Epoxy
July 19, 2021
Akrochem Acquires Bech Chem
Akrochem Acquires Bech Chem, Expands Into the Paint and Coatings Industry
Acquisition positions Akrochem for future growth while providing enhanced support levels for Bech Chem customers Press Release – updated: Jul 19, 2021 08:00 EDT 
AKRON, Ohio, July 19, 2021 (Newswire.com) – Akrochem, a leading provider of rubber chemicals and compounding materials, today announced the acquisition of Bech Chem, LLC, a company with more than 25 years of experience in the worldwide chemical supply chain. The transaction is effective immediately, and Akrochem will continue to operate under its current name.
The purchase of Bech Chem, based in Houston, Texas, enables Akrochem to expand into new industries, as well as provide more extensive support services for Bech Chem customers.
“The acquisition of Bech Chem allows us to bring our over 90 years of experience in chemical distribution to new markets, specifically paints, coatings, and lubricants,” said Akrochem President and CEO Jay Silver. “With our experienced, 15-person technical sales staff and over 120 personnel in support roles, we will improve our value to Bech Chem customers while positioning Akrochem for future growth.”
Bech Chem served a number of markets, including paint and coatings, grease and lubricants, plastics, and chemical processing. Bech Chem’s outstanding reputation within the specialty chemical distribution industry was based on the exceptional service the company provided throughout the ordering process, as well as its exemplary technical sales and support. The result was strong relationships with high-quality suppliers throughout the world.
“Becoming part of the Akrochem family allows us to introduce our unique specialty product line to a much larger customer base,” said Bech Chem President Henrik Bech Poulsen. “We believe that we’ll be a perfect complement to Akrochem’s core markets.”
Akrochem’s broad line of rubber compounding products and innovative technical experience contribute to the success of organizations throughout the world. Akrochem works with its customers to optimize cure systems, improve chemical dispersion, and produce better batch uniformity to help companies become more profitable.
About Akrochem
Based in Akron, Ohio, Akrochem serves companies globally in the rubber, plastic, paint, coatings, and lubricant markets. Since the company’s founding in 1929, Akrochem’s goal has been to improve productivity for each of it customers. Akrochem provides a comprehensive assortment of compounding materials and color concentrates—from the basic to the most complex and customized—all supported by the industry’s best technical expertise and service. Akrochem promotes professionalism through its ISO-9001-2015 and National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD) accreditations. Visit www.akrochem.com for more information.
July 16, 2021
More Congestion
Union Pacific Halts Shipments From West Coast To Chicago To Ease “Significant Congestion”
by Tyler DurdenFriday, Jul 16, 2021 – 12:17 PM
Brace for even more shortages.
Union Pacific is temporarily suspending eastbound service from West Coast port terminals to its Global IV intermodal facility in Chicago to help ease “significant congestion” at inland terminals, especially Chicago, and at the ports, Freight Waves reports. The suspension is aimed at helping ocean carriers reduce backlogs.Union Pacific plans to temporarily suspend eastbound service from West Coast ports to its Global IV intermodal facility in Chicago. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
UP hopes this suspension, which will start on Sunday and last for about seven days, will not only help relieve port backlogs for Chicago-bound container traffic but also ultimately help address backlogs for containers destined to other markets. The suspension applies to UP-served terminals at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, California, and Tacoma, Washington.
FreightWaves has been told that the suspension reportedly entails customers shipping IPI 20-foot or 40-foot equipment, not customers using domestic 53-foot equipment.
“This week we reached out to the ocean carriers to take more positive steps to improve fluidity and throughput in the Los Angeles Basin and our Global IV facility in Chicago. … We believe this change will allow the transportation supply chain to begin working off the backlog of Global IV-destined trains while freeing up railcar assets to support import loading needs on the West Coast,” UP said in an advisory provided to FreightWaves.
“We are working closely with the ocean carriers and collaborating wherever possible to improve the health of the supply chain.”
UP, along with other supply chain partners including Class I railroads, have been grappling with congestion at the West Coast ports as the economic recovery and robust e-commerce activity have kept U.S. import levels brisk.
Container processing at Southern California port terminals has increased while UP’s rail shipments to and from the ports “are near record highs,” UP said.
FreightWaves SONAR shows that intermodal outbound tender rejections, or outbound intermodal tender transactions rejected in the last seven days, grew in June after dipping to lows in March through mid-May.
Some shippers have expressed concern anecdotally about how the supply chain will handle fall peak, especially amid reports that containers have been waiting to move to multiple destinations for weeks, if not months. The reasons given for the congestion at the ports have ranged from chassis and labor shortages to railcar shortages. As a result of complete supply-chain collapse, container shipping rates have soared to record highs, and this last week hit a new all time high.
UP said it recently held a symposium with ocean carriers in order to determine how to gate out boxes at inland terminals more quickly. From those efforts, UP has capped its storage fees at the Global IV facility for loaded units that are stacked and awaiting out-gate to help ocean carriers and drayage companies, and UP has opened its Global III facility as an interim import container storage location.
“We believe these positive steps will alleviate some of the considerable challenges supply chain participants are facing,” UP said, much to the imminent fury of Chicago residents.
July 16, 2021
More Congestion
Union Pacific Halts Shipments From West Coast To Chicago To Ease “Significant Congestion”
by Tyler DurdenFriday, Jul 16, 2021 – 12:17 PM
Brace for even more shortages.
Union Pacific is temporarily suspending eastbound service from West Coast port terminals to its Global IV intermodal facility in Chicago to help ease “significant congestion” at inland terminals, especially Chicago, and at the ports, Freight Waves reports. The suspension is aimed at helping ocean carriers reduce backlogs.Union Pacific plans to temporarily suspend eastbound service from West Coast ports to its Global IV intermodal facility in Chicago. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
UP hopes this suspension, which will start on Sunday and last for about seven days, will not only help relieve port backlogs for Chicago-bound container traffic but also ultimately help address backlogs for containers destined to other markets. The suspension applies to UP-served terminals at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland, California, and Tacoma, Washington.
FreightWaves has been told that the suspension reportedly entails customers shipping IPI 20-foot or 40-foot equipment, not customers using domestic 53-foot equipment.
“This week we reached out to the ocean carriers to take more positive steps to improve fluidity and throughput in the Los Angeles Basin and our Global IV facility in Chicago. … We believe this change will allow the transportation supply chain to begin working off the backlog of Global IV-destined trains while freeing up railcar assets to support import loading needs on the West Coast,” UP said in an advisory provided to FreightWaves.
“We are working closely with the ocean carriers and collaborating wherever possible to improve the health of the supply chain.”
UP, along with other supply chain partners including Class I railroads, have been grappling with congestion at the West Coast ports as the economic recovery and robust e-commerce activity have kept U.S. import levels brisk.
Container processing at Southern California port terminals has increased while UP’s rail shipments to and from the ports “are near record highs,” UP said.
FreightWaves SONAR shows that intermodal outbound tender rejections, or outbound intermodal tender transactions rejected in the last seven days, grew in June after dipping to lows in March through mid-May.
Some shippers have expressed concern anecdotally about how the supply chain will handle fall peak, especially amid reports that containers have been waiting to move to multiple destinations for weeks, if not months. The reasons given for the congestion at the ports have ranged from chassis and labor shortages to railcar shortages. As a result of complete supply-chain collapse, container shipping rates have soared to record highs, and this last week hit a new all time high.
UP said it recently held a symposium with ocean carriers in order to determine how to gate out boxes at inland terminals more quickly. From those efforts, UP has capped its storage fees at the Global IV facility for loaded units that are stacked and awaiting out-gate to help ocean carriers and drayage companies, and UP has opened its Global III facility as an interim import container storage location.
“We believe these positive steps will alleviate some of the considerable challenges supply chain participants are facing,” UP said, much to the imminent fury of Chicago residents.
July 15, 2021
More On the Olin Fire
Residents of Georgia town stay inside as chemical fire burns
July 15, 2021Updated: July 15, 2021 2:01 p.m. Comments
ROBERTA, Ga. (AP) — Emergency officials are warning residents of a Middle Georgia town to shelter in place as a chemical fire burns nearby.
Fire crews on Thursday were battling the blaze at the Olin Epoxy plant in Crawford County, WMAZ-TV reported.
The emergency management department is advising people to stay away from Industrial Parkway.
Emergency Manager Director Ricky Sharon says they’re also asking for people in Roberta to stay inside because the fire is releasing toxic chemicals into the air.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
The plant is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Macon.
Clayton, Missouri-based Olin is the leading global supplier of epoxy materials, according to its website. It has offices and manufacturing plants in several U.S. cities and more than 20 nations.
Olin makes epoxy systems that are used primarily in the fabrication of wind turbine blades, according to the local Chamber of Commerce’s website.
July 15, 2021
More On the Olin Fire
Residents of Georgia town stay inside as chemical fire burns
July 15, 2021Updated: July 15, 2021 2:01 p.m. Comments
ROBERTA, Ga. (AP) — Emergency officials are warning residents of a Middle Georgia town to shelter in place as a chemical fire burns nearby.
Fire crews on Thursday were battling the blaze at the Olin Epoxy plant in Crawford County, WMAZ-TV reported.
The emergency management department is advising people to stay away from Industrial Parkway.
Emergency Manager Director Ricky Sharon says they’re also asking for people in Roberta to stay inside because the fire is releasing toxic chemicals into the air.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
The plant is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Macon.
Clayton, Missouri-based Olin is the leading global supplier of epoxy materials, according to its website. It has offices and manufacturing plants in several U.S. cities and more than 20 nations.
Olin makes epoxy systems that are used primarily in the fabrication of wind turbine blades, according to the local Chamber of Commerce’s website.
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