Epoxy
March 15, 2021
Freight Markets Update
Tender volumes flat week-over-week at very high level
Seth HolmSaturday, March 13, 20210 753 3 minutes read
The freight markets have reentered “chaos is business as usual” territory. There has been very little change to any of the major indices this week as the Outbound Tender Volume and Reject Indices have both moved horizontally for two weeks now. Since the winter blizzard disruption, tender volumes took a leg up and have remained elevated since. The natural peak in tender volumes (and rejections) seems to be in place, but the spring freight season is upon us.
Year-over-year comparisons are becoming increasingly more difficult given the 30% surge in volumes on the back of consumer panic buying and hoarding at the beginning of the pandemic. For this reason, two-year comparisons glean more meaningful insights throughout the rest of 1H21.
After adjusting for rejected tenders, OTVI is up ~25% over 2019 and up ~13% over last year. The lasting impact of the winter storms is being felt in the reefer market. The power outages meant many goods were left without a way to manage their environment, putting many perishables and other goods at risk for spoilage or damage. Demand for reefer trailers exploded in Texas, with the Reefer Outbound Tender Volume Index for the state increasing over 50% in a 10-day stretch, potentially leaving a vacuum in other parts of the country.
Over the past three months, growth in outbound reefer tender volumes (ROTVI.USA) has outpaced dry van growth, with the disparity accelerating during the storms. As a result of the imbalance, major produce regions like California, North Carolina and Florida have all seen severe reefer capacity shortages over the past two weeks.
The significant produce harvests typically don’t occur until April through June, so it’s likely that when domestic produce begins to move in earnest, it could set up for a historic year for reefer carriers.
While it is hard to see how freight demand gets much better from here, it appears distinctly possible. President Biden signed the newest round of fiscal stimulus this week and $1,400 checks will be hitting American pockets as early as next week. Inventories remain decimated, the housing market is on fire, the industrial economy is recovering and the reopening of the economy is inching closer with every passing day. The vaccination efforts are extremely promising — 1-in-4 adult Americans has received at least one dose.
On a positive note, eight of the 15 major freight markets that we monitor as a broad, representative benchmark were positive on a week-over-week basis. This ratio was flat compared to last week and weakened modestly from the stronger levels it has become accustomed to in recent months as the freight market rallies. The markets with the largest gains this week in OTVI.USA were Fresno, California (14.83%), Seattle (9.06%), and Miami (8.24%). The markets with the largest declines this week in OTVI.USA were Laredo, Texas (-4.79%), Newark, New Jersey (-4.45%) and Memphis, Tennessee (-3.54%).
Tender rejections hover near peak
The Outbound Tender Reject Index (OTRI) declined marginally this week to 26.5%. OTRI has ranged up toward 30% four times over the past year, but never quite touched the handle. The natural ceiling for tender rejections appears to be near that level, and this is evidenced by surging spot rates.
From a geographic standpoint, there is simply not much to report this week. Markets around population centers on the West Coast and in the Northeast experienced very little change in tender rejections this week, while southern regions saw tightening capacity.
The market is unlikely to see any material loosening of capacity through the middle of the year. There could be some downward pressure on tender rejections as routing guides are recalibrated and contract rates are revised upward toward spot, but capacity will remain difficult to source.
For more information on Passport Research, please contact sholm@freightwaves.com.
March 15, 2021
Regulatory Uncertainty in Europe
EU chemicals need stable, strong regulatory framework to grow – execs
Author: Morgan Condon
2021/03/12
LONDON (ICIS)–A firmer connection is needed between the EU Green Deal and the bloc’s industrial strategy to support the competitiveness of its chemicals industry, according to executives in the European chemicals industry.
Rene Van Sloten, industrial policy advisor at Europe-wide trade group Cefic, emphasised the importance of this link to meet the EU’s net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 2050 environmental targets.
“There are opportunities [for chemicals in the Green Deal] but in order for European industry to benefit from this it needs to develop solutions for all these problems, not importing solutions from other parts of the world,” said Van Sloten.
He estimated that the chemicals industry would require annual investments between €17-27bn, depending on the level of ambition of making sustainable production a reality.
“We need to keep Europe attractive as investment location. If it is not attractive, other regions will compete for investment, so we need to make sure framework is there,” he said.
Dennis Kredler, director for EU Affairs at US chemicals major Dow, which runs large production facilities in the region, said that the EU’s chemicals industry has the potential to become a “game changer”.
He added that, however, any innovation in the industry would depend on public and private funding, something he considered to be challenging due to what he described as unstable regulatory landscape.
“Investment needs as much predictability as possible. You could argue that there is a lot of predictability, many companies in this industry are putting investment plans in place to achieve these outcomes,” said Kredler.
“The challenge is that practically our entire regulatory framework [is currently] under review.”
The EU has stated it aims to renew and upgrade its Reach chemicals regulatory framework, already the strictest in the world; chemicals producers often complain its implementation adds red-tape and a financial burden on their operations.
With issues as diverse yet important as climate change, plant permits, chemicals management, and the circular economy all vying for attention, a unified industrial strategy would help connect the dots and provide a clear path forwards.
Van Sloten and Kredler were speaking earlier this week at Cefic-organised event titled ‘Beyond European economic recovery: How can industry support Europe’s competitive sustainability?’
March 15, 2021
Regulatory Uncertainty in Europe
EU chemicals need stable, strong regulatory framework to grow – execs
Author: Morgan Condon
2021/03/12
LONDON (ICIS)–A firmer connection is needed between the EU Green Deal and the bloc’s industrial strategy to support the competitiveness of its chemicals industry, according to executives in the European chemicals industry.
Rene Van Sloten, industrial policy advisor at Europe-wide trade group Cefic, emphasised the importance of this link to meet the EU’s net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 2050 environmental targets.
“There are opportunities [for chemicals in the Green Deal] but in order for European industry to benefit from this it needs to develop solutions for all these problems, not importing solutions from other parts of the world,” said Van Sloten.
He estimated that the chemicals industry would require annual investments between €17-27bn, depending on the level of ambition of making sustainable production a reality.
“We need to keep Europe attractive as investment location. If it is not attractive, other regions will compete for investment, so we need to make sure framework is there,” he said.
Dennis Kredler, director for EU Affairs at US chemicals major Dow, which runs large production facilities in the region, said that the EU’s chemicals industry has the potential to become a “game changer”.
He added that, however, any innovation in the industry would depend on public and private funding, something he considered to be challenging due to what he described as unstable regulatory landscape.
“Investment needs as much predictability as possible. You could argue that there is a lot of predictability, many companies in this industry are putting investment plans in place to achieve these outcomes,” said Kredler.
“The challenge is that practically our entire regulatory framework [is currently] under review.”
The EU has stated it aims to renew and upgrade its Reach chemicals regulatory framework, already the strictest in the world; chemicals producers often complain its implementation adds red-tape and a financial burden on their operations.
With issues as diverse yet important as climate change, plant permits, chemicals management, and the circular economy all vying for attention, a unified industrial strategy would help connect the dots and provide a clear path forwards.
Van Sloten and Kredler were speaking earlier this week at Cefic-organised event titled ‘Beyond European economic recovery: How can industry support Europe’s competitive sustainability?’
March 11, 2021
Hexion Results
Hexion Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2020 Results
Fourth Quarter 2020 Highlights
- Net sales from continuing operations of $655 million, an increase of 4% compared with $630 million in the prior year period
- Loss from continuing operations, net of taxes of $37 million
- Net loss of $35 million
- Segment EBITDA from continuing operations of $74 million compared to $53 million in the fourth quarter 2019. Both periods reflect the treatment of the pending divestiture as discontinued operations.
- As previously announced, Hexion entered into a definitive agreement to sell our Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses for approximately $425 million including cash consideration of $305 million
March 10, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hexion Inc. (“Hexion” or the “Company”) today announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020.
“We were pleased to drive strong results in the fourth quarter of 2020 as Segment EBITDA from continuing operations improved by 40 percent compared to the prior year reflecting our diversified portfolio and rebounding demand in many key end markets,” said Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “It was also our highest fourth quarter Segment EBITDA from continuing operations in the last seven years reflecting our multi-year efforts to streamline our cost structure, while still strategically investing in the specialty portions of our business. In the fourth quarter of 2020, our Adhesives segment reflected continued strength in North America residential construction and gains in our global formaldehyde business. Segment EBITDA in our Coatings and Composites segment increased more than 100 percent year-over-year due to strong results in specialty epoxy from wind energy demand and Versatic Acids™ and Derivatives due to increasing demand in architectural coatings, as well as improved results in our base epoxy resins.”
Mr. Rogerson added: “Despite softer overall earnings in 2020, we generated solid cash flow from operations. In the second half of the year, we generated $92 million of free cash flow1 and positive free cash flow for full year 2020 despite the pandemic and a weaker second quarter of 2020. As we conclude the year, I’d like to acknowledge the dedication and resiliency of our global associates as they focused on safely operating our plants without interruption and serving our valued customers in the face of the global pandemic. Last September, we were also pleased to announce the sale of our Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses during a time when potential transactions within the industry were often paused because of the pandemic. When completed, this transaction will streamline our portfolio and specialty product mix, while improving the Company’s financial flexibility and liquidity profile.”
“Looking ahead, we are cautiously optimistic about the global economic conditions considering the potential ongoing impact of the pandemic. Several key end markets – housing and wind energy in particular – were strong through year-end and those trends have continued in early 2021. We expect to further strengthen our balance sheet and continue to deliver significant free cash flow in the coming year. Looking ahead, we also expect to pursue potential bolt-on and/or more transformational transactions. With solid momentum heading into 2021, we remain focused on driving year-over-year earnings growth and generating stakeholder value through opportunistic share repurchases and debt reduction.”
Hexion Announces Strategic Divestiture
On September 27, 2020, the Company entered into a Purchase Agreement for the sale of its Phenolic Specialty Resin (PSR), Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses (together with PSR, the “Held for Sale Business” or the “Business”) for approximately $425 million to Black Diamond and Investindustrial. The consideration consists of $335 in cash and certain assumed liabilities with the remainder in future proceeds based on the performance of the Held for Sale business. The final purchase price is subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
Hexion expects to use the net proceeds to invest in its business and reduce its borrowings under its Senior Secured Term Loan, in accordance with its credit agreement. The transaction is intended to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, including Works Council consultation.
Fresh Start Accounting
Upon emerging from Chapter 11 on July 1, 2019 (“Effective Date”) and qualifying for the application of fresh-start accounting, Hexion’s assets and liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values which, in some cases, were significantly different than amounts included in the Company’s financial statements prior to the Effective Date. Accordingly, Hexion’s financial condition and results of operations on and after the Effective Date are not directly comparable to our financial condition and results of operations prior to the Effective Date. References to “Successor” or “Successor Company” relate to the financial position and results of operations of the reorganized Company subsequent to the Effective Date. References to “Predecessor” or “Predecessor Company” refer to the financial position and results of operations of the Company on or before the Effective Date.
Fourth Quarter 2020 Results
In January 2020, Hexion updated its reportable segments to align around two growth platforms: Adhesives; and Coatings and Composites. The Adhesives Segment is organized around Construction Adhesives, Industrial Adhesives, and Intermediates and Derivatives, while the Coatings and Composites Segment is organized around Composites, Performance Coatings, and Base Chemicals. Corporate and Other continues to be a reportable segment.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company reclassified the assets and liabilities of our Held for Sale Business as held for sale on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and reported the results of its operations for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 as “(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes” on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Amounts for prior periods have similarly been retrospectively reclassified for all periods presented. See Schedules 9 and 10 for additional financial information for our Held for Sale Business.
Total net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 were $655 million, an increase of 4% compared with $630 million in the prior year period. Volumes positively impacted net sales by $63 million due to volume increases in Hexion’s global formaldehyde, specialty epoxy and base epoxy resins, and Versatic Acids™ and Derivatives businesses. Pricing negatively impacted sales by $31 million due primarily to raw material price decreases contractually passed through to customers across many businesses. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted net sales by $7 million due to the weakening of various foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
Net loss for the Successor three months ended December 31, 2020 was $35 million compared to a net loss of $46 million in the Successor period through December 31, 2019. Total Segment EBITDA from continuing operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 was $74 million, an increase of $21 million compared with the prior year period, or 40 percent, primarily reflecting improved results in our adhesives and coatings and composites businesses.
Fiscal Year 2020 Results
Total net sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $2.5 billion, a decrease of 10% compared with $2.8 billion in the prior year period. Pricing negatively impacted sales by $182 million due primarily to raw material decreases contractually passed through to customers across many of our businesses, as well as unfavorable product mix and continued competitive market conditions in our base epoxy resins and specialty epoxy resins businesses. Volume decreases negatively impacted net sales by $70 million, which was primarily due to volume decreases in our North American and Latin America forest products resins businesses and our North American formaldehyde business driven by COVID-19’s negative impact on global demand. These decreases were partially offset by volume increases in our specialty epoxy business driven by strong global demand in wind energy. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted net sales by $42 million.
Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $230 million compared to a net income of $2,805 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Total Segment EBITDA from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $294 million, a decrease of 14 percent compared with $340 million in 2019, driven primarily by the impact of the global pandemic, weaker margins in the Company’s base epoxy resins business, and temporary manufacturing outages at our Pernis site which negatively impacted our 2020 Segment EBITDA by approximately $15 million. These Segment EBITDA decreases were partially offset by improved earnings in the specialty epoxy and Versatic™ Acids and Derivatives business, as well as continued cost reduction and productivity initiatives. Fiscal Year 2020 was also negatively impacted by the absence of $18 million of Segment EBITDA in the prior year related to deferred revenue that was accelerated on July 1, 2019 as part of Fresh Start Accounting.
Segment Results
Following are net sales and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the Successor three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020 and Successor three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019.
| Successor | Non-GAAP Combined | ||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended December 31, 2020 | Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 | Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2020 | Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Net Sales (1): | |||||||||||||||
| Adhesives | $ | 314 | $ | 332 | $ | 1,188 | $ | 1,454 | |||||||
| Coatings and Composites | 341 | 298 | 1,322 | 1,350 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 655 | $ | 630 | $ | 2,510 | $ | 2,804 | |||||||
| Segment EBITDA: | |||||||||||||||
| Adhesives | $ | 58 | $ | 57 | $ | 214 | $ | 251 | |||||||
| Coatings and Composites | 36 | 16 | 151 | 156 | |||||||||||
| Corporate and Other | (20) | (20) | (71) | (67) | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 74 | $ | 53 | $ | 294 | $ | 340 |
(1) Intersegment sales are not significant and, as such, are eliminated within the selling segment.
Hexion Announces Site Expansion Plans
As part of its broader investment plan to drive innovation and growth in its specialty product lines, Hexion announced that it intends to expand its Portland, Oregon, manufacturing site. The Company is beginning the permitting stages of a second automated manufacturing line in Portland to support its recently-launched ArmorBuilt fire resistant wrap, a new product which greatly improves fire protection when applied to a substrate, such as wood utility poles. The first automated production line will come online at the end of the first quarter of 2021 and the second automated line is expected to start up around year-end 2021.
ArmorBuilt wrap is a proprietary wrap from Hexion that can be applied to either new or existing wood utility poles. Hexion has been providing high-performing adhesives for decades and has leveraged its expertise to develop a fire-retardant coating for more sustainable wooden utility poles that greatly improves their fire resistance. ArmorBuilt wrap has passed an industry approved wildfire simulation burn test for fire resistance.
Efficiency and Cost Savings Initiatives
In the fourth quarter of 2020, Hexion continued to implement the creation of a business services group with Capgemini to provide certain administrative functions to further improve the Company’s organizational efficiency and reduce its costs in future years. In fiscal year 2020, the Company also achieved $23 million of cost savings related to all its cost savings initiatives. At December 31, 2020, Hexion had approximately $6 million of total in-process savings that it expects to realize over the next 12 months.
March 11, 2021
Hexion Results
Hexion Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2020 Results
Fourth Quarter 2020 Highlights
- Net sales from continuing operations of $655 million, an increase of 4% compared with $630 million in the prior year period
- Loss from continuing operations, net of taxes of $37 million
- Net loss of $35 million
- Segment EBITDA from continuing operations of $74 million compared to $53 million in the fourth quarter 2019. Both periods reflect the treatment of the pending divestiture as discontinued operations.
- As previously announced, Hexion entered into a definitive agreement to sell our Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses for approximately $425 million including cash consideration of $305 million
March 10, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
COLUMBUS, Ohio–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hexion Inc. (“Hexion” or the “Company”) today announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2020.
“We were pleased to drive strong results in the fourth quarter of 2020 as Segment EBITDA from continuing operations improved by 40 percent compared to the prior year reflecting our diversified portfolio and rebounding demand in many key end markets,” said Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “It was also our highest fourth quarter Segment EBITDA from continuing operations in the last seven years reflecting our multi-year efforts to streamline our cost structure, while still strategically investing in the specialty portions of our business. In the fourth quarter of 2020, our Adhesives segment reflected continued strength in North America residential construction and gains in our global formaldehyde business. Segment EBITDA in our Coatings and Composites segment increased more than 100 percent year-over-year due to strong results in specialty epoxy from wind energy demand and Versatic Acids™ and Derivatives due to increasing demand in architectural coatings, as well as improved results in our base epoxy resins.”
Mr. Rogerson added: “Despite softer overall earnings in 2020, we generated solid cash flow from operations. In the second half of the year, we generated $92 million of free cash flow1 and positive free cash flow for full year 2020 despite the pandemic and a weaker second quarter of 2020. As we conclude the year, I’d like to acknowledge the dedication and resiliency of our global associates as they focused on safely operating our plants without interruption and serving our valued customers in the face of the global pandemic. Last September, we were also pleased to announce the sale of our Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses during a time when potential transactions within the industry were often paused because of the pandemic. When completed, this transaction will streamline our portfolio and specialty product mix, while improving the Company’s financial flexibility and liquidity profile.”
“Looking ahead, we are cautiously optimistic about the global economic conditions considering the potential ongoing impact of the pandemic. Several key end markets – housing and wind energy in particular – were strong through year-end and those trends have continued in early 2021. We expect to further strengthen our balance sheet and continue to deliver significant free cash flow in the coming year. Looking ahead, we also expect to pursue potential bolt-on and/or more transformational transactions. With solid momentum heading into 2021, we remain focused on driving year-over-year earnings growth and generating stakeholder value through opportunistic share repurchases and debt reduction.”
Hexion Announces Strategic Divestiture
On September 27, 2020, the Company entered into a Purchase Agreement for the sale of its Phenolic Specialty Resin (PSR), Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses (together with PSR, the “Held for Sale Business” or the “Business”) for approximately $425 million to Black Diamond and Investindustrial. The consideration consists of $335 in cash and certain assumed liabilities with the remainder in future proceeds based on the performance of the Held for Sale business. The final purchase price is subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
Hexion expects to use the net proceeds to invest in its business and reduce its borrowings under its Senior Secured Term Loan, in accordance with its credit agreement. The transaction is intended to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, including Works Council consultation.
Fresh Start Accounting
Upon emerging from Chapter 11 on July 1, 2019 (“Effective Date”) and qualifying for the application of fresh-start accounting, Hexion’s assets and liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values which, in some cases, were significantly different than amounts included in the Company’s financial statements prior to the Effective Date. Accordingly, Hexion’s financial condition and results of operations on and after the Effective Date are not directly comparable to our financial condition and results of operations prior to the Effective Date. References to “Successor” or “Successor Company” relate to the financial position and results of operations of the reorganized Company subsequent to the Effective Date. References to “Predecessor” or “Predecessor Company” refer to the financial position and results of operations of the Company on or before the Effective Date.
Fourth Quarter 2020 Results
In January 2020, Hexion updated its reportable segments to align around two growth platforms: Adhesives; and Coatings and Composites. The Adhesives Segment is organized around Construction Adhesives, Industrial Adhesives, and Intermediates and Derivatives, while the Coatings and Composites Segment is organized around Composites, Performance Coatings, and Base Chemicals. Corporate and Other continues to be a reportable segment.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company reclassified the assets and liabilities of our Held for Sale Business as held for sale on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and reported the results of its operations for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 as “(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes” on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Amounts for prior periods have similarly been retrospectively reclassified for all periods presented. See Schedules 9 and 10 for additional financial information for our Held for Sale Business.
Total net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 were $655 million, an increase of 4% compared with $630 million in the prior year period. Volumes positively impacted net sales by $63 million due to volume increases in Hexion’s global formaldehyde, specialty epoxy and base epoxy resins, and Versatic Acids™ and Derivatives businesses. Pricing negatively impacted sales by $31 million due primarily to raw material price decreases contractually passed through to customers across many businesses. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted net sales by $7 million due to the weakening of various foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
Net loss for the Successor three months ended December 31, 2020 was $35 million compared to a net loss of $46 million in the Successor period through December 31, 2019. Total Segment EBITDA from continuing operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 was $74 million, an increase of $21 million compared with the prior year period, or 40 percent, primarily reflecting improved results in our adhesives and coatings and composites businesses.
Fiscal Year 2020 Results
Total net sales for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $2.5 billion, a decrease of 10% compared with $2.8 billion in the prior year period. Pricing negatively impacted sales by $182 million due primarily to raw material decreases contractually passed through to customers across many of our businesses, as well as unfavorable product mix and continued competitive market conditions in our base epoxy resins and specialty epoxy resins businesses. Volume decreases negatively impacted net sales by $70 million, which was primarily due to volume decreases in our North American and Latin America forest products resins businesses and our North American formaldehyde business driven by COVID-19’s negative impact on global demand. These decreases were partially offset by volume increases in our specialty epoxy business driven by strong global demand in wind energy. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted net sales by $42 million.
Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $230 million compared to a net income of $2,805 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. Total Segment EBITDA from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $294 million, a decrease of 14 percent compared with $340 million in 2019, driven primarily by the impact of the global pandemic, weaker margins in the Company’s base epoxy resins business, and temporary manufacturing outages at our Pernis site which negatively impacted our 2020 Segment EBITDA by approximately $15 million. These Segment EBITDA decreases were partially offset by improved earnings in the specialty epoxy and Versatic™ Acids and Derivatives business, as well as continued cost reduction and productivity initiatives. Fiscal Year 2020 was also negatively impacted by the absence of $18 million of Segment EBITDA in the prior year related to deferred revenue that was accelerated on July 1, 2019 as part of Fresh Start Accounting.
Segment Results
Following are net sales and Segment EBITDA by reportable segment for the Successor three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020 and Successor three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019.
| Successor | Non-GAAP Combined | ||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended December 31, 2020 | Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 | Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2020 | Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Net Sales (1): | |||||||||||||||
| Adhesives | $ | 314 | $ | 332 | $ | 1,188 | $ | 1,454 | |||||||
| Coatings and Composites | 341 | 298 | 1,322 | 1,350 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 655 | $ | 630 | $ | 2,510 | $ | 2,804 | |||||||
| Segment EBITDA: | |||||||||||||||
| Adhesives | $ | 58 | $ | 57 | $ | 214 | $ | 251 | |||||||
| Coatings and Composites | 36 | 16 | 151 | 156 | |||||||||||
| Corporate and Other | (20) | (20) | (71) | (67) | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 74 | $ | 53 | $ | 294 | $ | 340 |
(1) Intersegment sales are not significant and, as such, are eliminated within the selling segment.
Hexion Announces Site Expansion Plans
As part of its broader investment plan to drive innovation and growth in its specialty product lines, Hexion announced that it intends to expand its Portland, Oregon, manufacturing site. The Company is beginning the permitting stages of a second automated manufacturing line in Portland to support its recently-launched ArmorBuilt fire resistant wrap, a new product which greatly improves fire protection when applied to a substrate, such as wood utility poles. The first automated production line will come online at the end of the first quarter of 2021 and the second automated line is expected to start up around year-end 2021.
ArmorBuilt wrap is a proprietary wrap from Hexion that can be applied to either new or existing wood utility poles. Hexion has been providing high-performing adhesives for decades and has leveraged its expertise to develop a fire-retardant coating for more sustainable wooden utility poles that greatly improves their fire resistance. ArmorBuilt wrap has passed an industry approved wildfire simulation burn test for fire resistance.
Efficiency and Cost Savings Initiatives
In the fourth quarter of 2020, Hexion continued to implement the creation of a business services group with Capgemini to provide certain administrative functions to further improve the Company’s organizational efficiency and reduce its costs in future years. In fiscal year 2020, the Company also achieved $23 million of cost savings related to all its cost savings initiatives. At December 31, 2020, Hexion had approximately $6 million of total in-process savings that it expects to realize over the next 12 months.
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