NatureWorks Press Releases

Cromex named Ingeo distributor for Brazil

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Seeing strong growth potential in Brazil, NatureWorks aligns with Cromex to establish a robust sales channel in the rapidly expanding Brazilian market

MINNETONKA, Minn., May 20, 2013 -- NatureWorks, the world’s leading supplier of biopolymers with Ingeo™ fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, has named Cromex S.A. as its Ingeo distributor in Brazil. Cromex will bring Ingeo to its broad customer base of thermoformers, film extruders and injection molders.

"Cromex S.A., a leader in color masterbatches, plastic additives and thermoplastic resin distribution, brings experienced plastics industry sales and technical personnel, as well as a broad customer base to the NatureWorks and Ingeo market expansion," said Salvador Ortega, the Latin America market development manager for NatureWorks. "We evaluated several distributors and found Cromex S.A. to be the strongest, best positioned and best aligned with our organization."

"We are pleased to expand our portfolio of products with the addition of Ingeo, the world’s leading plastic that is made from renewable materials," said Celso Ferraz, distribution director for Cromex. "Our collaboration with NatureWorks now gives converters and brand owners in Brazil the opportunity to develop a full range of innovative products with a reduced carbon footprint."

Cromex S.A. will distribute the comprehensive suite of Ingeo resins developed for the plastics markets. The company’s employees will provide technical support to converters and enable them to seamlessly transition plastics made from non renewable petroleum to Ingeo.

The manufacture of Ingeo emits 60 percent less greenhouse gas and requires 48 percent less energy as compared to such plastics as PET. Ingeo offers converter and brand owners stable pricing as compared to the volatility of the plastics made from petroleum. Ingeo food service items, such as flatware, cups and utensils, are typically biodegradable in industrial composting facilities – enabling the diversion of organics from landfills, where the composting infrastructure exists. Rigid and film-based Ingeo packaging delivers performance advantages. For example, clamshell packaging made with Ingeo requires 20 to 30 percent less material than a comparable package made from PET.

A sampling of current Ingeo solutions can be found online in NatureWorks’ Ingeo LookBook. For more information about NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworks) for the latest updates. The international Ingeo users’ forum Innovation Takes Root will be held February 17-19, 2014 in Orlando, Florida, and a significant number of Latin American attendees are expected.

For Ingeo inquiries to Cromex S.A., please contact:

Cromex S.A.
Estrada do Corredor, 250
São Paulo – SP
CEP: 02992-210
Brazil

Mr. Celso Ferraz celso.ferraz@cromex.com.br Tel 55 11 2131-5406

About NatureWorks
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ lactides and biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based intermediates, plastics, and fibers, and provide brand owners new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. NatureWorks is jointly owned by Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemical, and Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services.

About Cromex S.A.
Cromex is a Brazilian company distributing color masterbatches, plastic additives, and thermoplastic resin distribution to thermoformers, film extruders, and injection molders. www.cromex.com.br

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.

PTT Polymer Marketing Co. Named Ingeo Distributor for Thailand and Vietnam

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Seeing strong growth potential in Southeast Asia, NatureWorks opened its Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok this January and is moving aggressively to develop sales channels in the region

BANGKOK, May 8, 2013 -- NatureWorks, the world’s leading supplier of biopolymers with Ingeo™ fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, has named PTT Polymer Marketing Co., Ltd. (PTTPM), the marketing arm of PTT Global Chemical Plc., as its Ingeo distributor in Thailand and Vietnam. PTTPM will bring Ingeo to its broad base of thermoformers, film extruders and injection molders, initially focusing on the packaging and food serviceware industries.

The agreement with PTTPM follows soon after NatureWorks opened its Bangkok regional headquarters and shows NatureWorks moving rapidly toward sales channel development in Southeast Asia. Global business leaders see the significant growth potential in this region as incomes rise and the middle class expands.

“PTTPM has experienced plastics industry sales and technical personnel, as well as a broad customer base in both Thailand and Vietnam,” said Rich Weber, the Asia/Pacific commercial director for NatureWorks. “We evaluated several distributors and found PTTPM to be the strongest, best positioned and most enthusiastic.”

“We are pleased to expand our portfolio with the addition of Ingeo, a globally recognized performance-based renewable plastic,” said Supachoke Liamkaeo, president of PTTPM. “Our collaboration with NatureWorks now gives companies in Thailand and Vietnam the opportunity to develop a full range of packaging and foodservice ware items offering performance with sustainability.”

Ingeo emits 60 percent less greenhouse gas and requires 48 percent less energy to manufacture into resin as compared to such plastics as PET. Ingeo offers converters and brand owners stable pricing as compared to the volatility of the plastics made from petroleum. Ingeo food service items, such as flatware, cups, and utensils, are typically biodegradable in industrial composting facilities – enabling the diversion of organics from landfills, where the composting infrastructure exists. Rigid and film-based Ingeo packaging delivers performance advantages. For example, clamshell packaging made with Ingeo requires 20 to 30 percent less material than a comparable package made from PET.

A sampling of current Ingeo solutions can be found online in NatureWorks’ Ingeo LookBook. For more information about NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworks) for the latest updates. The international Ingeo users’ forum Innovation Takes Root will be held in February 2014 in Orlando, Florida, and a significant number of Southeast Asian attendees are expected.

For Ingeo inquiries to PTTPM, please contact:

PTT Polymer Marketing Limited
Energy Complex Building A
9th Fl. 555/1 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road
Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 THAILAND

Ms. Pulsiri Rattananiyomkul (pulsiri.r@pttpm.com; tel.: +66 2 140 4427)
Mr. Chunarong Phayungpong (chunarong.p@pttpm.com; tel.: +66 2 140 4393)

About NatureWorks
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ lactides and biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based intermediates, plastics, and fibers, and provide brand owners’ new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. NatureWorks is jointly owned by Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemical, and Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services.

About PTTPM
PTT Polymer Marketing Company Limited or PTTPM was established as a polymer marketing arm, providing high caliber professional sales and marketing services for PTT Group’s polymer manufacturing units. PTTPM offers a variety of high quality polymers, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and bioplastics. PTTPM’s products are distributed throughout Thailand as well as exported to more than 100 countries around the world.

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.

International Ingeo Users’ Forum Innovation Takes Root to be Held in Orlando, Fla., February 17-19, 2014

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The fourth edition of the biennial Ingeo biopolymer users’ forum will emphasize the latest Ingeo developments across markets, including durables, packaging, food service items, fibers, films and lactide derivatives, one of the fastest growing product areas.

MINNETONKA, Minn., April 2, 2013 -- NatureWorks announced today the fourth biennial Innovation Takes Root Ingeo™ biopolymer users’ forum will be held February 17-19, 2014, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla. The 2012 forum drew more than 300 attendees of which approximately 50 percent were from outside the continental U.S. – Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Ingeo fibers and plastics are derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based materials, and provide brand owners’ new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their Ingeo based products. Ingeo was the world’s first commercial-scale biopolymer and is the world’s leading 100 percent biobased polymer today.

The Innovation Takes Root users’ forum presents the latest information on Ingeo research and development projects, applications, processing/converting, blends and additives, lactide developments, and discussions on related social and environmental issues. This is a users’ forum in every sense of the word with ample time for attendee discussions.

The 2012 forum featured the latest developments in technology from an impressive group of speakers, including organizations such as ConAgra Foods, IBM, Kimberly-Clark, Nissan Chemical Industries and Schlumberger. There were a broad range of discussions on sustainability and cradle-to-cradle thinking from such organizations as the Association of Postconsumer Recyclers, the Biodegradable Products Institute, Californians Against Waste, General Mills, Stonyfield Farms and the USDA. National Geographic Adventure contributing editor Tom Clynes and Susan Freinkel, author of Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, presented keynote and plenary session addresses at the forum.

On Monday, February 17, 2014, Innovation Takes Root begins with a day of pre-conference workshops. The forum’s presentations commence on Tuesday, February 18 and conclude the afternoon of Wednesday, February 19. More than 25 organizations exhibited products and services during the 2012 forum, and even more are expected to participate in 2014.

The Innovation Takes Root webpage provides in-depth information on the event. A sampling of current Ingeo solutions can be found online in NatureWorks’ COP 17 Ingeo LookBook. For more information about NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworks) for the latest updates.

About NatureWorks
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ lactides and biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based intermediates, plastics, and fibers, and provide brand owners’ new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. NatureWorks is jointly owned by Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemical, and Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services.

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.

NatureWorks selects Bangkok for the site of its first Asia Pacific headquarters

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

NatureWorks hires experienced commercial and managerial personnel to support Ingeo™ customers in the region and to grow market share

BANGKOK, January 22, 2013 -- NatureWorks, the world's leading supplier of biopolymers, with Ingeo™ fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, announced today that the company has located its first Asia Pacific (A/P) regional headquarters in Bangkok and has expanded its team of senior commercial, managerial and technical personnel to enhance support of Ingeo customers throughout the region and to expand business.

"In many parts of Asia, most notably China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, as in North America and Europe, Ingeo is already helping brand owners lower the carbon footprint of their plastic and fiber products, while giving these same companies significantly improved material price stability," said Marc Verbruggen, president and CEO, NatureWorks. "The opening of our first Asian headquarters is an important move as we add support for current customers and introduce Ingeo to many more."

New senior personnel

Rich Weber will serve as the new A/P commercial director, and Viboon Pungprasert is the new general manager of NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited. Weber will lead existing Ingeo market development work throughout the region. He is also responsible for establishing and managing new distribution relationships in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. He will coordinate Ingeo sales across segments and geographies and will set up commercial operations to support regional business development opportunities.

Weber joins NatureWorks from Cargill's Strategy & Business Development Group, where he managed teams of associates to deliver business strategy and mergers and acquisitions advice to Cargill senior management. Weber is relocating from the U.S. to Bangkok. Weber replaces longtime NatureWorks staffer Dan Sawyer, who with this move is now responsible for NatureWorks recently formed "new business incubator."

"My initial focus will be to meet with present customers and to develop important new relationships throughout various channels to market, including converters, downstream manufacturers, innovative brand owners and retailers," Weber said. "I will also be involved in growing our commercial and technical team to support the expanding market interest in Asia."

Viboon Pungprasert, the new general manager of NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited, will manage the NatureWorks A/P business from Bangkok. Pungprasert explained, "By establishing a physical footprint in Thailand, NatureWorks will be better able to support the growth of its existing customers in northern Asia and develop new business in Southeast Asia. We plan to add warehousing and logistics capabilities, which will improve our supply chain by providing safety stock and the flexibility to ship product samples. NatureWorks A/P will also add customer service and finance staff that will more effectively serve our customers and support the Asia Pacific sales team. These initial investments reinforce NatureWorks' commitment to the region and its support of accelerating Asian market growth."

Pungprasert comes to NatureWorks from PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, where he most recently served as assistant vice president of international business development for the company's international investment subsidiary.

NatureWorks has hired business development and technical personnel in Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan to increase support for customers and to further market development.

Chi Au-Yeung is NatureWorks' new technology and business development specialist for the AP region. Pauline Ning is transitioning to regional Ingeo marketing and communications manager for Asia Pacific. Kasina Samdaengdech is the new business development manager for Thailand and Vietnam, and Toshiaki Yamamatsu is now Ingeo technical sales development specialist for Japan. (Brief descriptions on the backgrounds of NatureWorks Asia Pacific new personnel are at the end of this release.)

Ingeo, the world's leading bioplastic, is utilized in a host of products and industries. A sampling of current solutions can be found online in NatureWorks' COP 17 Ingeo Lookbook. For more information on NatureWorks, visit www.natureworksllc.com. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworks) for the latest updates.

About NatureWorks

NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world's needs today without compromising the earth's ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ lactides and biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based intermediates, plastics, and fibers, and provide brand owners' new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. NatureWorks is jointly owned by Thailand's largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemical, and Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services.

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.

NatureWorks Asia Pacific New Team Members

Viboon Pungprasert: General Manager NatureWorks Asia Pacific

Pungprasert comes to NatureWorks from PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (PTTGC), where he most recently served as assistant vice president of international business development for the company's international investment subsidiary. Pungprasert has held increasingly responsible positions with such firms as Shell, MMP Packaging, and Toyota. Pungprasert has written four books on Thai Investments and currently has a weekly column in Bangkokbiznews Newspaper on investing. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering from Chulalongkorm University and a MBA from the University of the District of Columbia.

Rich Weber: Commercial Director, NatureWorks Asia Pacific

Weber joins NatureWorks from Cargill's Strategy and Business Development Group, where he managed teams of associates to deliver business strategy and mergers and acquisitions advice to Cargill senior management. Earlier in his career, he was a bio-process development engineer for Biogen IDEC (a bio-pharmaceutical company). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Chi Au-Yeung: Ingeo technology and business development specialist, Asia Pacific region

Chi comes to NatureWorks from DSM where she was new business development manager for the company's ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene product line. Prior to DSM, Chi held positions with Dow Chemical, Cabot, and Styron. At NatureWorks Chi will use her deep technical expertise and marketing background to provide technical support to customers and will work with business segment managers to grow business in China. Chi will be based in Hong Kong.

Pauline Ning: Ingeo marketing and communications manager, Asia Pacific

Ning has been with NatureWorks since 2004. She will be transitioning to the newly established position of Ingeo marketing and communications manager for the A/P region. In that capacity she will support all areas of marketing and communications, including conferences and tradeshows. She will be based in both Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Kasina Samdaengdech: Ingeo Business Development Manager, Thailand NatureWorks Asia Pacific

Samdaengdech comes to NatureWorks from PTT's Green Chemical Strategy and Business Group where she was business development manager. Earlier in her career she was a sales analyst for Siam Mitsui PTA. At NatureWorks, Samdaengdech will be responsible for establishing strong sales channel relationships in Thailand and Vietnam.

Toshiaki Yamamatsu: Ingeo technical sales development specialist, Japan

Toshiaki will be in charge of technical sales and serve as the primary contact for technical and regulatory questions with customers in Japan. Toshiaki studied architecture and environment systems engineering, and several years ago joined BP Consulting, Inc., a full line Ingeo distributor in Japan. Toshiaki will bring Ingeo training and application expertise to Japanese customers.