Chemtrade announces one of its sodium formate suppliers to close operations in first quarter of 2006
Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund announced that one of its suppliers of sodium formate, an input in the production of powder sodium hydrosulphite (SHS), will be closing its US pentaerythritol (PE) manufacturing facility in the first quarter of 2006, citing escalating US energy and raw material costs. Sodium formate is a byproduct of PE manufacturing. The plant has historically been the primary supplier of sodium formate used by Chemtrade and was expected to supply about one-quarter of Chemtrade's needs in 2006.
Mark Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Chemtrade, said that even prior to the shutdown announcement the business was contracting with offshore supply sources and does not expect that the operations will suffer due to lack of supply. He continued, "We indicated in our third quarter release that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had affected the supply and cost of various raw materials and energy. The uncertainty around these issues continues to make it difficult to predict 2006 input costs and earnings."
Other news from the department manufacturing
Get the chemical industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the chemical industry, analytics, lab technology and process engineering brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.
