Raw material pricing and supply remain major concerns for waxes and additives manufacturers, but the improvement in the economy has brought some good news.
Waxes, solvents and additives manufacturers enjoyed growth overall, as new technologies continue to emerge. However, higher raw material costs remain a major concern.
While pricing of key ingredients remains a concern, availability is becoming a serious issue for the ink industry, as the supply of key raw materials such as acrylic acid is not keeping up with demand.
While 2002 offered some slight improvement in the market, 2003 remains a time of uncertainty. Still, an increasing interest in value-added products provides some possibilities.