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The International Rubber Study Group Secretariat announced the election of Dr K.N. Raghavan, Executive Director, Rubber Board of India as the new Chairperson of the IRSG Heads of Delegation. Dr Raghavan has been elected unanimously by the IRSG Member Governments’ representatives and will stay in the position for two terms (2022-2024).

As part of its 70th anniversary celebration, Hercules® Tires, a subsidiary of American Tire Distributors (ATD), today announced a revitalization of its two core brands – Hercules Tires and Ironman Tires. The revitalization efforts encompass three main areas across the company: brand identity, brand positioning and product innovation

LEGO Group announced that it will significantly expand and upgrade its global headquarters in Billund, Denmark towards 2025. Construction will begin in 2023.

The investments include the creation of “Kornmarken Campus”, which will connect the existing LEGO® factory with a new 46,000m2 building. Combined, this will become the 100,000m2 Kornmarken Campus on the outskirts of the town of Billund. Investments will also be made in the construction of a new office building in the centre of Billund which will become an “Innovation Campus” providing a dedicated space for product innovation and product technology development. The expansions come on top of the investment in the 54,000m2 LEGO Campus building, which will be inaugurated later this year.

Celanese Corporation announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a majority1 of the Mobility & Materials (“M&M”) business of DuPont for $11.0 billion in cash. Celanese will acquire a broad portfolio of engineered thermoplastics and elastomers, industry-renowned brands and intellectual property, global production assets, and a world-class organization.

The March 1st deadline is quickly approaching for the Rubber Division, ACS the Rubber Technology Training Award for an individual already in the rubber industry seeking additional education and opportunities for advancement and three $5,000 undergraduate scholarships available for students who wish to pursue a degree in rubber technology, polymer science or the chemical profession. In addition, local Rubber Groups and industry companies recognize and support the need for financial assistance in obtaining a college degree.

When the NASCAR Next Gen stock car makes its regular season NASCAR Cup Series debut at the 64th annual DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20, drivers will compete on the newly designed Goodyear Eagle race tires for the first time in a points-paying race. An engineering undertaking two years in the making, Goodyear’s NASCAR Next Gen tire closely mirrors its high-performance tire for passenger cars and features an 18-inch wheel diameter, shorter sidewall and wider contact patch.

Sumitomo Rubber North America will increase prices in the US, Canada and Caribbean on Falken and Ohtsu Brand Passenger, Light Truck and Medium Truck as well as implementing inline adjustments on a per size basis. The price increase will be effective March 1, 2022.

BASF has achieved a breakthrough in the development of adhesives that do not interfere with the recycling of transport boxes, such as paperboard and cardboard boxes with paper labels coated with Acronal RCF 3705 or Acronal RCF 3706. Both adhesives have been certified by “Papiertechnische Stiftung” (PTS) for this property. PTS is a German research and service institute that supports companies in all sectors in the development and application of modern fiber-based solutions. The institute carries out materials testing for paper and cardboard packaging. “As we work to achieve worldwide climate neutrality, greater circularity and more effective recycling are a must. By developing the recycling friendly adhesives Acronal RCF 3705 and Acronal RCF 3706, BASF has made a decisive contribution towards more sustainable labeling, for example in the logistics sector,” said Uwe Düsterwald, Project Manager, Sustainability in Adhesives, BASF.

Elite Advanced Polymers announced that Seiichiro “Ichiro” Araki assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer effective December 1, 2021. Mr. Araki will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, including its manufacturing facility in Ripley, Mississippi, and its expansion efforts across the country. Murli Nathan, who has been the company’s Executive Chairman and CEO, will continue as Executive Chairman.