Gypsum industry news

Germany: Wacker’s Silicones division’s sales grew by 16% year-on-year to Euro2.60bn in 2021 from Euro2.24bn in 2020. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 43% to Euro553m from Euro388m. This was attributed to higher selling prices and volumes. Overall the group’s sales increased by 32% to Euro6.21bn and its EBITDA more than doubled to Euro154bn.

Following ‘robust’ demand across all business divisions in the first two months of 2022, chief executive officer Christian Hartel said, “We expect our chemical business to perform well during the rest of the year, and anticipate higher prices, volume growth and positive product-mix effects in this segment.” He added that the direct impact upon sales volumes from the war in Ukraine upon the business would be limited as Commonwealth of Independent States sales represented less than 2% of the group’s sales. However the rise in gas and electricity prices was recognised as a concern. The group added that it had benefited at the start of 2022 from the raw materials and energy it had procured in 2021 under more favourable conditions.

Germany: Wacker has reported a fall of 16% year-on-year in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to Euro780m in 2019 from Euro 930m in 2018. Wacker Group CEO Rudolf Staudigl said, “Our earnings last year were strongly influenced by non-recurring effects from insurance compensation received and from the impairment charge on fixed assets. We are currently working on a comprehensive program to make Wacker more efficient and capable, and to achieve substantial cost savings.” He indicated that the group would set out specific targets in early-2020.

Germany: Wacker’s silicones division has driven its sales growth in 2018 despite a contraction in the polysilicon market. Its group sales rose by 1% year-on-year to Euro4.98bn in 2018 from Euro4.92bn in 2017. Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 8% to Euro930m from Euro1.01bn. It blamed this on issues at its Charleston plant in the US, an on-going insurance claim and higher raw material and energy costs.

“From today’s perspective, 2019 is not going to be an easy year,” said chief executive officer Rudolf Staudigl. “For our chemical divisions, we are confident that our excellent products will keep us on our growth path. On the other hand, solar-grade polysilicon overcapacities in China are slowing the earnings trend at our polysilicon business – and thus at the group – despite our leading market and quality position.” He added that a ‘particular’ challenge facing energy-intensive companies like Wacker was the increase in electricity prices in Germany.

Germany: Wacker Chemie’s Supervisory Board has re-appointed Rudolf Staudigl as the company’s president and chief executive officer (CEO) for another three-year term from October 2018. It also extended the contract of Christian Hartel, who joined the Executive Board in 2015, until 2023.

Staudigl, aged 63 years, studied chemistry at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and obtained a PhD in chemistry in 1981. After research posts at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the US and then Ludwig-Maximilians University, he joined Wacker Siltronic in 1983. He became vice president of operations at Wacker Siltronic Corporation in Portland, Oregon in the US in 1989, and president a year later. Staudigl joined Wacker Siltronic AG’s Executive Board in 1993. In 1995, he was appointed to Wacker-Chemie’s Executive Board. Since 2005, he has been an Executive Board member of Wacker Chemie AG and, in May 2008, he became president and CEO.

Hartel, aged 46 years, studied chemistry at the University of Constance. After earning his doctorate at the universities of Geneva and Frankfurt am Main, he began his career in 2000 at management consultants Bain & Company. In 2003, he moved to Corporate Development at Wacker. After various management positions at Wacker Biosolutions and Wacker Silicones, he became head of Raw Materials Procurement in 2010 and president of Wacker Silicones in 2012. In November 2015, Hartel was appointed to the Executive Board of Wacker Chemie.

South Korea: Wacker Chemie has broken ground on a new expansion project at its Ulsan plant. The group is building a new spray dryer for dispersible polymer powders at the unit, which will have a total capacity of 80,000t/yr. It is also constructing an additional reactor for dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE), which are needed as the raw material for the spray dryer to produce dispersible polymer powders. Wacker says that the Ulsan’s plant complex, which covers the entire production chain from VAE dispersions to dispersible polymer powders, will be one of the largest of its kind in the world. Investments will total around Euro60m and production is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2019.

The expansion is intended to meet growing demand for its binder products in the construction industries in South Korea and Southeast Asia. Wacker dispersions and dispersible polymer powders are used in a variety of construction industry applications including modifying gypsum plasters and fillers.

Germany: Wacker, the German chemical company, has reorganised its distribution network for silicone and polymer products in central and eastern Europe.

As part of a regional optimisation process, the existing partners IMCD, Euro-Him-1, Hellermann, Radka, Revada and Variachem will be entrusted with the distribution of Wacker's product range for silicones and polymers. Effective from 1 July 2014, these partners will replace the previous distribution partner Brenntag CEE.

IMCD, Euro-Him-1, Hellermann, Radka, Revada and Variachem already distribute products from the group's silicones and polymers portfolio in different regions. As part of the reorganisation of the distribution network in central and eastern Europe, Wacker is further extending these partnerships.

Germany/Brazil/Mexico: Wacker Chemie AG, the Munich-based gypsum additive producer, is extending its existing technical centre in São Paulo, Brazil, and creating a new technical centre in Mexico City, Mexico. The company will also expand its training centre in São Paulo and open a new one in Mexico City. Both projects have a combined investment of Euro1.2m and are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2013.

"Central and South America are key future markets for Wacker. Our sales in these regions have grown by an annual average of 15% over the past five years," said president and CEO Dr Rudolf Staudigl.