TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
INTRODUCTION xi
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
II. MARKET ENVIRONMENT 4
General 4
Macroeconomic Outlook 5
Consumer Income & Spending Trends 8
Demographic & Household Trends 10
Manufacturing Outlook 13
Building Construction Outlook 15
Residential 17
Nonresidential 20
Thermoplastic Industry Trends 21
Thermoplastic Compounding Overview 25
Market Trends 27
Resin Pricing Trends 29
Regulatory Considerations 32
Recycling Activity 34
International Activity 36
III. RESINS 38
General 38
Engineered Thermoplastics 41
Characteristics & Producers 43
Markets 46
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene 49
Polycarbonate 49
Nylon 51
Thermoplastic Polyester 52
Polyacetal & Other 53
Polyvinyl Chloride 54
Characteristics & Producers 55
Markets 57
Polypropylene 61
Characteristics & Producers 62
Markets 63
Polyethylene 66
Characteristics & Producers 67
Markets 68
Thermoplastic Elastomers 70
Characteristics & Producers 71
Markets 74
Polystyrene 76
Characteristics & Producers 77
Markets 78
IV. MARKETS 80
General 80
Construction 82
Resins 83
Applications 86
Pipe & Fittings 87
Siding, Windows & Doors 88
Other Applications 89
Motor Vehicles 90
Motor Vehicle Outlook 91
Demand by Vehicle Type 92
Resins 94
Engineered Thermoplastics 96
Polypropylene 96
Thermoplastic Elastomers 97
Other Resins 97
Applications 98
Interior 99
Engine & Mechanical 100
Structural & Exterior 101
Consumer & Institutional 102
Resins 102
Polyvinyl Chloride 105
Polypropylene 106
Engineered Thermoplastics 106
Thermoplastic Elastomers 107
Other Resins 108
Applications 108
Electrical & Electronic 111
Electrical & Electronic Sector Trends 112
Resins 114
Applications 119
Insulated Wire & Cable 121
Insulated Wire & Cable Outlook 122
Resins & Applications 123
Other Markets 128
Appliances 129
Appliance Industry Trends 129
Resins & Applications 131
Packaging 135
Packaging Industry Trends 136
Resins & Applications 137
Industrial 140
Industrial Machinery & Equipment Outlook 141
Resins & Applications 142
All Other Markets 145
V. INDUSTRY STRUCTURE 148
General 148
Market Share 152
PolyOne 153
Ampacet 154
A. Schulman 155
Teknor Apex 155
Ferro 156
Spartech 156
LNP Engineering 157
Acquisitions & Divestitures 157
Types of Compounders 161
Resin Producers 163
Processors 163
Independent Compounders 164
Toll Compounding 165
Custom Compounding 166
Proprietary Compounding 167
Concentrate Compounding 169
Marketing Strategies 170
Channels of Distribution 172
Research & Development 173
Competitive Strategies 174
Cooperative Agreements 176
Company Profiles 181
Adell Plastics Incorporated 182
Advanced Polymer Alloys LLC, see Ferro Corporation
Albis Plastic GmbH 183
Alliance Alloys LLC, see GLS Corporation
Alloy Polymers Incorporated 185
AlphaGary Corporation, see Rockwood Specialties
Group Incorporated
Americhem Incorporated 186
AMETEK Incorporated 188
Ampacet Corporation 189
Asahi Kasei Corporation 191
Bayshore Industrial Incorporated, see ICO Incorporated
BIP Group Limited, see Chem Polymer Limited
Chem Polymer Limited 193
Clariant International Limited 195
Colorite Polymers, see Tekni-Plex Incorporated
Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Incorporated 198
Dover Chemical Corporation, see ICC Industries
Incorporated
Dow Corning Corporation 199
Ferro Corporation 200
Foster Corporation 203
General Electric Company 205
GLS Corporation 207
GWB Plastics Holding Company, see Spartech
Corporation
Heller (H.) & Company Incorporated 209
ICC Industries Incorporated 210
ICO Incorporated 212
Infinity Color, see Penn Color Incorporated
J-Von NA LLC 213
Lati Industria Termoplastici SpA 214
LNP Engineering Plastics Incorporated, see General
Electric Company
Lubrizol Corporation 216
Matrixx Group Incorporated 218
Muehlstein (H.) & Company Incorporated 219
Multibase, see Dow Corning Corporation
Novatec Plastics Corporation Incorporated, see PVC
Container Corporation
Noveon Incorporated, see Lubrizol Corporation
O Neil Color & Compounding Corporation, see
ICC Industries Incorporated
Penn Color Incorporated 220
Plastics Color Corporation Incorporated, see PMC
Global Incorporated
PlastxWorld Incorporated 222
PMC Global Incorporated 223
PMC Group Incorporated 224
Polymer Products Company Incorporated, see PMC
Group Incorporated
PolyOne Corporation 226
Premier Polymers Incorporated, see Dainippon Ink
and Chemicals Incorporated
PVC Container Corporation 230
Quality Colour Incorporated, see Clariant International
Limited
RheTech Incorporated 231
Rockwood Specialties Group Incorporated 232
RTP Company 235
Schulman (A.) Incorporated 237
Spartech Corporation 240
Standridge Color Corporation 242
Sunprene Company, see Schulman (A.) Incorporated
Techmer PM LLC 243
Tekni-Plex Incorporated 244
Teknor Apex Company 246
Thermedics Polymer LLC, see Lubrizol Corporation
Total Compounding Solutions, see Matrixx Group
Trinity Specialty Compounding Incorporated, see
Muehlstein (H.) & Company Incorporated
Washington Penn Plastic Company Incorporated 249
Westchester Plastics, see AMETEK Incorporated
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE NUMBER PAGE
SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Summary Table
3
SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
1 Macroeconomic Indicators 8
2 Consumer Income & Spending Patterns 10
3 Demographic & Household Trends 13
4 Manufacturers Shipments 14
5 Building Construction Expenditures 17
6 Residential Building Construction Expenditures 19
7 Nonresidential Building Construction Expenditures 21
8 Thermoplastics Demand 24
9 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Market Trends,
1993-2003 28
10 Comparative Thermoplastics Prices 32
SECTION III -- RESINS
1 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Demand by Resin 40
2 Independently Compounded Engineered Thermoplastic
Demand 43
3 Independently Compounded Engineered Thermoplastic
Demand by Market 48
4 Independently Compounded Polyvinyl Chloride Demand 55
5 Independently Compounded Polyvinyl Chloride Demand
by Market 60
6 Independently Compounded Polypropylene Demand 61
7 Independently Compounded Polypropylene Demand by
Market 65
8 Independently Compounded Polyethylene Demand 67
9 Independently Compounded Polyethylene Demand by
Market 69
10 Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Elastomer
Demand 71
11 Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Elastomer
Demand by Market 75
12 Independently Compounded Polystyrene Demand 77
13 Independently Compounded Polystyrene Demand by Market 79
SECTION IV--MARKETS
1 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Demand by
Market 81
2 Construction Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 85
3 Construction Markets for Independent Compounders
by Application 87
4 Motor Vehicle Production & Sales 92
5 Motor Vehicle Markets for Independent Compounders
by Vehicle Type 94
6 Motor Vehicle Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 95
7 Motor Vehicle Markets for Independent Compounders
by Application 99
8 Consumer & Institutional Markets for Independent
Compounders by Resin 104
9 Consumer & Institutional Markets for Independent
Compounders by Application 111
10 Electrical & Electronic Equipment Shipments 114
11 Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent
Compounders by Resin 118
12 Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent
Compounders by Application 121
13 Insulated Wire & Cable Shipments 123
14 Wire & Cable Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 127
15 Other Markets for Independent Compounders 128
16 Appliance Shipments 131
17 Appliance Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 135
18 Packaging Shipments 137
19 Packaging Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 140
20 Industrial Machinery & Equipment Shipments 142
21 Industrial Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin 145
22 All Other Markets for Independent Compounders
by Resin 147
SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Sales of Selected Independent Thermoplastic
Compounders by Company, 2003 150
2 Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures 160
3 Selected Cooperative Agreements 178
LIST OF CHARTS
CHART NUMBER PAGE
SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
1 Thermoplastics Demand by Type, 2003 25
2 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Market Trends,
1993-2003 29
SECTION III -- RESINS
1 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Demand by
Resin, 2003 41
2 Independently Compounded Engineered Thermoplastic
Demand by Market, 2003 48
3 Independently Compounded Polyvinyl Chloride Demand
by Market, 2003 60
4 Independently Compounded Polypropylene Demand by
Market, 2003 65
5 Independently Compounded Polyethylene Demand by
Market, 2003 70
6 Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Elastomer
Demand by Market, 2003 76
7 Independently Compounded Polystyrene Demand by
Market, 2003 79
SECTION IV -- MARKETS
1 Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Demand by
Market, 2003 82
2 Construction Markets for Independent Compounders by
Resin, 2003 86
3 Motor Vehicle Markets for Independent Compounders by
Resin, 2003 95
4 Consumer & Institutional Markets for Independent
Compounders by Resin, 2003 105
5 Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent
Compounders by Resin, 2003 119
SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
1 US Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Market
Share, 2003 153
2 Thermoplastic Compounding Industry Flowchart 162
