Would like the following info on 2 manufacturers of PLastic additives:
Atofina
Kaneka
Manufacturing locations (global)
Size of business in dollars gloablly
Recent activities (e.g. acquisitions, new products, etc)
Product line (not critical as this is easily obtainable via websites)

Thanks

Hello Blucken,

Below you will find the results of my research regarding the two
companies you requested in your question.


==================
Kaneka Corporation 
==================

-----
Sales
-----

KANEKA CORPORATION AND CONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES

-----------------------------------
       Net sales 
-----------------------------------
Year     Thousands of U.S. dollars
2003     $3,097,088  
------------------------------------


--------------------------------------
         Sales breakdown 2003
--------------------------------------
49% Chemicals, resins and plastics

37.4% Foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals

13.6% Electrical and electronic 
materials, synthetic fibers and others
---------------------------------------


Plastic products:

?FC-free products, which have superior environmental adaptability,
were well-marketed for construction-related use. Sales of polyolefin
bead foam resins increased in all four important regions - Japan, the
U.S.A., Europe and Asia - compared with the previous period, because
the demand for shock-absorbent packaging for PCs and other products
recovered slightly, and the demand for bumper-core material used in
automobiles
remained firm in the U.S.A. Despite these results, sales in this
category increased only slightly due to depressed prices and a
sluggish demand for other products such as expandable polystyrene
whose sales depend on domestic demand. Profits, however, increased
significantly due to successful cost reduction.

Consequently, higher sales were recorded in this segment compared to
the same period of the previous year. An increase in income from
overseas subsidiaries largely contributed to a significant increase in
profit.?



Source: Kaneka Annual Report 2003
http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/download/pdf/2003_ar.pdf

Financial Data
http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/download/index.html


----------
Activities
----------

Redesigning Business Structure

?One approach is to divert our focus from commodity products to
value-added products, using highly specialized technology as the
primary source of revenue. The Company is allocating its management
resources primarily to five areas in which a high growth rate is
expected, namely: high-performance resins, information and
communications, functional foods, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and
solar cells.?

July 2002
Kaneka Acquires Osaka Synthetic Chemical Laboratories, Inc. an
Outsourcing Vendor for Clinical Trial Drugs and Bulk Drugs

July 2002
?Kaneka?s New Development Plant Commences Operations to Accelerate
Initial Phase Development of Pharmaceutical Intermediates. The
development plant that was under construction in the Takasago Plant
(Hyogo Prefecture), commenced full-scale operations in late July 2002.
The plant is expected to facilitate more efficient development of
pharmaceutical intermediates.?

December 2002
Kaneka Launches First Domestic Coil for Embolization of Cerebral Aneurysms

January 2003
Kaneka Launches See-through Solar Cells, plus Solar Cells Integrated
with Green Rooftop System

March 2003
Kaneka Enters Cellular Therapeutics Business through Joint Development
of Medical Devices with Medinet Co., Ltd.

March 2003
?Hane Co., Ltd. Becomes Wholly Owned Subsidiary to Enhance Competitive
Strength of Expandable Polystyrene Business
In March 2003, Hane Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Nagoya, approximately 170
employees) became our wholly owned subsidiary through an exchange of
shares. Hane is a national distributor of expandable polystyrene
products such as fish containers.?

March 2003
?Kaneka has developed high-insulation-grade extruded polystyrene foam
board (product name: Kanelite Super-E, featuring three types of heat
insulation) that is made with an FC-free blowing agent. This product
was awarded the 51st Chemical Technology Award from the Chemical
Society of
Japan in 2003.?

April 2003
Kaneka Plans to Expand Production Capacity for Ultra-heat-resistant
Polyimide Film, Apical®

Source: Kaneka Annual Report 2003
http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/download/pdf/2003_ar.pdf


-------------
Main Products
-------------

Chemicals,Resins and Plastics

PVC and Caustic Soda 
? Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
? Caustic soda
? Hydrochloric acid

Specialty Plastics
? Modifiers for plastics (MBS resins)
? Heat-resistant ABS resins
? Self-extinguishing ABS resins
? Paste PVC
? Chlorinated PVC
? Silyl terminated polyethers
(MS Polymer)
? Allyl (Silyl) terminated
polyisobuthylenes (EPION)
? Rigid PVC compounds

Plastics Products 
? Extruded polystyrene foam boards
? Insulating PVC sash windows
? Polystyrene foam sheets
? Polyethylene/Polypropylene foams
(beads and moldings)
? Expandable polystyrene

Foodstuffs and Pharmaceuticals

Foodstuffs
? Margarine and shortening
? Confectionary fats
? Bakery yeast

Pharmaceuticals
? Ubidecarenone (CoQ10)
? Anti-hypertensive drug
intermediates
? Intermediates for antibiotics
? Liposorber system (LDL-
cholesterol adsorption system)
? Lixelle® (Adsorption column for
dialysis-related amyloidosis)

Electrical and Electronic Materials,
Synthetic Fibers and Others

Electrical and Electronic Materials 
? Polyimide film
? Bonded magnets
? Magnet wire and
communication cables
? Flexible PVC compounds
? PVC pipes for underground
cables
? Photovoltaic system

Synthetic Fibers
? Modacrylic fibers


Source: Kaneka Annual Report 2003
http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/download/pdf/2003_ar.pdf


-----------------------
Manufacturing Locations
-----------------------

*** U.S.A.

Kaneka Delaware Corporation
Manufacture of paste PVC

Kaneka High-tech Materials, Inc.
Manufacture of electronic materials

Kaneka Texas Corporation
Manufacture of specialty plastics and plastic products


*** Asia /Oceania 

Kaneka Singapore Co. (Pte.) Ltd. <Singapore>
Manufacture of pharmaceutical intermediates

Kaneka (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. <Malaysia>
Manufacture of specialty plastics

Kaneka Electec Sdn. Bhd. <Malaysia>
Manufacture of electrical and electronic materials

Kaneka Eperan Sdn. Bhd. <Malaysia>
Manufacture of plastic products

Kaneka Paste Polymers Sdn. Bhd. <Malaysia>
Manufacture of paste PVC

TGA Pastry Company Pty Ltd. <Australia>
Manufacture of foodstuffs


*** Europe

Kaneka Belgium N.V. <Belgium >
Manufacture of specialty plastics and plastic products


*** Japan

Hokkaido Kaneka Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of plastic products

Hokkaido Kanepearl Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of plastic products

Osaka Synthetic Chemical Laboratories, Inc.
Manufacture of pharmaceuticals

Sanwa Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of plastic products

Sunpolymer Corporation
Manufacture of plastic products

Tochigi Kaneka Corporation
Manufacture of plastic products and electronic materials
  
Tokyo Kaneka Food Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of oils and fats

Kaneka Sun Spice Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of spices

Kaneka Medix Corporation
Manufacture of medical devices

Kyushu Kanelite Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of plastic products

Showa Kaseikogyo Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of PVC compounds

Taiyo Yushi Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of oils and fats

Kaneka Solar-tech Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of solar cells

Tatsuta Chemical Co., Ltd.
Manufacture of plastic products

Source: Kaneka Annual Report 2003
http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/download/pdf/2003_ar.pdf

,691
13,058

=======
ATOFINA
=======

-----
Sales
-----

ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc. employs 3,000 people and reported sales in
2003 of $1.5 billion. ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc., is part of ATOFINA, a
world-scale chemicals activity, with 61,200 employees and sales in
2003 of $18.2 billion. ATOFINA is the chemical branch of Total (NYSE:
TOT), the world's 4th largest oil and gas company with 121,000
employees and sales in 2003 of $97.6 billion.
http://www.atofinachemicals.com/contactus.cfm#


Breakdown of turnover by segment

40%  Specialty Chemicals   
20%  Intermediates and Performance Polymers 
40%  Base Chemicals and Commodity polymers
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/atofina/a_propos/chiffrescles.htm#1


----------------------
Locations and Products
----------------------

At the following link you will find a list of the Atofina global
manufacturing plants. Each listing includes full contact information
and product list for each one.

Countries............................  All the countries 
Companies............................  ATOFINA 
Establishments.......................  Industrial site
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/implantation/d_implantation_choix.cfm?idsociete=4&idpays=0&idetabl=3
OR
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/implantation/d_implantation_print.cfm


-----------------
Recent activities
-----------------

January 2004  
ATOFINA is launching LACQRENE® 855 
LACQRENE® 855 is a new halogen-free flame-retardant impact Polystyrene
developed specifically for the production of television casings for
the European market.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=12021

December 2003  
With the launch of 8 new Finacene® grades for film applications,
Atofina confirms its ongoing development of second generation
metallocene polyethylene (PE). Combining straightforward processing
with outstanding optical and mechanical properties, these new PE
grades fulfil the needs of converters for every flexible packaging
type and accommodate the production of thinner gauge packaging without
jeopardising other properties.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11764

December 2003  
With its new Finaclear® 636 and Finaclear® 609 grades, ATOFINA extends
the application range of its thermoplastic elastomers to injection
moulding. The launch of these styrene-butadiene copolymers thereby
marks a new generation of impact modifiers for clear polystyrene (PS).
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11746

December 2003  
ATOFINA has launched a new functional polyolefin: Evatane® 42-60.
Soluble and providing good transparency without altering the colour,
this new Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) copolymer grade is particularly
suitable for the manufacture of solvent based inks for flexible
packaging film (plastic, paper, etc.).
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11735

December 2003  
ATOFINA has launched two new styrene-butadiene copolymer grades under
the trade names Finaclear® 540 and 550.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11733

October 2003
ATOFINA is launching Forane® 134a UV glow at the IKK trade show.
Featuring an added UV colourant, this refrigerant fluid is designed to
enable leaks from HFC*-134a automotive air-conditioning systems to be
detected quickly and efficiently. This new refrigerant combines the
benefits of standard HFC-134a and an effective colourant.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11402

September 2003  
A leader in the performance polyamide market, ATOFINA has launched a
new innovative grade: RILSAN® M-AESN Black P 212 CTL. This
ATOFINA-patented polyamide 12 meets the latest requirements of the
automotive industry in terms of conductivity and cost-effectiveness,
whilst retaining outstanding mechanical properties. RILSAN® M-AESN
Black P 212 CTL is particularly suited to the manufacture of mono- and
multilayer fuel transfer tubes.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11203

May 2003  
ATOFINA announced today the availability of closed-cell foams made
from KYNAR® and Kynar Flex® PVDF. Using a technology originally
developed for polyolefin foams, KYNAR® fluoropolymer foams can be
created with densities of 30 kg/m3 (0.03 g/cm3) or less. This is some
60 times lighter than the solid resin. Both the thickness and density
of the finished foam can be controlled to suit a specific application.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10443

May 2003  
Recently launched on the market, Durastrength® 400 and Durastrength®
400R are the first two grades in a group of innovative acrylate-based
specialty impact modifiers for engineering polymers.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10302

May 2003  
ATOFINA has launched Lacqrene® 855, a new halogen-free flame-retardant
impact polystyrene developed specifically for the production of
television casings for the European market. This new low-density
easy-to-process grade is also very cost-effective.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10307

May 2003  
ATOFINA has launched PlastistrengthTM 700 X, a new acrylic copolymer
with an original feature: its non-sticking effect in PVC formulations.
This high performance process aid is particularly suited to rigid PVC
packaging applications.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10306

May 2003  
Atofina has just announced a new epoxy-containing terpolymer additive,
Lotader® AX 8950, that offers higher fluidity and promotes the
adhesion of overmolding compounds and polyolefin foams to engineering
plastics and metals.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10308

May 2003  
The ATOFINA subsidiary Atoglas is to market all its acrylic products
under a single trade name in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the
Middle East: Atoglas acrylic resin, previously sold in these regions
under the trade name Oroglas®, will now be marketed under the trade
name ALTUGLAS®.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=10283

March 2003  
ATOFINA continues to develop plastic additives with the launch of
Durastrength® 529, a new PVC acrylic modifier for exterior
construction applications.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9541

March 2003  
ATOFINA has launched a program for the certification of applicators of
RILSAN® polyamide fine powders. The certification is being granted to
companies applying the powder within specific operational constraints,
the main objective being to ensure outstanding coating quality for
end-users.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9503

February 2003  
ATOFINA has announced the successful recommissioning of its
Port-de-Bouc facilities (Bouches-du-Rhône, France) in optimum
conditions for the production of brominated derivatives used in
particular in the pharmaceutical industry.
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9282

December 2003   
ATOFINA sells its Chlorochemicals business in Mexico and consolidates
its Organic Peroxides activity
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11902

December 1, 2003   
Additional capacity of PMMA by Atoglas at its Jinhae Korean plant
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11666

October 24, 2003   
Atofina plans to sell its bromochemicals business to Albemarle 
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11542

October 20, 2003   
Atofina to build a new organic peroxydes plant in China
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11502

August 8, 2003   
Total and ADNOC sign a memorandum of understanding for the
construction of a melamine plant in Abu Dhabi
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=11102

April 3, 2003   
ATOFINA increases capacity at its Antwerp polyethylene plant in Belgium
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9841
  
February 25, 2003   ATOFINA Announces Plans to Expand Styrene Monomer
facility in Carville (USA)
http://www.atofina.com/groupe/gb/actucomm/d_detail.cfm?IdComm=9402


Search criteria:
Atofina, locations, sales, activities, products
Kaneka, locations, sales, activities, products


I hope you find this helpful!

Bets regards,
Bobbie7

great work