Workplace Safety Regulations Drive the Design and Production of Personal Protective Equipment

With increasingly stringent safety standards being executed by government bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of the UK, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. personal protective equipment has gained immense importance in businesses that need their workers to function in hazardous conditions.

Increasing emphasis on functionality and protection along with detailed training procedures, are driving developments in newer variants of personal protective equipment. Owing to the grave consequences of equipment failure, research and development on relative safeguard mechanisms has gained great importance among manufacturers across the globe.

Demand for Lightweight Equipment and Aesthetics Drives the Use of New Materials

Manufacturing industries are increasingly displaying preference towards lightweight materials that provide a similar level of safety, while providing additional mobility and ease of operations, even in constricted areas. This has been a key driver towards numerous innovations in design and fabric of various items.

For example, US based National Safety Apparel has developed its range of TEGGEN light-weight, fire resistant fabric that claims to eliminate the risk of melting or dripping as per OSHA standards, while enabling the manufacturers to design clothes such as shirts, bottoms, or overalls that are thin,  and visually appealing to resemble semi-casual work clothes.

Similarly, HexArmor Inc. has also released its version of light weight seamless gloves that improve on the thinness of material for improved dexterity and comfort, without compromising on resistance to cuts and abrasions, while incorporating highly flexible exoskeleton structures that protect from the adverse of high intensity impacts.

Stanco Safety Products has also released its range of apparel for use in the molten metal sector, which makes use of fabrics that weight between 10 and 12 pounds, instead of the traditional 16 pounds, which allow the users to stay cooler in the hot environments of such facilities, increasing comfort without compromising on the level of protection offered.

Personal Protective Equipment Manufacturers Focus on Training and Awareness Programs

Numerous businesses fail to have a proper hazard assessment of their premises, in addition to a lack of worker training. This is especially true of projects in the construction industry, which significantly increases the risk of injury or death for workers in the vicinity. As a result, PPE manufacturers also provide ancillary services such as training programs for workers along with comprehensive hazard assessments to help end users select the right PPE for the relevant tasks and workplace.

For example, US based JJ Keller and Associates provides customized safety and regulatory compliance assessments to clients, through dedicated specialists in the field as per the specific requirements of the end users. This ensures the complete compliance as per OSHA, DOT, EPA, and more.

Similarly, 3M provides a number of tools and software that businesses can implement to help their personnel to use their personal protective equipment in the optimal way to meet the requisite safety needs. These services include e-learning modules, demonstration vehicles, confined space training, roadshows for safety awareness, training in virtual reality, and safety webinars among others.

Failure in Standards Compliance Increases Importance of Third Party Testing

Workers in hazardous workplaces often come across products such as safety glasses that do not meet the prescribed safety standards, despite being labelled in the appropriate manner. Such sub-standard products can affect the credibility of the manufacturers and restrain their growth significantly. It is therefore important that all products need to be tested by accredited, third party laboratories.

For instance, Intertek Group Plc provides PPE manufacturers with extensive testing for their products, before being released to the market to meet appropriate fall protection, chemical and biological protection standards, as claimed by the manufacturers. This not just helps ensure the manufacturer’s credibility, but also helps avoid potentially expensive lawsuits, which emphasizes the importance of such procedures.

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Onsite Production Gains Popularity to Circumvent Short Shelf Life of Dry Ice

The constantly growing production and supply of frozen food and transportation of goods including grocery and medicine is anticipated to create strong demand for dry ice as a refrigerant in a number of industries such as manufacturing, aviation, transport, medicine, food processing, and bio-medicine.

Dry ice often finds application as a substitute of water based ice owing to the fact that it does not melt in to a liquid form, which results in lesser waste and easier cleaning, making it an ideal refrigerant in a number of end use industries.

Food and Transport Industries to Drive Use of Dry Ice

Dry ice is anticipated to witness a steady growth in demand in the near future. This growth can be largely attributed to the ever rising demand for the material in the role of a refrigerant for transporting temperature sensitive materials or perishable foods. In addition, the rising consumption of frozen foods is anticipated to boost the use of dry ice across the globe.

Another major factor that is presently pushing the use of dry ice globally, is its use in industrial cleaning through a dry ice blast cleaning process. The procedure is gaining popularity as it provides end users with a more effective and safe cleaning solution in comparison the results achieved by the use of traditional cleaning solvents and chemicals.

Dry ice is extremely versatile in its applications and is also increasingly being used as an effective alternative to traditional cooling systems that are powered by electricity. These factors are anticipated to directly influence the demand for dry ice in a positive manner for the foreseeable future.

Growth of Dry Ice Production and Application Equipment Innovations

The supply of dry ice is largely driven by the availability and innovation in production technologies, through changes in equipment design and working principles. Moreover, equipment manufacturers are also working on the crucial issue storing dry ice for longer periods, by making use of machines that provide dry ice as per the user needs, on site.

For example, Triventek A/S of Denmark has introduced a dry ice pelletizer machine that provides high quality and density of dry ice pellets that can be used for cooling and blast cleaning purposes. The new equipment features improved extrusion plates that allow the end user to access freshly produced dry ice on the site. Moreover, the equipment also features automatic lubrication and recovery mechanisms that recycle any waste gas that occurs due to sublimation of the material.

Cold Jet LLC has also released its new range of Aero dry ice blast cleaning systems, which make use of a combined electro-pneumatic system, in addition to insulated hoppers, focused nozzles, and durable and ergonomic designs to ease of use. Since the use of carbon dioxide in such a manner eliminates the need for volatile organic compounds, or other types of cleaning solvents, they are also supported by environmental initiatives, further driving the growth of the global dry ice market.

Mergers and Acquisitions to Drive Global Growth

Owing to the rising applications of dry ice, manufacturers are focused intensely on merger, acquisition, and collaborative activities that are aimed at increasing production capacity and improving on market presence on a global scale.

For example, leading industrial gas manufacturers Praxair Inc. and the Linde Group have announced their merger, which is expected to make the combined business entity the global leader in the industrial gas business, dethroning Air Liquide, by enhancing its geographic presence in all major markets, and boosted efficiency, savings, and production scale.

Similarly, European industrial gas manufacturer Yara International ASA has been acquired by Praxair Inc., which includes the sale of CO2 liquefaction units, dry ice production units, and shipping infrastructure across numerous European countries including Ireland, Italy, and Scandinavia.

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Container Liner Market Driven by Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions

Essential in the safe transport of bulk cargo, container liners are constantly gaining demand owing to factors such as reduced effort in cleaning, replacement, reusability, cost efficiency, and resistance to dampness and humidity. Rapidly growing manufacturing industries across the globe, and the consequent increase in marine shipping activities is one of the key influencers that is driving higher usage of container liners for the storage and transport of such products.

Environmental Concerns Drive Producers towards Material Sustainability

Constantly growing concerns about environment pollution, and the use and indiscriminate disposal of plastics around the world, has led to the implementation of strict laws, which are anticipated to restrict the companies producing container liners, and push them towards the adoption of measures aimed towards reuse and recyclability.

For example, with the European Union aiming for reduced use of plastics, and extensive application of circular economy, container liner manufacturer Thrace Group, has voluntarily announced its decision to replace more than 8000 tons of raw virgin plastic in its products with recycled plastic, by the end of 2025.

Similarly, LC Packaging International B.V, has announced its intention to reinvent the uses of plastic, to improve on efficiency in design, production, application, and disposal, through additional research efforts in the designing and manufacturing of recyclable, low-weight, packaging products, and new types of technical fabrics.

Container Liner Manufacturers Look Towards Strategic Acquisitions and Mergers

Manufacturers are increasingly looking to improve on their production capabilities, expanding technological knowhow, and expanding on geographical market presence, through strategic collaborations, mergers and acquisitions.

For instance, major container liner manufacturer Greif Inc. has entered into an agreement towards the acquisition of Caraustar Industries Inc. This deal is anticipated to significantly build on Greif’s diversity of products, thereby improving on overall cash flow, profitability, and balance.

Berry Global Group Inc., a container liner producer also announced its acquisition of polythene bag and film manufacturer, Laddawn Inc. in mid-2018. The acquisition is expected to provide Berry Global with significant additions to the company’s portfolio of engineered materials, resulting in a wide range of product offerings for consumers.

Similarly, Australian packaging products giant, Amcor Ltd. is also in the process of acquiring U.S. based Bemis Co. Inc. the merged entity is expected to have the benefit of additional manufacturing capacity, and extended market reach to consumers across different parts of the world, as both companies provide container liner products for similar end use consumers.

Innovations in Material and Design Drive the Development of Container Liners

To meet the high standards of modern packaging requirements, major container liner manufacturers have increased their investment in research and development activities to enhance functionality, durability, and sustainability of their products.

For example, Bulk Handling Australia has revealed its range of woven container liners made from polypropylene, or high-density polyethylene, that made manufactured according to the end-users customization. The liners make use of impulse welding processes, instead of conventional sewing procedures.

TankBag has introduced its range of single use container liners, made from food grade polyethylene that have been designed especially for ISO rated tanks, for liquid cargo. The product improves on the optimization of product integrity and costs of cleaning, thereby minimizing cargo restrictions. The TankBag allows users to have a completely clean tank, after every use, ready for a different type of cargo, by eliminating the risk of contamination, and making it compliant for use as per administrative bodies such as the EU, FOSFA, and FDA.

Eceplast has also brought out its variant of container liners that make use of a unique Barless Safety System that completely eliminates the need for steel bars in the bulkhead area, which significantly improves on the benefits of monetary savings, provides easier handling, and reduces the risk of damage that occasionally occurs through the use of steel bars.

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Cox Automotive is Set for a Larger Business Expansion to Digital Lines

Cox Automotive is all set to reinvigorate its UK network of Manheim auction centers, which will include fewer yet bigger sites to foster the surging sales volume online.

At present, the company owns 16 discrete physical sites, which is anticipated to shrink in terms of number over the next few years in line with the evolution of larger sites offering a wide array of reconditioning as well as logistical hand over services.

As per Martin Forbes, CEO of Cox Automotive told, the count of sites would come down but the overall acreage would scale up as the drive gains momentum online.

The company is vying to expand its business framework to digital lines. This also means that company is definitely penetrating largely into vehicle-service, storage, transport, and de-fleeting services, which will be immensely instrumental to keep the organization future proof and profitable.

The firm has its utmost focus on the market of wholesale business-to-business. The company also sheds light on the big-time realization of the fact that demand in case of physical auction lanes will decelerate and a shift toward online channels will be induced, as conveyed by prospering online sales figures. In this case, the company strives to be keep up with the evolving trends to keep their business footprint strong than ever. 

Highlights by Forbes on which direction the market is heading toward included examples of automakers disposing of new stock and ex-company cars via closed auctions. Many of the prominent OEMs believe that by 2023, around more than half of their wholesale used stock would be sold online and this belief relies on evolving facts and figures indicated by the recent trends.

Though the number of sites will be few, these sites will be extremely beneficial in terms of more acerage and will also provide you enough room for offering satisfactory services at the cost of minimum inconvenience.

The transformation of the auto business i.e. selling cars and trucks is flourishing at a meteoric pace like never before, comes along some new promises in terms of changes as an industry that has been long famed for high cost factor, unsatisfactory services, and so on. Auto manufacturers have landed on the grounds for a fierce competition in terms of driving out cost and rolling out offerings tailored to evolving consumer expectations and specifications. Apart from the online sales channels, some other channels have also gained notable prominence in terms of sales and decision-making.

Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Completes Previously Announced Acquisition of Aralez’ Revenue-Generating Products

Nuvo Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian healthcare firm, has completed the acquisition of a portfolio of more than 20 revenue-generating products of Aralez Pharmaceuticals.

Earlier, the news of Nuvo having a conference call/audio webcast on January 2, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. EST was released. The call was about providing the details of the transaction, Aralez’s key products, and financing[RP1]  deal. The call was hosted by Jesse Ledger, who is Nuvo’s CEO as well as the President and Vice President, and CFO of Nuvo, Mary-Jane Burkett.

Jesse Ledger stated that the completion of this acquisition has made Nuvo one of the leading pharmaceutical firms in Canada. He explained that Nuvo is now completely different from their peers, as they have superior infrastructure to support their international business, top-class production facility and a robust portfolio of growth products, which includes development of new product opportunities.

Jesse Ledger further stated that their acquisition is backed by a robust and experienced management team and enhanced business setup that will help the company to grow, make profits, and create values in the coming future.

Aralez was formerly known as Tribute Pharmaceuticals Canada. A growing firm, it includes Suvexx, Cambia, Blexten, along with Canadian distribution rights to Resultz. Furthermore, this acquisition will pave way for Nuvo to purchase and introduce more commercial products in Canada.

Besides purchasing products from Aralez, Nuvo also obtained worldwide rights and royalties from licensees for Vimovo, global, Yosprala, and ex-U.S. product rights to MT400, which is presently marketed as Treximet in the United States.

It cost Nuvo roughly US$ 110 million to close the deal. The amount didn’t include $4.4 million, which was a deposit paid previously and was conditioned to indebtedness adjustments and certain working capital.

Nuvo was able to pay off the price with the help of funding offered by certain funds handled by a famous, global, and healthcare-specialized investor, Deerfield. Furthermore, the courts inspecting Aralez’s restructuring proceeds in the United States and Canada approved the acquisition. According to experts, this acquisition can help Nuvo achieve its following goals,

Huge cash flow from international royalties of global Vimovo sales and U.S.

Diversification of revenue from royalty revenues and product sales

The current commercial setup will stay the same to enable a hassle-free transition

 [RP1]Can’t use details twice in one sentence.

Egg Replacement Ingredient Expansion: Renmatix Enters Into an Agreement with The Ingredient House

A distribution contract was signed by Renmatix with The Ingredient House, a supplier of specialty food ingredients to[RP1]  to food and beverage manufacturers all over the US. Both companies foresee the potential to substitute eggs with simple cellulose in baked products. Simple cellulose is a plant-based ingredient that offers producers around 50 percent in cost-in-use savings.

Renmatix feels that there are a lot of growth opportunities in following the clean label movement by using simple cellulose, which shows multifunctional property advantages in moisture retention, fat replacement, texturizing, and emulsification. Some of these are sought-after traits to meet today’s ever-changing consumer tastes.

Simple cellulose is extracted from agricultural feedstocks and plant materials. It enables food manufacturers to replace fats and eggs, as it increases the efficiency of texturizing ingredients and moisture retention needed for freshness extension. All this is done by undermining the price of traditional components. 

Simple cellulose has also shown promise in vegan-baked and gluten-free goods. Additionally, its exceptional characteristics are currently being recognized in various baked goods such as donuts, breads, cookies, and muffins. As per Renmatix, the product will also be used in meat & dairy, soups,sauces, and several other food ingredient applications.

Renmatix’s CEO, Mike Hamilton explained that egg substitute is essential in the present baking industry. He stated that eggs are just expensive and natural calamities such as diseases, hurricanes and other factors can hamper the supply chain, thereby increasing costs and creating uncertainty for businesses that are highly dependent on a regular supply of ingredients.

Mike Hamilton also added that simple cellulose is extracted from plant material, namely agricultural feedstocks that only uses water, making it less expensive than eggs.

Renmatix estimated that if bakeries opt for simple cellulose, they will be saving around 25-50% on the cost of eggs annually. Second crucial fact is that a lot of consumers want plant-based ingredients in their food, which are not just environmentally sustainable but also cruelty-free.

Besides plant-based ingredients, consumers also want gluten-free and allergen-free food products, which is possible with the help of simple cellulose. It was in July that simple cellulose was introduced at the IFT Food Expo. Since its debut, it has been used in several bakery trial tests run all over the US.

Mike Hamilton said that they introduced simple cellulose last summer and they have been continuously testing it regionally in many commercial bakeries around Philadelphia. They are producing it in big amounts in their Kennesaw (Georgia) factory, and have witnessed big success in the bakeries and tests with partners such as Mattson Foods. He further said that they are all ready to provide simple cellulose to bigger customers in the US.

 [RP1]As we have written supplier, we don’t need to write “who sells to”

Volkswagen Launches Mobile Charging Station in its Hometown with Plans to Expand to Other Cities in Future

Wolfsburg based Car manufacturer brand Volkswagen has unveiled quick electronic charging stations for its electric cars to be set up initially in the company’s hometown with plans to expand to other cities as well. The charging stations are mobile with capacity of charging up to 100 Kw electricity in a very short time. Volkswagen’s series of electric cars can be charged by these mobile stations as well as of other brands.

The greatest challenge in adoption to electric vehicles is the lack of efficient network of charging points. Customer’s difficulty in finding a reasonable number of charging points on the road discourages them from adopting to clean energy vehicles. Volkswagen wants to fix this by providing basic infrastructure for adoption to e-mobility.

The Volkswagen charging stations will be discoverable with the help of smartphone app and will be positioned strategically at different points across the city to ensure ease of access. The stations will be able to charge e-bikes as well as e-cars with the capacity to charge four vehicles at a time with two ac and two dc adapters. The storage capacity of the battery is 360 Kwh more than sufficient for 15 e-vehicles. Vehicles can also be connected to direct power supply with threshold charging limit of 30 Kw via alternating current.

Volkswagen believes an electric vehicle can be called eco-friendly or a clean vehicle only if it is using sustainably generated electricity, it claims that it’s charging points can be specifically used for storing electricity generated by wind and solar energy making the station completely CO2-neutral.

The mobile column is powered with Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB), this will allow quick scalability along with second battery life. The charging station’s design allows it to be setup at any shopping center, the average time for charging each vehicle will be nearly 17 minutes.

Its plans to invest heavily with US$ 2 billion of investment in plans for the e-mobility infrastructure sector will fast track transition to e-vehicles. E-vehicles hit record sales of 1 million sales in 2018. Scandinavian countries like Norway lead the race, with one third of its total vehicles sold in 2018 being electric vehicles. The country has also formulated a policy to go fossil fuel free by the year 2025. With global warming at the doorsteps and Paris Climate agreement’s ambitious targets to cut carbon emission, many countries are offering tax exemption for e-vehicle.

For the swift and smooth shift to e-mobility, an integrated network of charging points along with ability to charge vehicles in minutes is integral. Volkswagen wants to address these issues with this project. 

Flipkart and Amazon to Form United Front against New Amendments in E-Commerce Draft Policy

Leading online firms such as Amazon and Flipkart are planning to team up and form united front against government’s decision, restricting online sellers from offering heavy discounts and other changes in selling policy. Both the companies are planning to have a dialogue with the government and form a united front with the help of industry bodies including Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), along with the leading investment firms including Tiger Global, SoftBank, Naspers, and Sequoia.

According to some industry experts, the government’s decision can make it difficult for Flipkart, Amazon and other e-commerce firms to do business in India. If the government put a stop to the flash sales and bar online marketplaces to sell via vendor firms that e-commerce companies hold a stake in, this will lead e-commerce companies to revamp their business model and change the way they conduct business in India.

The change in private label policy and cut-down in the amount of business that e-commerce companies do in the segment are likely to impact the number of jobs provided by companies and this may also lead to the situation where companies will rethink on their expansion plans in India.

The government, a few weeks back announced alteration in the policy of online selling goods and services in India. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has prohibited e-commerce companies from selling the products of the firms in which they hold the stake. Additionally, the Ministry has also confined e-commerce companies from signing an agreement for exclusive sales of products.

The government has also introduced some restrictions on the cashback schemes and deep discounting offered by e-commerce companies. These changes in the e-commerce draft policy are likely to be effective from 1st February 2019.

Trader bodies in the country such as Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) have been constantly pressuring the government to introduce e-commerce policy that keeps the interests of traders in India. Moreover, any changes in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy supporting global players are likely to be opposed by trader bodies in the country. 

The US and China to hold Ministerial Level Talk to End the Trade War

The United States and China are set to conduct a trade talk at the vice-ministerial level in Beijing, on both Monday and Tuesday, as both of the countries are under constant pressure to put a full stop to the trade war, that is coming with several repercussions for the top two economies in the world and is disturbing the global financial markets.

For around half of the last year, the trade war had some seriously adverse impact on the flow million-dollar worth of goods and has turned out to be a matter of serious concern for the entire global economy. Official data in this week conveyed that the rate of manufacturing activities across both the nations have been dwindling in terms of intensity and big companies, such as Cargill Inc and Apple Inc, confirmed that the trade battle have had some harsh impacts on earnings of both the countries 

As per sources, a team led by Jeffrey Gerrish, Deputy US Trade Representative, will be travelling to China for participating in “positive as well as constructive discussions” along with the counterparts in China.

As per a statement made by USTR on Friday, the delegation would also be including Under Secretaries from various US Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Energy and Treasury, along with the senior delegates from the aforementioned agencies and the White House.

At a summit held in Argentina last year, Donald Trump, the US president, along with the Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, agreed on mutual terms to hold off on the additional tariffs for around 90 days while they made attempts to negotiate a deal.

Now, the countries witness a March deadline for the talks to bring an end to the trade war. Trump has confirmed in terms of optimistic talks that are going on, but it still remains unclear if Beijing would yield to the demand of U.S. for more open markets, compelled technology transfer, and industrial subsidies. Serving some of these demands would heighten the necessity of some solid structural reforms.

“We are well aware of what type of changes we require. Now, the question arises is that if we would be able to negotiate these changes and can achieve it via enforcement and timetables,”- Larry Kudlow, Economic Advisor, White House.

USTR mentioned in a statement that the delegation will be including Gregg Doud, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator of USDA, This talk has created multiple expectations in terms of positive results and will also bring some significant changes to the economical vigor of both the countries.

PolyOne Corp Completed its Acquisition of Fiber-Line for $120 million

PolyOne Corp. (www.polyone.com) announced its strategic acquisition of Fiber-Line (www.fiber-line.com), a leading manufacturer of customized composite materials and engineered fibers for around $120 million.

Founded in the year 1987, Fiber-Line has used its customer-centric values as well as specialty innovation to build a robust portfolio of offerings catering to oil & gas, industrial, fiber optic cable, and consumer industries.  With five fully-fledged manufacturing establishments in North America, Europe and Asia, Fiber-Line offers material science and polymer sythesis know-how to inculcate standard performance attributes for fiber. Some of the aforementioned characteristics include abrasion, strength, chemical resistance, and specialty colorants.

“Fiber-Line is a unique as well as necessary addition to the existing portfolio i.e. fiber and composite solutions, which is foreseen to offer tremendous scope for growth,” said Robert M. Patterson, CEO, PolyOne Corporation. “This acquisition is one of the key strategic moves that represents a notable investment vis-à-vis our segment of specialty engineered materials segment. “We anticipate this move to add approximately $100 million in revenue in 2019 and grow via a gradual addition to the company’s revenue earnings”, added Mr. Patterson.

With an aim of solidifying their market sustenance, companies have been persistently developing interest for mergers and acquisitions, irrespective of size. This acquisition will not only help in amelioration of the current operations of PolyOne Corp., but will also facilitate the abilities of learning from Fiber-Line. Value creation remains one of the key benefits in case of mergers and acquisitions, wherein new technology standards are created enabling high-scale product diversification.

Fiber-Line’s leading technologies befits the existing specialty composite offerings and wire & cable applications of PolyOne. By utilizing the effective invest-to-grow integration strategy of Fiber-line, PolyOne looks forward to heightened innovation. Moreover, PolyOne is also likely to leverage strategic formulation know-how and high-scale presence of Fiber-line to accelerate its own growth trajectory.

“This acquisition, which resulted in Fiber-Line joining hands with PolyOne, is foreseen to represent exciting opportunities for creating best-quality products to serve our evolving customer needs”, added Dale Outhous, CEO, Fiber-Line. “Through the future investments by PolyOne in the technical abilities, geographical reach, and operational framework of Fiber-Line, our service for our customers would be much better than before.”

Mr. Patterson also added, “We are extremely thrilled to welcome the entire team of Fiber-Line on board.  Through rising number of collaborative efforts with customers, we’ll get hold of both short-term as well as long-term growth prospects, which will benefit us in terms of business expansion.”