 on plasticizers containing phthalates in products intended for children under 12. The global plasticizer market is an $11 billion industry, with most plasticizers now derived from petroleum-based products.

Wal-Mart Hopes to Cut Plastic Bag Waste - Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, plans to cut its global plastic shopping bag waste by one-third per store by 2013. Plastic resin manufacturers may be negatively impacted if demand for plastic bags drops. Wal-Mart hopes to replace the plastic bags with reusable ones it sells for 50 cents. The company estimates that it's already sold enough reusable bags in the US since October 2007 to eliminate the need for 1 billion plastic bags.

Study Links Bisphenol A to Heart Disease, Diabetes - Bisphenol A (BPA), found in many plastic products, could increase the risk of both heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to the Peninsula Medical School. Researchers found that people with the highest BPA concentrations were nearly three times more likely to have heart disease and over 50 percent more likely to have diabetes. BPA is found in the plastic lining of food and drink containers and in plastic bottles used to feed babies.

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.