Millennium Forms Specialties Unit To Focus on Titanium in US and France

13 July 1998 00:00  [Source: ICB Americas]

Millennium Inorganics Chemicals is honing its focus by forming a new inorganic specialties business unit. The operation will combine the company's worldwide marketing of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) made in the US and France with other specialty titanium products manufactured at the company's Thann et Mulhouse facility.

"The specialty business is a highly profitable and EVA-positive segment of our operations, which we are committed to growing through increased focus, product development and acquisitions," says Millennium Inorganics president and CEO Robert E. Lee.

TiCl4, which Millennium produces in Thann, France, and Ashtabula, Ohio, is used in the manufacture of TiO2, polyolefin catalysts, titanium metal, pearlescent pigments and glass surface treatments.

At the Thann facility, the company also produces zirconium dioxide, which is used in optics, ceramics colorings and pigment surface treatments.

Millennium acquired the Thann facility from Rhone-Poulenc SA early this year for $185 million. In addition to TiCl4, the acquisition brought Millennium 33,000 metric tons of annual TiO2 capacity, making the company the world's second largest producer of the commodity (CMR, 1/12/98, pg. 3).

The company also has TiO2 manufacturing facilities in Maryland and Ohio in the US; Stallingborough, England; and Bunbury, Western Australia, with total annual capacity of 671,000 metric tons.

The new unit will be headed up by Jim Hancocks, senior vice-president and managing director for Europe and specialty businesses. "We added unique and important specialty chemicals to our product line when Thann became a Millennium plant at the beginning of the year," Mr. Hancocks says. "The new organization will help us to serve specialties' customers better throughout the world."

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