PLASTIC OMNIUM

French plastics processor continues to expand / Plans for 20 new facilities by 2018

PLASTIC OMNIUM

French automotive supplier planning EUR 1.7 bn in investments / Sales increase / Growth expected to pick up significantly from 2016 onwards

FRANCE

Plastics processing sector expected to recover slightly in 2014 / Construction segment remains weak while automotive is largely stable / 2013 decline smaller than expected / State support for innovative and export-oriented companies

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Automotive OEM builds two new plants in the US

YEAR IN REVIEW 2013

Part 1 – General overview: US shale gas boom has European plastics players worried / Commodity sectors dogged by overcapacity, insolvencies / Italy goes all out for biopolymers / Mixed picture for European converters

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Opening of Chinese development centre / Support of company's projected growth in the largest automotive market

PLASTIC OMNIUM

New development centre for OEM components in Slovak Republic / Closer to German auto makers

JOHNSON CONTROLS

Automotive supplier plans to build 11 plants in China / Currently more than 25,000 employees across the country

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Demand for new cars in Europe to bottom out in 2013 / Slight growth predicted for 2014 / Production stagnates at 12m vehicles / Producers fight poor demand with technology / Suppliers raise proportion of plastics in cars

PLASTIC OMNIUM

All-thermoplastic tailgate brings Peugeot a 20% weight saving / Production of one million pieces in 2013

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLY FRANCE

German premium brands give boost to suppliers amid slump / Poor domestic demand compensated by healthy international business

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Building underway of new R&D centre for Inergy Automotive Systems

PEOPLE

Sulo Group: CEO Bernhard resigns

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Salaries at three French production sites are frozen / Reaction to threat of relocating some activities to Germany

PLASTIC OMNIUM

EUR 7.5m deal to supply waste containers to Budapest

PEOPLE

Patrick Bordessoule becomes new COO and CFO of Gascogne

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Inergy subsidiary planning additional facility in Russia / Remaining shares in Indian jv acquired

AUTOMOTIVE MARKET

Southern Europe's auto industry loses out in the crisis / Expert prophesies "long-term damage" / 25% of suppliers may not survive the crisis / Germany's Center for Automotive Research issues world market forecast

SABIC IP

“Noryl” resin specified for India's first injection moulded fenders / Support from Tier 1 supplier Plastic Omnium

PLASTIC OMNIUM

EUR 50m investment in research and development at Inergy Automotive Systems / Fuel systems division to employ 500 at new centre in France

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Automotive division plans to build 20 new production facilities by 2015 / Launching own prepreg manufacture for composite parts

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Inergy subsidiary establishes joint venture in Russia / Manufacturing fuel tanks for the Russian automotive sector

PEOPLE

Plastic Omnium founder Pierre Burelle dies

SOLVAY

Good Q2 performance mirrors expectations / Plastics demand holds up / Turnaround for Vinyls

PLASTIC OMNIUM

Record sales in first-half 2011 / French OEM supplier now has 12 production plants in China