US demand for independently compounded thermoplastics is forecast to rise 2.7 percent yearly through 2013. Value gains will be fueled by shifts toward more highly tailored resin formulations. Best opportunities are expected for thermoplastic elastomers and polypropylene, while polyvinyl chloride remains the largest segment.

This study analyzes the 6.6 billion pound US independently compounded thermoplastic industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 1998, 2003 and 2008, and forecasts for 2013 and 2018 by resin (e.g., polyvinyl chloride, engineering thermoplastics, polypropylene, polyethylene) and market (e.g., construction, motor vehicles, consumer and institutional).

The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 33 industry players, including PolyOne, Ampacet and Schulman.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


SECTION                                                                      PAGE

               INTRODUCTION  						        x
                                                                                 
          I.   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                                1

         II.   MARKET ENVIRONMENT                                               4
               General                                                          4
               Macroeconomic Outlook                                            5
               Demographic Trends                                              10
               Consumer Income & Spending                                      13
               Manufacturing Outlook                                           15
               Building Construction Outlook                                   18
                   Residential                                                 21
                   Nonresidential                                              24
               Thermoplastics Overview                                         27
                   Thermoplastic Resins                                        29
                   Thermoplastic Elastomers                                    30
               Thermoplastic Compounding Overview                              31
               Historical Trends                                               33
               Resin Pricing Trends                                            35
               Regulatory Considerations                                       38
               Recycling Activity                                              40
               International Activity                                          43
               
        III.   RESINS                                                          45
               General                                                         45
               Polyvinyl Chloride                                              49
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 50
                   Markets                                                     52
               Engineering Thermoplastics                                      55
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 58
                   Markets                                                     60
                   Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene                             64
                   Polycarbonate                                               65
                   Nylon                                                       67
                   Thermoplastic Polyester                                     68
                   Polyacetal & Other                                          69
               Polypropylene                                                   69
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 70
                   Markets                                                     71
               Polyethylene                                                    74
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 75
                   Markets                                                     76
               Thermoplastic Elastomers                                        79
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 80
                   Markets                                                     82
               Polystyrene                                                     87
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 88
                   Markets                                                     89
               Other Resins                                                    91
                   Characteristics & Producers                                 92
                   Markets                                                     93
                   
         IV.   MARKETS                                                         96
               General                                                         96
               Construction                                                    98
                   Resins                                                      99
                   Applications                                               102
                     Pipe & Fittings                                          103
                     Siding, Windows & Doors                                  104
                     Other Uses                                               105
               Motor Vehicles                                                 106
                   Motor Vehicle Outlook                                      107
                   Demand by Vehicle Type                                     109
                   Resins                                                     111
                     Engineering Thermoplastics                               113
                      Polypropylene                                           114
                     Thermoplastic Elastomers                                 114
                     Other Resins                                             115
                   Applications                                               115
                     Interior                                                 117
                     Engine & Mechanical                                      117
                     Structural & Exterior                                    118
               Consumer & Institutional                                       119
                   Resins                                                     120
                     Polyvinyl Chloride                                       122
                     Polypropylene                                            123
                     Engineering Thermoplastics                               123
                     Thermoplastic Elastomers                                 124
                     Other Resins                                             125
                   Applications                                               125
               Electrical & Electronic                                        128
                   Electrical & Electronic Sector Trends                      129
                   Resins                                                     130
                   Applications                                               136
               Insulated Wire & Cable                                         138
                   Insulated Wire & Cable Outlook                             139
                   Resins & Applications                                      140
               Other Markets                                                  144
                   Packaging                                                  145
                     Packaging Industry Trends                                145
                     Resins & Applications                                    148
                   Appliances                                                 151
                     Appliance Industry Trends                                152
                     Resins & Applications                                    154
                   Industrial Machinery                                       158
                     Industrial Machinery & Equipment Outlook                 158
                     Resins & Applications                                    159
                   All Other Markets                                          162
                   
          V.   INDUSTRY STRUCTURE                                             166
               General                                                        166
               Market Share                                                   170
               Acquisitions & Divestitures                                    174
               Types of Compounders                                           178
               Resin Producers181
                   Processors                                                 181
                   Independent Compounders                                    182
                     Toll Compounding                                         183
                     Custom Compounding                                       184
                     Proprietary Compounding                                  184
                     Concentrate Compounding                                  185
               Marketing Strategies                                           187
               Channels of Distribution                                       188
               Research & Development                                         190
               Competitive Strategies                                         191
               Cooperative Agreements                                         192
               Company Profiles                                               196
                   Accel Color Corporation, see Techmer                          
                   Aclo Compounders Incorporated, see Citadel Plastics 
                   Adell Plastics Incorporated                                197
                   Albis Plastic GmbH                                         198
                   Alloy Polymers Incorporated                                200
                   AlphaGary Corporation, see Rockwood Holdings         
                   American Compounding Specialties LLC                       201
                   Americhem Incorporated                                     202
                   AMETEK Incorporated                                        203
                   Ampacet Corporation                                        204
                   Asahi Kasei Corporation                                    206
                   Bayshore Industrial Incorporated, see ICO                     
                   Bayshore Vinyl Compounds Incorporated, see Mexichem       
                   Chem Polymer Corporation, see Teknor Apex
                   Chroma Corporation                                         208
                   Citadel Plastics Holdings Incorporated                     209
                   Clariant International Limited                             211
                   Colorite Polymers, see Tekni-Plex Incorporated                
                   Dover Chemical Corporation, see ICC Industries                
                   Dow Corning Corporation                                    213
                   Entec Polymers LLC, see Ravago SA                             
                   Ferro Corporation                                          215
                   Fiberfil Engineered Plastics Incorporated, see Citadel
                     Plastics
                   Fortis Plastics LLC                                        217
                   Global Thermoplastics LP, see Fortis Plastics                 
                   GLS Corporation, see PolyOne Corporation                      
                   Heller (H.) & Company Incorporated                         218
                   ICC Industries Incorporated                                219
                   ICO Incorporated                                           221
                   Inteplast Group Limited, see Formosa Plastics
                   Lubrizol Corporation                                       222
                   Matrixx Group Incorporated, see Citadel Plastics                                 
                   Mexichem SAB de CV                                         225
                   Muehlstein (H.) & Company Incorporated, see Ravago 
                   Multibase Incorporated, see Dow Corning                       
                   O'Neil Color & Compounding Corporation, see ICC 
                     Industries
                   Plastics Color Corporation Incorporated, see PMC Global 
                   PMC Global Incorporated                                    226
                   PolyOne Corporation                                        228
                   Ravago SA                                                  232
                   RheTech Incorporated                                       234
                   Ricon Colors Incorporated, see Clariant International
                   Rite Systems Incorporated, see Clariant International
                   Rockwood Holdings Incorporated                             235
                   RTP Company                                                237
                   SABIC Innovative Plastics LP, see Saudi Basic Industries 
                   Schulman (A.) Incorporated                                 239
                   Spartech Corporation                                       242
                   Standridge Color Corporation                               243
                   Sunprene Company, see Schulman (A.)                           
                   Techmer PM LLC                                             244
                   Tekni-Plex Incorporated                                    246
                   Teknor Apex Company                                        247
                   Trinity Specialty Compounding LLC, see Ravago                 
                   Washington Penn Plastic Company Incorporated               250
                   Wellman Plastics Recycling LLC                             251
                   Westchester Plastics, see AMETEK                              
                   

                                 LIST OF TABLES
                                        
TABLE NUMBER                                                                 PAGE

               SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
               Summary Table                                                    3

               SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
           1   Macroeconomic Indicators                                         9
           2   Population & Households                                         13
           3   Personal Consumption Expenditures                               15
           4   Manufacturers' Shipments                                        18
           5   Building Construction Expenditures                              21
           6   Residential Building Construction Expenditures                  24
           7   Nonresidential Building Construction Expenditures               27
           8   Thermoplastics & Thermoplastic Elastomers Demand                28
           9   Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Market Trends,
                   1998-2008                                                   34
          10   Comparative Thermoplastic & Thermoplastic Elastomer
                   Prices                                                      38

               SECTION III -- RESINS
           1   Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Demand by Resin          48
           2   Independently Compounded Polyvinyl Chloride Demand              50
           3   Polyvinyl Chloride Markets for Independent Compounders          54
           4   Independently Compounded Engineering Thermoplastics 
                   Demand                                                      57
           5   Engineering Thermoplastics Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders                                                 63
           6   Independently Compounded Polypropylene Demand                   70
           7   Polypropylene Markets for Independent Compounders               73
           8   Independently Compounded Polyethylene Demand                    75
           9   Polyethylene Markets for Independent Compounders                78
          10   Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Elastomer Demand         80
          11   Thermoplastic Elastomer Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders                                                 86
          12   Independently Compounded Polystyrene Demand                     88
          13   Polystyrene Markets for Independent Compounders                 90
          14   Other Independently Compounded Thermoplastics Demand            92
          15   Other Independently Compounded Thermoplastic Demand by
                   Market                                                      95

               SECTION IV -- MARKETS
           1   Thermoplastic Resin Markets for Independent Compounders         97
           2   Construction Market for Independent Compounders by Resin       101
           3   Construction Market for Independently Compounded
                   Thermoplastics by Application                              103
           4   Motor Vehicle Indicators                                       108
           5   Motor Vehicle Market for Independent Compounders
                   by Vehicle Type                                            111
           6   Motor Vehicle Market for Independent Compounders 
                   by Resin                                                   112
           7   Motor Vehicle Market for Independent Compounders by      
                   Application                                                116
           8   Consumer & Institutional Market for Independent 
                   Compounders by Resin                                       121
           9   Consumer & Institutional Market for Independent 
                   Compounders by Application                                 128
          10   Electrical & Electronic Equipment Shipments                    130
          11   Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders By Resin                                       135
          12   Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders by Application                                 138
          13   Insulated Wire & Cable Indicators                              140
          14   Wire & Cable Markets for Independent Compounders by
                   Resin                                                      144
          15   Other Markets for Independent Compounders                      145
          16   Packaging Shipments by Material                                148
          17   Packaging Market for Independent Compounders by Resin          151
          18   Appliance Shipments                                            154
          19   Appliance Market for Independent Compounders by Resin          157
          20   Industrial Machinery & Equipment Shipments                     159
          21   Industrial Machinery Market for Independent Compounders
                    by Resin                                                  162
          22   All Other Markets for Independent Compounders by Resin         165


               SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
           1   US Sales of Selected Independent Thermoplastic 
                   Compounders by Company, 2008                               168
           2   Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures                           177
           3   Selected Cooperative Agreements                                194
               

                                   LIST OF CHARTS
                                        
CHART NUMBER                                                                 PAGE

               SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
           1   Thermoplastics & Thermoplastic Elastomers Demand 
                   by Type, 2008                                               29
           2   Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Market Trends, 
                   1998-2008                                                   35

               SECTION III -- RESINS
           1   Independent Thermoplastic Compounding Demand by 
                   Resin, 2008                                                 49
           2   Polyvinyl Chloride Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders, 2008                                           55
           3    Engineering Thermoplastic Markets for Independent
                   Compounders, 2008                                           64
           4   Polypropylene Markets for Independent Compounders, 2008         74
           5   Polyethylene Markets for Independent Compounders, 2008          78
           6   Thermoplastic Elastomer Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders, 2008                                           86
           7   Polystyrene Markets for Independent Compounders, 2008           91

               SECTION IV -- MARKETS
           1   Thermoplastic Resin Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders, 2008                                           98
           2   Construction Market for Independent Compounders 
                   by Resin, 2008                                             102
           3   Motor Vehicle Market for Independent Compounders
                    by Resin, 2008                                            112
           4   Consumer & Institutional Market for Independent 
                   Compounders by Resin, 2008                                 122
           5   Electrical & Electronic Markets for Independent 
                   Compounders by Resin, 2008                                 136

               SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
           1   US Independent Thermoplastic Compounding 
                   Market Share, 2008                                         170
           2   Thermoplastic Compounding Industry Flowchart                   180