JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009 - 10

COMPANIES COMPANIES aerospace, automotive, building & construction, defence & ballistics, electrical & electronics, energy, infrastructure, marine and mass transit. Our exclusive high-performance HiPertex™ glass fibre meets a growing industry demand for outstanding mechanical strength, stiffness and impact resistance, as well as significantly higher thermal and corrosion resistance properties compared to E-glass reinforcements. HiPer-tex™ fibres are available in the form of direct rovings and are particularly suited to a wide range of specific industries including aerospace, blast and ballistic protection, high-pressure vessels, marine sport, infrastructure and wind energy. JCM: Do you only produce in Europe? What is your market share, knowing that the global glass fibre market for composites is estimated to be worth about 3 million tonnes? H. J.: At present, we have two European manufacturing facilities, in Birkeland, Norway, and in Battice, Belgium, where we also operate a Science and Technology Centre which is ideally situated to provide European customers with a comprehensive range of testing, development and innovative research capabilities. Altogether, we have a capability of producing 150 Kt of glass fibre at our two facilities, which represents approximately 5% of the industry’s total global production. In the future, it is our intent to expand our business and create a cost-effective global footprint that will enable us to meet the growing needs of our customers globally. JCM: What are 3B’s strengths? How does the company stand out from the rest of the glass fibre producers? H. J.: 3B offers unrivalled levels of competence in fibreglass development and technology, as well as a total commitment to supporting customers locally and internationally. Europe is the main centre for innovation in the global reinforced plastics and composites industries so we couldn’t be Biography Hugues Jacquemin was appointed CEO of 3B, a Platinum Equity company, in July 2008. Immediately prior to his current position Jacquemin was Operations Executive at Platinum Equity, the private equity firm that acquired two European glass fibre manufacturing facilities and the European technology centre from Owens Corning to form 3B The Fibreglass Company, where he played a key role in the transaction. Hugues Jacquemin holds a BSc degree in European Business with Technology from Brighton University, UK and a Diploma di Esperto nella Produzione Industriale from the Politecnico di Torino, Italy. His career began in 1990 with Technical and Sales & Marketing roles at ORSI Automazione both in Italy and the UK. better located to form strong bonds with our thermoplastic and thermoset producing customers. Thanks to our central location, we can react quickly to evolving needs and challenges, and work together with our customers to develop a more profitable and sustainable future. As our customers expand globally, we will be there to support them with the same high-quality products and service levels. Doing business is also about shared values and people relationships. We are a young company that believes in forming close partnerships with our customers. It is also very important to reiterate that 3B is a solid company with little leverage. Our shareholders are very supportive and view this acquisition as a platform to invest in this dynamic industry. Our values of strength, reliability and proximity, our high level of service and responsiveness together with our ability to innovate are great benefits for our customers. JCM: In conclusion, the global economy is currently facing a severe downturn. Are you concerned about 3B’s growth in 2009/ 2010? Do you think that the composite-related markets will be less affected by the economic crisis? H. J.: The slowdown and eventual downturn really began to affect the industry and therefore 3B in the second half of 2008. Nevertheless, 2008 was a very good year for 3B overall. We were able to meet our goals and prepare for 2009. So far, we are on target to achieving our objectives for the first quarter and the remainder of the year. We feel the market will contract in 2009. In 2008, thermoplastics (TP) contracted around 10%, mainly at the latter end of the year and further tightening is anticipated in 2009. The thermoset (TS) segments performed better with wind energy seeing the highest growth at 10-15%. However, we expect a decline in 2009 due to a fall in demand within the global market. We will continue to adjust capacities in 2009 to meet market demand while investing in our business to prepare for the upturn once the industry starts to recover. Let’s be positive, this industry will bounce back and continue to grow. The present downturn or recession will result in de-stocking and a reduction in production which will impact downstream manufacturing throughout 2009. We anticipate a market shrink over the next 6 to 12 months. However, this industry is robust so we are confident the upturn will happen and when it does, it will be rapid and strong. The strong management team at 3B is comprised of experienced composite professionals, as well as executives from other industries who bring new ways of thinking to the business. We are aggressively pursuing our strategy to expand the business while managing our company through the downturn. We are focused on the journey not the storm. 10 jec composites magazine / No49 June 2009

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #49 - June 2009