VIEWPOINT

Managing an E&C boom

6:28 AM MDT | June 7, 2013 | —Robert Westervelt

Our cover story this week asseses the improving fortunes for engineering and construction (E&C) firms as cheap shale gas ushers in a new wave of projects, particularly in North America, potentially stimulating more than $100 billion of related investment (p. 19)....

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TSCA stalemate breaks

A years-long standoff on reform of US chemicals management laws has ended with the introduction of a bipartisan bill—the Chemical Safety Improvement Act (CSIA) of 2013—by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D., NJ) and David Vitter (R., LA) to modernize the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (p. 8)....

Distribution slows

Our cover story this week shows how the traditional resilience of the distribution sector is being tested by the recession in Europe (p. 23)...

Staying special

Our cover story this week assesses specialty chemical strategies (p. 21). Defining specialty chemicals remains tricky with analysts, and even some producers, saying that the term “specialty chemical” is overused....

Japan hopes for recovery

The country’s spirits have been lifted since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who returned to office in December, launched aggressive fiscal and monetary stimulus to reverse nearly 20 years of deflation and flat economic growth....

US chemicals: Sideways

Overall US chemical demand growth has been nothing if not consistent, and lackluster, for two years now....

Unboxing chemicals

Dow Chemical chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris offered a provocative thought upon receiving the Society of Chemical Industry American section’s Chemical Industry Medal last week in New York. “I must say, I hope I am one of the last to receive it,” Liveris said. “At least, under its current name.”...

Petchem prognosis

The high spirits of North American petrochemical makers were evident at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and IHS petrochemical conferences over the past two weeks....

A. Schulman bids for Ferro

Ferro’s stumble through the past few years appears likely to drive it into the hands of A. Schulman, a Cleveland-area rival. Schulman announced a hostile $6.50/share bid last week, valuing Ferro at $885 million (p. 6)....

Refinery catalysts

Our cover story this week features prospects for refinery catalyst makers. Stronger demand for transportation fuels in emerging economies continues to boost supplier sentiment (p. 19). The global market for refining catalysts was $3.1 billion in 2011—roughly a quarter of the $12.5-billion process catalyst industry, according to IHS Chemical....

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