PETnews 6 NEWS PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 04/24 www.petpla.net The And&Or Group acquires Icebel The industrial automation company And&Or, headquartered in Palomares del Río, Spain, announced the acquisition of Icebel, a leading Portuguese company specialising in machinery and technologies for the glass industry. This operation reflects the continued growth and expansion of the And&Or Group in the market, further solidifying its position as a leader in automation solutions for the industry. The acquisition of Icebel represents a key strategic step for the And&Or Group, as it combines its expertise in handling plastic packaging (PET, HDPE) with Icebel’s analogous experience in glass packaging. This is intended to complement the product and service portfolio of the And&Or Group, allowing both companies to leverage synergies and collaborate in creating comprehensive solutions for the industry. The integration is expected to enable the Group to offer a wider range of solutions, increasing its manufacturing capacity to address the growing demands of the market and provide greater value to its customers. “We are delighted to welcome Icebel to the And&Or family. This acquisition reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of industrial automation,” said Antonio Ortega Suarez, CEO of And&Or. “Together, we are better positioned to provide comprehensive and advanced solutions to our customers across Europe, strengthening our position as industry leaders.” Alfonso Cardeira, Managing Director of Icewbel, stated, “This integration into the And&Or Group is a great opportunity to drive the company’s growth and progression. We are focused on ensuring that our relationship with all stakeholders is strengthened with this acquisition.” Both companies will work together to ensure a smooth transition that benefits both employees and customers. It is expected that this acquisition will strengthen the Group’s international presence. www.andyor.com Eastman plans to invest in two additional molecular recycling plants Eastman announced it has achieved on-spec initial production and is generating revenue from its new molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. The company expects to ramp up production of the new facility over the coming months and enable growth across a wide range of markets. Achieving this critical milestone enables the company’s pathway to deliver approximately $75 million of incremental EBITDA in 2024 from this facility as it builds momentum in its circular economy platform. “By demonstrating molecular recycling at this scale, we have solidified our position as a leader in the creation of a circular economy. Demand for recycled material at virgin-quality levels from our new facility remains strong, and we are excited to announce this significant next milestone in our journey,” said Mark Costa, Board Chair and CEO. In addition to this recently completed facility in Kingsport, Eastman plans to invest in two additional molecular recycling plants, one in France and another U.S. site. The location of its second U.S. molecular recycling facility will be Longview, Texas. The selection of the Longview site was based on several factors, says Eastman, including existing infrastructure and operations synergies, favourable energy supply, access to feedstock pools in the western and central U.S., and ample space for renewable energy generation. The Longview facility will have the capacity to recycle approximately 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste. Eastman’s proven polyester renewal technology recycles hard-to-recycle plastic waste currently bound for landfill or incineration. The company’s technology allows this waste to be broken down into its molecular building blocks and then reassembled to become virginquality material without compromising performance. Eastman is enabling the potentially infinite use of materials by keeping these valuable molecules in production, in a material-to-material high-yield loop. Eastman can transform waste plastic into virgin quality food contact polyesters with lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods. www.eastman.com Change in the CHT management board As of April 1, 2024, Eva Baumann takes over the posi t ion of CEO of CHT. Together wi th Prof Dr Klaus Müller, who acts as CFO, she forms the management of the internationally act ive Group. Unt i l 2020, Eva Baumann had worked for many years in a leading global company in the chemical industry. She has been part of the CHT Group since January 2020 and, as Group Vice President, has headed the Business Field General Industries at Group level. As CEO, she is now responsible for Marketing, Sales, Corporate Strategy, Human Resources and Sustainability. Eva Baumann has ambitious plans for the future of the CHT Group: “We are facing challenging but promising times of change. As a foundation-owned company, we have a strong backing. Nevertheless, we bear an immense responsibility for the continued existence of the company and for our employees all over the world. As a player in the chemical industry, we are also particularly committed to preserving our planet. Having been part of the CHT Group for many years, I know the character of the company and the people who make it up very well.” www.cht.com
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