Swiss company Ciba Specialty Chemicals has announced it has established a new regional hub in Bahrain, enabling it to provide customised solutions to customers in a wide swath of territory in the Middle East and South Asia.
The regional hub in Bahrain as well as regional warehouse facilities are part of Ciba Specialty Chemicals Middle East WLL and the local presence will include offices in Bahrain. Formulation centres and laboratories in the major markets will provide technical assistance. All of the company’s segments are represented in the region, allowing Ciba to offer one-stop solutions across the various industries it serves.
“By establishing a regional hub in Bahrain, we are moving closer to our customers, further developing our understanding of their needs, and building on long-standing relationships”, says Armin Meyer, chairman and CEO, Ciba Specialty Chemicals. “Our local presence allows higher flexibility towards our customers, increased speed of delivery and a wider range of individual solutions.”
A company statement said: “The new regional hub in Bahrain will serve Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the UAE and Yemen. Affiliated offices are located in Cairo and Tehran. Ciba Specialty Chemicals’ customer-friendly and multi-lingual service in Bahrain adapts to its customers’ schedules and working hours.
“Regional distribution with local warehousing provides shorter lead-times and more efficient service levels with a Regional Supply Centre in Dubai and an additional warehouse in Egypt.”
Ciba Specialty Chemicals specialises in adding performance, protection, colour and strength to textiles, plastics, paper, automobiles, buildings, home and personal care products, among other fields. The company is active in more than 120 countries around the world and is committed to be a leader in its chosen markets. In 2003, the company generated sales of 6.6 billion Swiss francs ($ 5.4 billion) and invested 281 million in R&D.
In other developments, the company entered into an exclusive agreement to globally market the corrosion inhibitors of Cathay Biotechnology to the lubricants, fuels, coolants and related markets. The products were launched at Ciba’s exhibit at STLE 2004 in Toronto, Ontario, in mid-May, and marketed under the names Ciba Irgacor DC 11 and Ciba Irgacor DC 12. Both of the products are manufactured in Cathay’s state-of-the-art biotechnology facility in the Shandong region of China. These new products expand the existing Ciba Irgacor line of corrosion inhibitors, which are designed to protect products including metal working parts and coolant systems from the corrosive effects of oxidation such as rust.
Thomas Engelhardt, global head of process and lubricant additives for Ciba, said:. “This partnership demonstrates the commitment that Ciba Specialty Chemicals is making to the Asia region, and in finding and working with technology partners that help us bring novel and innovative solutions to the marketplace.”
In addition to its line of corrosion inhibitors, Ciba Specialty Chemicals offers a broad range of additives needed to formulate high-quality lubricants, including antioxidants, antiwear additives and metal deactivators.
Also recently, Ciba Specialty Chemicals presented a new, patent-pending technology, Ciba Prime IT, at the Drupa expo that was held in Düsseldorf from May 6 to 19.
The first durable surface modification technology for plastics, Prime IT improves adhesion of UV-curable inks, coatings and adhesives.
“We’ve taken our combined expertise in photoinitiators, printing and polymers to create an innovative solution to the problems of adhesion on a range of plastic substrates,” said Herman Angerer, global head of Ciba Specialty Chemicals’ coating effects segment.
“Conventional treatments to improve wettability and therefore adhesion are not stable and surface modification is uneven, resulting in variations during printing and coating processes. Prime IT really makes it stick. It physically modifies the surface of the plastic, allowing durable chemical bonding and high-quality printing.
“The technology is adapted to market needs and adds value from printer to end user. It ensures a more reliable printing performance and improved print quality. The appearance and physical properties of the plastic substrate are retained. Fewer rejects, less waste and lower inventory help to reduce overall printing costs.”
Prime IT is suitable for labels, flexible and rigid packaging, smart cards, and commercial printing. It ensures improved adhesion on a wide variety of plastic substrates, including OPP, PVC, Pet, PE and PA.
