April 15, 2016

The twentieth meeting of the Global Phenolic Resins Association (GPRA) was held April 13 and 14 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The group welcomed the newest member, Forace Polymers (p) Ltd., represented by their Managing Director, Vikas Garg. Forace stated that they are the largest producer of phenolic resins for foundry applications in India. Attendees enjoyed special presentations on REACH in Korea, phenolic foam for insulation, phenolic foam for floral applications, Operational Excellence in Acquisitions, and lessons learned from building a PF plant in China.  In addition, the group heard reports about the economic status in various regions of the world, the raw material trends in the phenolic resin industry and the current state of formaldehyde regulations around the world.

This meeting was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka to allow easier access for Asian phenolic resin manufacturers. The group heard Company updates from all attendees including Hexion, Prefere Resins, Forace Polymers, AICA, UCP Chemicals, Kolon Industries, the CPRA (Chinese Phenolic Resin Association) and SI Group. The group continues to share presentations relating to current and best practices in Environmental, Health and Safety management within the industry. In this meeting, AICA presented ideas on how to best control phenolic resin reactions. The GPRA meeting serves as an excellent forum for learning more about safe work practices in phenolic resin facilities.

The group saw presentations about the economic situation in various parts of the world, including several that showed Chinese growth slowed to about 6.5 to 7%, the EU still with sluggish growth and US growth leveling off in the 2 to 2.5% range. Latest trends in the key raw materials of phenol, methanol and US shale gas were also discussed.  SI Group gave an update on formaldehyde in the US and UCP gave an update of the European formaldehyde regulation changes.

The meetings were held in the presence of the Treuhandbuero, an independent consulting group that ensures that all discussions comply with all national and international laws. All members, incl. the new member Forace Polymers have signed the anti-trust compliance documents.

The next meeting of the GPRA is scheduled for November 3 and 4 in Hong Kong.  The GPRA Chairmen are Dr. Joerg Talbiersky of UCP Chemicals, representing Europe, William Scheffer of SI Group, representing the Americas and the newly promoted Sang Ho (“Shane”) Lee of Kolon Industries, representing Asia. Membership in the GPRA provides excellent value to its members as the only organization, which allows proper meetings between phenolic resin industry representatives from around the globe.

The Mission of the GPRA is: 'To enhance the reputation of the global phenolic resins industry with all its stakeholders by highlighting the unique contribution offered to society by these resins and to foster safe management of phenolic resins throughout their lifecycle’

Further information may be found on the GPRA website at www.gpraweb.com. Questions or comments related to the GPRA may be sent to:

Dr. Nausch Unternehmensberatung GmbH
- Treuhandbuero -
Hallbergstrasse 5
D-40239 Duesseldorf
Tel.: +49-(0)-211-68 78 940
Fax: +49-(0)-211-68 78 935
www.dnu.eu
treuhandbuero@dnu.eu