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Clariant announced its fourth quarter and full year 2022 results. In the fourth quarter of 2022, continuing operations sales were CHF 1.323 billion, compared to CHF 1.242 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021. This corresponds to an increase of 12 % in local currency and 7 % in Swiss francs. Pricing positively impacted the Group sales result by 13 % while volumes declined by 1 %, with a currency impact of – 5 %. The strong sales growth in Catalysis and Natural Resources outpaced the anticipated muted development in Care Chemicals.

Firestone Agriculture, a business of Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), announced an official distribution agreement with Shark Wheel, a manufacturer of non-pneumatic (or air-free) tire technology. The agreement allows Firestone Ag to sell Shark Wheel’s non-pneumatic irrigation tire, known as SWIFT, through Firestone Ag’s nationwide certified dealer network.

The Munich-based mechanical engineering group KraussMaffei responds to an increasingly challenging market environment with a worldwide adjustment and efficiency program, also including the reduction of several hundred positions in the non-production areas. There are currently no plans to cut jobs in manufacturing and assembly.

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The new Smart #1 will come factory fitted with EcoContact 6 Q premium tires from Continental. The tire manufacturer has received worldwide original equipment approval for the Smart #1 in tire sizes 18 and 19 inches. The full-electric city SUV is the first Smart model developed by the joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Chinese carmaker Geely.

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi needs to find new ways to harvest latex and switch from scrap rubber (cup lump) production.

Standard, Advanced, Supreme Performance: This is how the performance level of Continental’s drive belts will be visually identified in its industrial segment in the future – uniformly, worldwide. With its new and globally aligned name and brand structure, the technology company aims to bundle its forces for a clear, comprehensive and efficient presence. “We are harmonizing our portfolio worldwide and improving transparency for our customers, who can now read the performance level and properties of a belt directly on the product,” says Rodrigo Maia, who heads up Continental’s industrial drive belt business. “With our unified approach, we will continue to strengthen the Continental brand and our belts will appear in the premium look that matches their product quality. This opens the door for further improvements and new products.”

The Bodo Möller Chemie Group is expanding on the African continent and has been supplying the West African market with its own warehouse in the Nigerian metropolitan area Lagos since last year. From there, the company provides speciality chemicals such as adhesives, resins, additives and fillers from leading chemical manufacturers to large and small customers in the paints and varnishes, coatings, printing inks as well as plastics industry, metal pre-treatment and DIY sectors with its own reliable logistics.

The new, global offering provides pressure sensitive adhesives solutions spanning all of the predominate technologies in the industry, including hot melt, waterborne, UV and specialty solution acrylics; leverages Arkema’s strong market knowledge and organization for adhesives, as well as its pioneering approach to materials science and expertise from its leading integrated specialty monomers, resins and additives businesses.