Category: Lubrizol

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The Lubrizol Corporation’s LifeSciences business is investing $10 million for a significant capacity expansion at its silicone contract manufacturing site in Franklin, Wisconsin.

This investment strengthens the company’s silicone business by adding 71,000 square feet of space that complements the existing 126,000 square foot operation.

Previously, in 2010, Vesta more than doubled its footprint at this location; the current expansion supports LifeSciences’ long-term growth strategy to provide high-quality manufacturing for silicone implants and finished medical devices.

“When customers partner with Lubrizol LifeSciences, they benefit from working with us at every stage in their development process,” states Uwe Winzen, general manager, Lubrizol LifeSciences. “With a long history of polymer expertise combined with recent investments, Lubrizol LifeSciences is positioned to offer full-service development for the next generation of medical devices, as well as long-term implantable and drug-eluting device innovations.”

The expansion adds 71,000 square feet of new space featuring product development, cellular manufacturing, and high-efficiency production lines, as well as separate Class 7 & 8 clean room space for the production of implants and drug-eluting devices.

The expansion allows LifeSciences to capitalize on the strong local labor pool and technical expertise offered in the Wisconsin area.

“This new space covers immediate short-term needs, but also provides room for growth in the future. Customers can feel comfortable that we are able to handle both their current projects, as well as a significant increase in their future business efforts,” states Mark Stuart, general manager, Vesta. “Companies looking for a world-class, efficient contract manufacturing partner can choose us knowing that we are a sustainable partner for their long term growth.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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What’s more excellent than excellent? Excellenter? Excellentest? Well, anyway, Berkshire Hathaway’s Lubrizol has announced that its Performance Coatings business is upgrading its Textile Coatings Center of Excellence in Gastonia, North Carolina.

The facility, which focuses on research and development of coatings technologies for textile and non-woven substrates, and is dedicated to formulating and testing innovative coating technologies for an array of technical textile applications.

The new Center of Excellence is a state of the art textile coating product development and applications testing facility.

“By upgrading our capabilities, we continue our longstanding commitment to the textiles industry”, says Bob Bonner, technical manager. “This investment expands our ability to deliver a wide range of textile coating and testing services for customers, including flame retardancy, abrasion resistance, water repellency, chemical resistance, and stretch-restriction capability.”

“Our textiles team in Gastonia is focused on providing an outstanding experience for customers through technical service”, comments Ted Parigian, sales manager, textile coatings. “They’re constantly developing new technologies, and these upgrades will enhance our ongoing ability to deliver winning solutions.”

Lubrizol investments in global Center of Excellences ensure the ability for highly skilled technical experts to collaborate with customers and each other in world class labs with modern equipment to efficiently deliver advanced coating technologies to customers. “Reducing our response time to customers is a key business goal,” notes Lee Young, technical director. “When we can bring the right, differentiated products to customers and meet their time requirements in the process, then we are a critical part of their success and profitability.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Commercial drug product manufacturing will be added at the Lubrizol’s Particle Sciences facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The move to become a commercial drug product manufacturer, rather than just a producer of trial supplies used in testing, will enable Particle Science to produce pharmaceutical products for commercial sale by its customers.

Particle Science already has several customers lined up for its new service, and plans to hire an additional 30 employees to its existing workforce of 85 employees.

The roughly $10 million expansion of its facility will be adjacent to the existing development and clinical trial manufacturing site, offering customers a seamless flow from development through manufacturing.

The new space, which is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2017, will accommodate both sterile and non-sterile products, highly potent compounds, and organic solvent processing.

The expansion id part of Lubrizol’s $60 million investment that will focus on new product solutions, capacity expansion and additional cGMP manufacturing.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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The Lubrizol Corporation’s LifeSciences business is continuing to invest in its key capabilities through a variety of planned expansions.

During this latest phase, a $60 million investment will focus on new product solutions, capacity expansion and additional cGMP manufacturing. These investments will strengthen the excipients, polymers, drug formulation and manufacturing, and medical device contract manufacturing capabilities at Lubrizol LifeSciences’ global facilities.

Commercial drug product manufacturing will be added at the company’s Particle Sciences facility in Bethlehem, PA. Leveraging the company’s knowledge in complex formulations and production, the facility will be adjacent to the existing development and clinical trial manufacturing site, offering customers a seamless flow from development through manufacturing. This new space, which is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2017, will accommodate both sterile and non-sterile products, highly potent compounds, and organic solvent processing.

Additionally, LifeSciences is investing to expand its global facilities for excipients, polymers and contract manufacturing, with a focus on quality and efficiency. This capital investment will impact multiple sites to increase in-house engineering capacity across the LifeSciences portfolio of medical and pharmaceutical applications. This includes new investments in design, manufacturing and sterilization technologies for the production of interventional catheters and long-term implantable devices, an area of strategic importance to the medical device segment.

“We have significantly enhanced our capabilities through the combination of strong polymer technology, application know-how and world-class manufacturing,” states Deb Langer, vice president, Lubrizol Personal Home and Health Care.

“As healthcare companies look for total solution providers, we continue to invest in the right areas to provide valuable offerings where our customers are experiencing the most growth.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Lubrizol Corporation has broken ground on the construction of a new polyisobutylene (PIB) unit at its Deer Park, Texas facility.

The facility is being developed as part of Lubrizol’s previously announced technology license agreement with Daelim Industrial.

Commenting on the new unit, Dan Sheets, president of Lubrizol Additives, states “With this significant investment, Lubrizol intends to meet future customer demands, as well as be fully prepared for anticipated performance upgrades in lubricants and fuels.”

The new unit is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2019. It will provide Lubrizol with capacity for highly reactive polyisobutylene (HR PIB), a key raw material for next-generation dispersants and lubricants.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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The state-run Indian Oil Corp has agreed to sell a 24 percent stake in a joint venture to the US-based partner Lubrizol Corporation.

The transaction will enable Lubrizol to take over the government’s stake in Lubrizol India Pvt Ltd, according to a government statement. When completed, Lubrizol’s ownership in the company will reach 74%.

The move comes as the Indian government plans to divest its interest in public companies.

“The sale will enable IOC to have long term association with its joint venture partner and … Lubrizol India Pvt Ltd (LIPL) to have access to the latest global additive technologies developed by Lubrizol Corporation, USA,” the statement said.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s Lubrizol Corporation, inventors and the largest manufacturers of CPVC compound worldwide, and Finolex Industries Limited, the leading PVC pipes and fittings manufacturer in India,have announce the signing of, FlowGuard® Processor agreement for the manufacturing and sale of Finolex FlowGuard®Plus pipes and fittings in India.

In August, 2016, Lubrizol terminated its processor agreements with Astral Poly-Technik Limited for the manufacture and sale of FlowGuard®, BlazeMaster® and Corzan® branded pipes and fittings in India.

Under the new agreement, Finolex Industries will begin marketing in the last week of March 2017, and will cater to the building and construction industry.

“Lubrizol is dedicated to supplying the highest quality CPVC compounds to service the Indian hot & cold water plumbing markets,” explains Matthew Timmons, managing director, Lubrizol Advanced Materials India Pvt. Ltd. “Our partnership with Finolex Industries highlights the need and importance of quality CPVC pipes and fittings made from time-tested CPVC compounds provided by Lubrizol. Since January 2016, we have been manufacturing these world quality materials from a state-of-the art plant in Dahej, Gujarat. Our association with Finolex will further strengthen FlowGuard’s commitment to delivering reliability in India through Finolex’s wide spread network in the country.”

Timmons continues, “Since we introduced FlowGuard to the Indian market, we remained committed through our support of processors who continue to benefit from our more than 50 years of expertise in manufacturing and compounding. Additionally, with the government’s recent focus on housing for all, the infrastructure status given to real estate, loans offered at cheaper rates, introduction of the Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA), GST & many other initiatives, the need for quality products to be used in the country is greater than ever.”

Lubrizol introduced the resilient CPVC material into India nearly two decades ago. Since then, India’s plumbers, engineers, builders and consultants have been reassured by the only material of its kind to be designed and approved to meet all global standards.

Prakash Chhabria, executive chairman of Finolex Industries Limited expressed his views on the special occasion, saying, “We are committed to strengthening the plumbing industry through our association with Lubrizol falls in line with the culture of Finolex Industries in providing quality products ‘Made in India’ for the Indian market. We are confident about Lubrizol’s global expertise in compounding and appreciate the work done by them in changing the plumbing industry from metal-based to CPVC–based piping. With FlowGuard’s raw material and support, our track record of providing superior products for Indian market gets strengthened. We look forward to a successful partnership.”
industry and we are honored they have chosen to take advantage of our industry-leading cold chain network, expanded fresh foods program and award-winning category management expertise. We are proud to partner with such a strong leader within our industry and look forward to building the foundation for a long lasting and mutually successful relationship.”

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized

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The Lubrizol Corporation’s LifeSciences (LLS) business has announced the addition of compounding capabilities for its Pellethane® and Isoplast® products for medical device customers.

The new offering enables LLS to provide color matching, radiopacity and custom compound development services and complements LifeSciences’ existing polymer portfolio, formulation and manufacturing capabilities to enable success for medical device customers.

As part of this new service, LLS provides custom color matching for brand recognition, safe identification and aesthetics in medical device applications. Since pigment requirements are ever changing, LifeSciences pays close attention to ensure that colorants meet applicable regulatory requirements.

Along with color matching, LLS also offers radiopaque materials for X-ray identification and proper device positioning; critical for patient safety and comfort. Pellethane and Isoplast compounds with barium sulfate and tungsten are now both available from LLS.

Pellethane thermoplastic polyurethane is available as aromatic polyethers or polyesters and are known for their flexibility and wide range of hardness. Pellethane TPUs are excellent for a variety of medical applications including tubing, catheters and other short-term uses.

Isoplast engineered thermoplastic polyurethanes are designed for rigid polymer requirements due to their high tensile strength and impact resistance. Isoplast medical polymers may be used to replace polycarbonate where stress cracking is an issue or coloring is difficult. Isoplast is ideal for applications needing an impact resistance-based polymer.

This new capability is made possible through a partnership with trusted custom medical plastics compounder, Compounding Solutions. Compounding Solutions is committed to manufacturing specialty plastics compounds and concentrates of the highest quality in order to satisfy requirements of the medical device industry.

© 2017 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.