JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007 - 3

October - November 2008 No36 EDITORIAL MAGAZINE 44th year President and CEO/Publisher: Frédérique Mutel mutel@jeccomposites.com Editor-in-chief: Frédéric Reux Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 11 reux@jeccomposites.com Assistant editor: Franck Glowacz Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 04 glowacz@jeccomposites.com And once again, our industry is in a good position The composite industry is perfectly integrated in the world economy, which means it is also affected by mergers and take-overs. Though our industry is booming on an international level, this does not protect us in any way against such business restructuring. On the contrary! Mergers and take-overs are now essential and seem to be part and parcel of this growth, ensuring the continuity of our companies. Successive buyouts such as GE Plastics by Sabic, Saint Gobain’s Reinforcement and Composites Business by Owens Corning, and lastly Huntsman by Hexion, just to mention a few recent dealings, are a perfect example of this trend. No market segment escapes the rule, from resin or reinforcement production to processing. The arrival of new players with well-publicised global ambitions encourages mergers, which do not only concern major groups. You now need to have a comprehensive, consistent range of products and good geographical coverage of the markets. Competition is global and you must be fighting fit to play. Such mergers generally result in the reorganisation of business activities and growth no longer provides shelter nor guarantees development. Now you also have to be as close to the user markets as possible. It is this prerequisite that is forcing companies to continuously adapt to the constantly-evolving market conditions. From this viewpoint, our industry has shown itself to be very dynamic. Nevertheless, our never-ending quest for the much-talked-about “critical mass” is not the only way out. Firstly, pretentious is he who thinks he has found the ideal critical mass for any company on any market. The truth is not engraved in stone; we have all seen companies – small, medium or big – grow or die out. The only critical mass of any worth is that which maintains or boosts the company’s capacity for innovation. And once again, our industry is in a good position. Not a day goes by without us hearing about the launch of a new product or application, which we always take great pleasure in sharing with you in this magazine. Happy reading! Technical topics: Pierre Lissac info@jeccomposites.com Copy-editor & Graphic designer: Marylène Guéret - Antoine Morel gueret@jeccomposites.com Advertising managers: Judith Blacker Africa, Asia Pacific, Benelux, Europe, Middle East, North America, Scandinavia & UK Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 74 blacker@jeccomposites.com Mona Bielmeier Austria, Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland & South America Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 73 bielmeier@jeccomposites.com Circulation/Partnerships: presse@jeccomposites.com Sandrine Dumarquez dumarquez@jeccomposites.com Subscriptions: www.jeccomposites.com/magazine-subscription/ Fax: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 19 Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 08 dumarquez@jeccomposites.com Unit price: €20 (8 issues a year) Marketing/Communication: Patrice Sinthon, sinthon@jeccomposites.com Printing: SPEI - Pulnoy (54), France Legal registration: ISSN 1639-965X - CPPAP: 1007 T 82488 Dépôt légal : 4e trimestre 2007 Photos & illustrations: All rights reserved, unless mentioned. JEC Composites Magazine is published by JEC. 19, Bd de Courcelles 75008 Paris - France Tel: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 01 Fax: +33 (0)1 58 36 15 14 www.jeccomposites.com The reproduction, even partial, of articles and illustrations is forbidden, unless prior permission is obtained from JEC Composites Magazine. The management of JEC Composites Magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising. Total average Circulation: 20,250 copies* 18,655 copies BPA average qualified circulation 1,595 BPA average non qualified circulation *(BPA June 2006 Audit Report) Frédéric Reux Editor-in-Chief No36 October - November 2007 / JEC Composites Magazine

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007