The
Greater Richmond region has the makings
of a world-class center for
high-performance fibers. What it has
lacked is a forum to build relationships
and exchange ideas. That will change on
Jan. 18.
Industry,
academic and government representatives
to convene in Chesterfield County to
chart new course
by
James A. Bacon
Imagine
a day in the not-so-distant
future when scientific progress
makes it possible to customize
advanced materials with the
specific properties that a
manufacturer needs for
high-performance products… new
fibers and films that are super
strong, ultra light or
phenomenally heat-resistant…
materials that stand up to
abrasion, vibration fatigue and
ultra-violet light …
sensor-embedded fabrics and
laminates that respond to
changes in temperature or touch.
Think
of the myriad of ways that such
extraordinary materials could be
applied: from extreme sports
gear to body armor for the
“warrior of the future,”
from critical parts inside
automobile engines to
mission-critical components on
spacecraft bound for the moon.
Then, imagine that the global
center of innovation for this
emerging industry was Richmond,
Va.
Visualize
Richmond as a center for
world-class research. Picture a
place where manufacturing giants
serving international markets
spin off new ventures to exploit
promising new technologies,
where venture capitalists fund
entrepreneurs with imaginative
new applications. Imagine
Richmond as the axis of ideas,
the locus of intellectual
capital and business
intelligence, the destination of
scientists converging for
world-renowned conferences and
symposia.
DuPont's
Spruance plant - where Kevlar,
Nomex,
Teflon, Tyvek and Zytel are
made.
Richmond
is not there yet, not even
close. But such a future is not
too far-fetched to contemplate,
even though it may be a
generation away. If Richmonders
are willing to take a long-term
view, as, say, the proponents of
the Research Triangle did in
North Carolina three decades
ago, we have the power to make
it come true.
The
computer industry has its
Silicon Valley, and biotech has
its Boston. But no region in the
United States has emerged as the
epicenter of innovation in
advanced materials.
Manufacturing and R&D in
plastics, ceramics, polymers,
specialty chemicals and
nanotechnology are scattered
widely. While many communities
seek to build biotech and
information-technology clusters,
none have mobilized their
resources around
high-performance materials. The
field is wide open – there are
no entrenched competitors to
dislodge.
Aspiring
to world-class status in a
technology field may strike most
Richmonders as a tad ambitious,
but it’s a conversation that
we at the Greater Richmond
Partnership would like to start.
We are holding a cocktail party
and reception at the Courtyard
Marriott, 2001 West Hundred
Road, Chester, on January 18 at
5:O0. p.m. Anyone with
an interest in the idea –
manufacturers, engineers,
scientists, financiers,
entrepreneurs, inventors – is
encouraged to attend. (For more
information contact Jocelynn
Castro at (804) 643-3227.) More.
Fibers
firm weaves right mix
Sale
to Sun Capital gives area-based outfit a
key to fast growth
by
John Reid Blackwell
The
managers and employees of Performance
Fibers Inc. are ending 2005 with fewer
uncertainties and more confidence than
when they began the year.
A
little more than a year ago, the Colonial
Heights- based manufacturer of polyester
and other synthetic fibers was looking for
a home. It was still a business unit of
the industrial conglomerate Honeywell
International Inc., but it didn't fit well
into its parent company's corporate
strategy.
The
management team at Performance Fibers,
including then-General Manager Greg
Rogowski, believed the company had
enormous growth potential if it could find
a partner to support it.
In
December 2004, the team got that chance
when Honeywell sold Performance Fibers to
Sun Capital Partners. The Florida-based
investment group specializes in acquiring
so-called "corporate orphans,"
businesses that have been neglected as
part of larger corporations but have the
potential to grow independently. Sun
Capital has invested in more than 100
companies since 1995.
The
sale provided Performance Fibers with a
source of capital and freed the company to
pursue business opportunities, setting off
a whirlwind year of acquisitions and
growth.
"It's
been one of the most exciting periods of
my career, and I think most of my
management team would say the same
thing," said Rogowski, a 19-year
veteran of the business and now the
company's president and chief executive
officer. "Being a smaller,
stand-alone company makes us a lot more
flexible and agile." More.
News
Business
Spectra
Fiber Used in Electric Lines. Sherman & Reilly, a
manufacturer of electrical and telephone
equipment, has selected stringing lines
made with Honeywell's Spectra fiber to help make
installation of electrical transmission
wires faster and safer. Pulling
machines loaded with Spectra fiber-based
ropes can carry longer lengths, and work
greater spans becuase they have a lower
elongation than traditional
polyester-based lines. More.
Afton
Launches Lubricity Additive. Afton
Chemicals has introduced a new product for
diesel fuel applications, HiTEC 4142, that
improves lubricity of low-sulfur diesel
fuels. The additive, which performs in
both hot and cold climates, also
simplifies customer inventories. (December
1, 2005) More.
Albemarle
Inks Deal with Germany’s hte.
Albemarle Corporation has entered into a
multi-year agreement with hte Aktien
gesell-
schaft,
of Heidelburg, Germany, in which hte will
provide Albemarle with high-throughput
experimentation solutions to enhance its
refinery catalysis. (October 17, 2005)
More.
EU
Exempts deca-BDE from Hazardous Substance
List. The European Union has exempted
the widely used brominated flame
retardant, deca-BDE, manufac-
tured
by Albemarle Corporation, from its
Restriction of Hazardous Substances
directive. The decision, based upon more
than ten years of analysis from 588
different studies, clears the way for
manufacturers of consumer and industrial
electronics to use compound. (October
17, 2005) More.
Products
Spectra
Shield to ArmorHelicopters. Honeywell’s Spectra
Shield composite material is being used to
armor 164 U.S. Marine Corps Sea Knight
helicopters. Armor- Works, a provider of
armor technology for military applications
and companies worldwide, is using the
material in Light Weight Armor Replacement
System kits for the helicopters, which are
used by the Marine Corps to provide
all-weather, day-or- night assault transport
of combat troops, supplies and equipment. (November
16). More.
Earnings
NewMarket
Earnings Double. Third
quarter
earnings (excluding special items) for
Newmarket Corporation totaled $13.4 million,
more than double the $4.6 million earings
the same quarter the year before. The
improvement reflects increased profit
contribution from the petroleum additives
business, which more than offset challenging
conditions in the Tetraethyl lead business.
(October 2, 2005). More.
Albemarle
Income Surges 29 Percent. Albemarle
Corporation increased 29.4 percent in the 3Q
of 2005 over the same quarter last year,
while sales were up 22.4 percent. Gulf Coast
operations took a $3.6 million hit due to
production losses during Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. (October 25, 2005) More.
Tredegar
Profits Tumble. Tredegar Corporation
reported a $7.6 million income for the 3Q,
down from $15.3 million the same quarter
last year. Strong results in the
films
division were offset by ubstantially lower
profits in aluminum. (November 2, 2005)
More.
