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The Global Polymer Summit being held September 8-11, 2025 in Cleveland, OH, will be the most valuable destination for attendees to expand their network, learn from experts and explore business opportunities. The merging of the International Elastomer Conference and the International Tire Exposition & Conference will create an event where all the best companies and programming will be together in one location. Become an exhibitor and make your company known to the thousands of attendees.

Continental increased its earnings in the third quarter of 2024. In particular, the Automotive group sector made progress thanks to the measures taken to improve earnings, and it aims to make further gains in adjusted EBIT in the fourth quarter. As in the second quarter of 2024, the Tires group sector posted a good adjusted EBIT on the back of improved business in Europe, boosted not least by encouraging early sales of winter tires. Earnings in ContiTech, by contrast, were dented by continued weak industrial development in Europe and North America. Continental does not expect the industrial business to recover in the fourth quarter and is therefore adjusting its sales and earnings outlook for ContiTech. As a result, sales expectations have also been lowered for the Continental Group as a whole.

The Grieve Corporation is currently marking its 75th year in business. Begun in 1949 as a small job shop in Chicago, the company now occupies a 100,000 square foot facility in Round Lake, Illinois.

Grieve ovens are utilized for a variety of heat treating applications such as drying gold ore samples, stress relieving automotive parts, and curing the coating on military aircraft canopies. Among the numerous industries they serve are aerospace, mining, pharmaceuticals, construction, automotive, and energy.

Sumitomo Rubber USA, LLC (SRUSA), a Tonawanda, New York-based manufacturer of automotive tires for passenger cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles announced plans to close its manufacturing facility in Tonawanda, NY.

The closure follows an extended examination of the viability of the facility, following thorough analysis of various business complexities, including mounting material and logistics costs, dated infrastructure, intermittent financial performance, and changing market conditions. The evaluation was undertaken as part of a broader strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Sumitomo Rubber Group in the competitive international tire market.

Bolder Industries Belgium, an affiliate of US-based Bolder Industries Inc., the circular solutions provider for rubber, plastics, and petrochemical industries, announced a landmark achievement in its global expansion efforts. The European Commission awarded the company a €32 million grant from its highly competitive EU Innovation Fund pilot program, marking a significant endorsement of its cutting-edge approach to sustainable materials. The Flanders region has committed an additional €2 million to support the construction of Bolder Industries’ new state-of-the-art facility at the Port of Antwerp.

Michelin announced to the 1,254 employees of the CHOLET and VANNES plants its intention to close down production by early 2026 at the latest. Both plants have been facing severe economic difficulties for several years.

Despite the teams’ remarkable engagement and the Group’s efforts, the viability of the two plants could not be preserved. The two sites have been severely impacted by the structural transformation of the Passenger car & Light truck and Truck tire markets and worsening competitiveness of Europe, notably due to inflation and rising energy prices. This decision has been made as a last resort, once all alternative solutions and scenarios have been analyzed and evaluated.

The Bridgestone lunar rover tire will be developed for the Astrobotic 24U CubeRover. Astrobotic has a legacy of developing lunar rovers for over 17 years, which includes 37 rover technology contracts from NASA and 6 distinct lunar rovers to date. Astrobotic’s 24U CubeRover is built to provide mobility, power, and communication support for scientific instruments and payloads on the lunar surface. This 24U rover is about the size of a standard kitchen stove and boasts robust capabilities such as explicit steering, dynamic suspension, and long-distance communications to excel in harsh lunar terrain.

Wacker Chemie AG saw its sales decline in the third quarter of 2024 due to the ongoing difficult market environment. The chemical company generated sales of around €1.43 billion in the reporting quarter (Q3 2023: €1.52 billion), down 6 percent. This decline was mainly due to significantly lower volumes sold by the POLYSILICON division. Compared with Q2 2024 (€1.47 billion), sales decreased 3 percent.

In Q3 2024, WACKER posted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of €152 million (Q3 2023: €152 million). Earnings were thus on par with last year, despite the lower volumes sold by the POLYSILICON division. Compared with the previous quarter’s EBITDA (€160 million), earnings decreased 5 percent. The WACKER Group’s EBITDA margin for Q3 2024 was 10.6 percent, after 10.0 percent a year earlier and 10.9 percent a quarter earlier.

When it comes to rubber industry education, the Rubber Division is your best resource. Their training opportunities cover a wide variety of important topics and are offered all throughout the year. Webinars are free for Rubber Division, ACS Members and all Rubber Division, ACS courses are free for undergraduate Student Members (discount for masters & graduate Student Members). All courses are held virtually with the exception of a few scheduled to be held at partner locations.