• Verallia has reported 3.0% organic growth across 2011 (1.7% in the second half), reportedly spurred by favourable trends in sales prices, which gained 2.7% as a whole and 2.8% in the second half of 2011.
• According to a “Glass Packaging Market 2012-2022” report, the global glass packaging market is estimated to reach $34.8 billion in 2012. High growth regions such as Columbia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey are experiencing a rapid increase in disposable income, which translates into higher consumer spending in cosmetics, food and beverage sectors.
• Blast furnace 9 at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe in Duisburg-Hamborn was shut down for a period of 180 days to allow the refractory lining and parts of the cooling system to be replaced. The steel producer is investing €37 million in this modernization project.
• The RHI AG increased revenues by 15.5% to €1758.6 million in the year 2011 (previous year: €1,522.9 million). The operating result rose by 7.1 % to €148,6 million (previous year: €138.8 million). Earnings before interest and tax hence increased by nearly 20% to €150.9 million (previous year: €126 million) and included expenses and income arising from the reversal of impairments and restructuring of €2.3 million, which are related to the closure of two sites in EMEA and the sale of a plant in Canada.
• SGL Group–The Carbon Company — has further expanded its production in Pune, India, gaining a larger footprint in the Indian growth market. At the new production facility, the manufacture of graphite-based system components (heat exchangers and columns) for the chemical industry has been increased.
• The five Gulf smelters — Alba, Dubal, Emal, Sohar and Qatalum — produced more than 3.6 Mt of aluminium in 2011 and will reach around 5 Mt by 2014 when Ma’aden and Emal phase 2 are completed, a report said.
• ANH Refractories Europe is reporting a record increase in turnover from £4 million to circa £7 million in 2011, following contract wins in the Middle East and growth in U.K. and European markets.