PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 25, 2016 - The global demand for white oils is estimated at 1.6 million tonnes in 2015 and has been increasing only moderately over the past four years, finds the forthcoming Global White Oils: Market Analysis and Opportunities report by international market research and management consulting firm Kline. Asia-Pacific is the largest white oils-consuming region, followed by North America and Europe. South America witnessed a dip in its white oil demand since 2011 due to Brazil’s demand contraction as a consequence of economic crisis.

Currently, close to 70% of the white oil demand in the key markets is for Group II baseoil based products. Traditionally, white oils have been made from paraffinic Group I and naphthenic basestocks. However, the usage of Group I has been shirking due to the decline in Group I supply, whereas Group II, III, and GTL suppliers have been successful in creating a market for themselves. Group II usage is high, particularly in North America and India. Amid declining Group I supply, white oil suppliers in these regions are preferring Group II over Group I because of its higher purity and abundant availability.

Competition is increasing between baseoil producers, white oil producers, blenders, and importers at different points of the supply chain across all regions. However, the existing suppliers have an advantage over new entrants because the product approval process is generally lengthy and customers do not easily switch suppliers unless there is visible benefits in cost or improvement in performance.

The Chinese national oil company Sinopec, a leading supplier in China, is also the leading supplier in the key markets with a 25% market share. Calumet, second to Sinopec, is the leading supplier in North America, but is also supplying to Brazil and other countries. The white oil markets in India, the United States, and Europe have intense competition because of the presence of many producers and blenders, resulting in thin profit margins.

Cosmetics and toiletries and plastics and polymers are the major consumers of white oils. The cosmetics and toiletries industry alone accounts for more than one-fourth of the total white oil demand. Textiles is the third largest consumer of white oils, with demand coming mainly from China, where it accounts for almost one-third of the white oil demand.

Pharmaceutical/food-grade white oils account for nearly two-thirds of the total white oils consumed in the key markets in 2015. However, in China, technical grades take the vast majority of the market as most of the white oils-consuming sectors do not have higher requirements in quality, such as textiles, inks, polystyrenes, and adhesives.

The usage of white oil viscosities and grades varies by region and application. For instance, China does not have a specific grade for pharmaceutical grade. In Brazil, white oils are produced in pharmaceutical grade, which includes the most highly refined grades of white oils. Technical/industrial grade is currently not produced in Brazil and supplied via imports.

“Due to the heavy dependence on imports, Latin America and Africa are among the most lucrative markets offering good opportunities to expand sales of white oils,” comments Sushmita Dutta, Project Lead, Energy, at Kline. “As the regions’ economies grow, demand for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and toiletries will also increase.”

The demand for white oils is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.3% through the forecast period from 2015 to 2020 for key markets analysed in Global White Oils: Market Analysis and Opportunities report. India will witness the highest demand growth at a CAGR of 1.8%, driven by the Indian government's Pharma Vision 2020, which aims at making India the global leader in end-to-end drug manufacturing.

About Kline
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for nearly 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 25, 2016 - The split of lubricant consumption by region tracks the division of global installed capacity. China is the largest market for lubricants used in wind energy, accounting for 34% of total demand, followed closely by the United States with 21%. Germany and India account for an approximate share of 6% each. However, Germany’s demand is slightly more than that of India according to the recent Lubricants for Wind Turbines: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities report by global market research and management consulting firm Kline.

The overall demand for lubricants used in the wind energy industry will increase from 37.6 kilotonnes in 2015 to 53.7 kilotonnes by 2020, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%. Lubricant demand growth will be influenced primarily by three factors: growth in wind energy capacity, the penetration of direct drive machines, and drain interval extensions. The main lubricants used in a wind turbine include gear oils, greases, and hydraulic fluids.

Sushmita Dutta, a Project Lead in Kline’s Energy Practice, states, “Wind energy is rapidly gaining significance as a source of electricity due to its environmental friendly nature. Electricity produced from wind energy does not use any non-renewable resource and does not produce carbon emissions. Furthermore, governments around the world have supported the wind energy industry through tax holidays, mandatory usage requirements, pricing support, and subsidies. Driven by this support, wind energy capacity has grown rapidly, increasing at a CAGR of 24% since 2000.”

“Furthermore, the need to reduce gear box failures and increase reliability under extreme operating conditions while extending drain intervals has contributed towards increased usage of synthetic lubricants,” adds Dutta. “The wind energy industry is unique compared to other end-use industries in that it has a very high share, exceeding 80%, of synthetics in overall demand in all regional markets including Asia. As the wind energy industry is risk averse, the fear of gear box failure and the need to maintain long drain intervals to control costs make synthetic products attractive.”

“The use of biodegradable fluids is practically nonexistent. The service conditions in a wind turbine are too severe and biodegradable oils tend to breakdown to release acids which attack the bearings and other copper parts. In the future, biodegradable oils may carve out a niche in the offshore market if their service life could be increased,” comments Dutta.

Global lubricant demand in the wind energy industry has positively correlated to the growth in the total installed wind energy capacity. Lubricant demand growth has slightly trailed the increase for wind energy installed capacity. There are several reasons for this, including the penetration of direct drive turbines, which dampens demand for lubricants as does the extension of drain intervals. Drain intervals will slowly increase from three years in 2015 to five to six years by 2020 for on-shore installations and five years in 2015 to six to seven years in 2020 for off-shore installations. As wind turbine capacity has increased, especially beyond 3 MW, the amount of lubricant consumed per MW is also reduced.

Existing lubricant marketers will face the threat of new lubricant suppliers emerging, especially in the service fill market. This threat is particularly notable in China where there is a trend towards “buy Chinese.” Besides continuing to partner with OEMs and emerging customer groups, lubricant marketers need to strengthen market entry barriers by stressing their track record and knowledge of products and technology.

To learn about the Lubricants for Wind Turbines: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities report, click here to register for the complimentary webinar, which will take place on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 9:00 AM EDT.

About Kline
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – October 5, 2016 - With an estimated 20% of adults suffering from pain globally, consumers’ choice for at-home treated pain relief has expanded from analgesics to a combination of devices that were once found only in doctors’ or physical therapists’ offices. According to Kline’s recently published Pain Management Devices: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities report series, the consumer market for these devices has grown at a rate of nearly 10% to reach $2 billion in 2015.

“In the United States, the segment grows three times faster than the over-the counter internal analgesics segment, which has increased at a rate of over 3% last year,” comments Karen Doskow, Director, Consumer Products Practice. “The drug-free pain relief solutions are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, and this incredible growth rate gives the entire healthcare industry a boost. This market should be of interest to a variety of companies, ranging from pharma players, such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer, to consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Panasonic, and professional manufacturers, such as such as ACP (Accelerated Care Plus Corporation) and Chattanooga (DJO Global), as it offers an entry into new channels of distribution, as well as appeals to a group of consumers who are open to self-care options.”

According to Kline’s attitude and usage survey of pain management professionals in China, Germany, Mexico, and the United States, the most recommended types of devices by healthcare professionals for at-home use for pain management are TENS, heat/ice packs, and heat devices. Light devices are the least recommended for at-home use, but still have a relatively high recommendation rate.

While Asian countries are accustomed to seeing these high-tech products, the powered devices segment is in the nascent stage in countries like Brazil, Mexico, and even the United Sates, opening up plenty of opportunity for savvy marketers.

Those marketers that are already entrenched in the market are arming their once traditional devices, such as heating pads or massagers, with new technology to make them more pertinent to today’s demanding consumer. The heating pad from the past has been updated to include dual functions, such as the Sunbeam Heating Pad with Massage Action. New multifunctional TENS devices are being launched by marketers like Omron and ELECOM in Japan. Others are introducing new technologies, such as a digital anti-inflammatory device called The Willow Curve from Physician’s Technology in the United States, which is designed to relieve joint pain with thermal and photonic energy.

While the competitive field for consumer use pain management devices has been highlighted by the entrance of Icy Hot and Aleve in the United States or Israeli-based iPulse Medical recently launching its menstrual pain treatment worldwide, it is expected that many more companies will enter the at-home segment in the near-term.

To learn more about this booming market, REQUEST your 24-hour access on October 27, 2016, to our webinar covering insights about the global pain management devices market.

Pain Management Devices: Global Market Analysis and Opportunities spans two basic segments—powered and non-powered devices—each split into different product categories, such as TENS, microcurrent, heat- and light-based devices, and massagers for the powered segment, and braces, wraps, and heat/ice packs for the non-powered segment. This program provides a comprehensive overview of the markets examined in terms of key lessons learned, trends, technologies, sales, competition, regional nuances, and opportunities, along with a volume presenting professional attitude and usage survey results from pain management professionals in China, Germany, Mexico, and the United States.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for nearly 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 21, 2016 - Accounting for almost 25% of the global market share, China is the second largest consumer of synthetic latex polymers after North America, according to the just-published China chapter report from Kline’s continuous program Synthetic Latex Polymers: Global Business Analysis and Opportunities. A considerably higher GDP growth compared to the developed world, low industry regulations, and stability in raw material prices appeals to multinational corporations and domestic suppliers, increasing market rivalry dramatically.

“While in most regional markets paints and coatings is the largest consumer of synthetic latex polymers, adhesives and sealants is the largest end use application in China,” notes Shilpi Mehrotra, the project’s lead. “This stems from China being the largest producer globally of biaxially-oriented polypropylene tapes for packaging that use large volumes of latex polymers in pressure-sensitive adhesives.” The rising construction segment further drives the demand for adhesives and sealants and paints and coating in terms of both volume and value. In product terms, X-SB dominates the Chinese market by volume, as this polymer is widely used in the well-developed paper industry, while pure acrylics is the largest product in value terms. However, the market is still price sensitive, limiting the use of high-value products.

Growth in services and various industry sectors in China generate favorable market conditions for suppliers. The competitive landscape in the Chinese market for synthetic latex polymers is fragmented, with the top 10 suppliers accounting for around 38% of the total market share. Supplier base comprises three tiers of companies, including global multinational corporations, such as BASF, Dow Chemical, and Wacker, domestic companies with a national focus, such as Shunde BATF, Shanxi Sanwei, Shanghai Baolijia, and Beijing Organic Chemical, and domestic companies with the a regional focus, including Hengshui Xinguang, Dongguan Hontex, and Jiangsu Runyang.

BASF is the leading supplier of synthetic latex polymers in China in terms of value, mainly due to its strong presence in the X-SB and styrene acrylics markets. Local supplier Sunde BATF is the second largest market player, specializing in the production of styrene acrylics and pure acrylics.

According to a five-year forecast, China’s strong GDP growth, supported by the rise in services and industry sectors will be the major market driver for each individual product. Glove dipping is expected to be the fastest growing end-use application due to the growing demand for synthetic latex gloves globally. As a result, the major chemical used in this application, AB-Nitrile, will be the fastest growing product in the region. On the other hand, the textiles industry will experience the slowest growth due to its mature market stage. The use of VA VEVA will continue to decrease. VAE is the strongest competitor to VA VEVA as it is comparatively lower-priced and provides better performance, as well as being friendly to the environment.

Get more insights about the Chinese market for synthetic latex polymers with Kline’s free webinar Synthetic Latex Polymers: China Market Landscape.

From this presentation, you will learn about:

• Latex consumption and supply by product type and application
• Competitive landscape: multinational corporations vs. domestic manufacturers
• Product substitutions within different applications
• Major market trends that will reshape the industry through 2020

REGISTER

Covering the complex market of synthetic latex polymers since the 1970s, Kline published reports on Europe, CIS, and Brazil in 2015, North America and India in May 2016, and just released the China study from its continuous synthetic latex polymers program. Volumes on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Rest of the World are scheduled to be published in 2017.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for nearly 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

In January 2014, Kline & Company, a worldwide consulting and research firm serving needs of organizations in the lubricants and base stocks industry, introduced its monthly Base Stock Margin Index, a characterization of recent cash margin contributions in the U.S. base oil market over the past 24 months.

The Index estimates cash margin contributions associated with U.S. Group II base stock production. It simulates EBITDA before the deduction of corporate SG&A expenses for typical VGO-based virgin base stock plants and RFO-based re-refineries. A more detailed description of the Margin Index can be found in the January 2014 release.

Since the last release of the Margin Index, Brent crude oil prices have increased by one-third,” noted Ian Moncrieff, Vice President of Kline’s Energy Practice. “Brent crude oil increased from an average of $33.70/Bbl in quarter one, to $45.52/Bbl in quarter two, and then held steady through the first two months of quarter three. While VGO feedstock price increases for conventional Group II refiners were similar to those for Brent (i.e., VGO cracks remained stable), re-refiners experienced a smaller increase in UMO feed prices from quarter one to quarter two, as used oil collector/aggregators were able to limit reductions in pay-for-oil fees required of used oil generators as heavy fuel oil prices increased.”

“On the revenue side, base oil contract prices eventually climbed in response to VGO price increases, though lagging the fuels market by almost two months. Additionally, conventional refiners had the benefit of stronger diesel prices in June allowing them to show a higher growth in base oil cash margin profitability. Partially offsetting the oil-driven margin uplift in conventional Group II production was the increased cost of fuel, with Henry Hub spot natural gas prices increasing from a low of $1.73/MMBtu in March to $2.82 in July.”

“On the demand side, the U.S. Energy Information Administration continues to report increases in ‘Product Supplied of Lubricants,’ which we believe is a close simulation of U.S. internal demand for base oils, where reported base oil production less net exports and inventory change is equated to consumption (domestic disappearance). Reported U.S. ‘lubricant’ product supplied increased by almost 7% from 2014 to 2015, and the first half of 2016 is up 1% on 1H, 2015.”

Moncrieff added, “Kline, in association with SBA consulting, has introduced the Base Oil Plant Health Check earlier this year. This service will combine the industry-leading market, commercial and technical insights of Kline’s Energy practice working in close association with Steve Ames. With the underlying weakness to supply/demand and capacity utilization fundamentals, an analysis into the past and likely future profitability of a base oil plant(s), can help the refiner evaluate opportunities for enhancing its competitiveness against its industry peers.”

For more information on the Health Check study, the Kline Index, or to inquire about our pricing and margin analysis services to the base stocks industry, please contact Ian Moncrieff, Vice President (Ian.Moncrieff@klinegroup.com) at (973)-615-3680 in Kline’s Energy Consulting Practice.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 13, 2016 - The improving quality of finished lubricants and the burgeoning supply of high quality basestocks continue to create greater pressure on Group I basestocks to exit the market in the face of stagnant overall demand. In 2015, Group I basestocks account for less than half of the global basestock demand, down from over two-thirds a decade earlier, according to the recently published Global Lubricant Basestocks: Market Analysis and Opportunities report by global market research and management consulting firm Kline.

Passenger car motor oils formulation changes are driven by improvements in fuel economy, increasing engine oil durability, and maintaining compatibility with emission control devices and biofuels. The high viscosity index, low volatility, and low sulfur content has resulted in the reduced use of Group I and increased use of Group II and Group III.

According to Anuj Kumar, a Project Manager in Kline’s Energy Practice, “The need to improve fuel economy continues to drive the use of lower-viscosity-grade oils. This trend, initially strong in North America and Western Europe, has started to catch on in other markets as well. To ensure that these low-viscosity oils continue to provide long drain intervals, they need to be made more durable, which results in more stringent NOACK limits.”

As a result of the stringent NOACK limits, the use of Group II-based formulations is limited in many markets. Group II and II+ basestocks are left out of the synthetic oil market, while in most markets, Group III basestocks are often approved as they meet the standards required for synthetic formulations, shifting demand away from Group II towards Group III basestocks.

“The shift will continue to be accelerated by the growing use of synthetics and despite overall flat demand in finished lubricants, the real change will occur within the basestock types,” adds Kumar. “Those basestocks that satisfy the requirements set forth by regulations and OEMs will see the most growth.”

Within the heavy duty motor oil (HDMO) market, the demand is primarily shifting towards Group II basestocks as the market predominantly consumes SAE 15W-40 grades. There is small but growing demand for lighter grades in North America and Western Europe. However, globally, the demand for these light viscosity grades is quite small. As a result, demand for light grades of basestocks is limited in the HDMO market.

Within the industrial lubricant market, applications that require high viscosity and solubility continue to demand Group I basestocks. In other applications, where there is no technical limitation on the use of Group II and Group III basestocks, their use is increasing, and these basestocks compete against Group I.

The uncertain economic outlook has dampened the finished lubricant demand growth (and hence for basestocks), but the project pipeline for new basestock capacity remains strong. This surplus capacity is creating pressure on high cost basestock plants to rationalize. This has resulted in a series of basestock capacity closures in the last three years. The scenario of continued excess capacity, with a slower demand growth outlook, will cause more capacity rationalizations in the future.

To learn more, register for Kline’s complimentary webinar covering this study on Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM EDT.

These findings and more are available in the recently published Global Lubricant Basestocks: Market Analysis and Opportunities report.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – September 7, 2016 - Industrial surfactants scattered among a number of applications, such as food, paints and coatings, crop protection, and oil and gas, take up an important one-third of the global surfactants market, but have been lacking comprehensive coverage up until now. Spanning multiple regions, Kline’s imminent Industrial Surfactants: Multi-regional Market Analysis and Opportunities report finds that these industrial applications driven by complex drivers respective to each application offer myriad of growth opportunities.

From the two just-published reports on Europe and the United States, alkyl aryl sulphonates and fatty alcohol ethoxylates are the most commonly used surfactants. However, alkyl aryl sulphonates are mainly consumed in lubricants whereas fatty alcohol ethoxylates consumption is fairly even across various applications. Fatty alcohol ethoxylates are considered ecofriendly compared to surfactants like alkyl phenol ethoxylates/nonyl phenol ethoxylates (APE/NPE) and are currently reasonably priced due to which they are used in large quantities in all industrial applications.

The usage of APE/NPE has been banned in Europe due to ecotoxicological concerns. Furthermore, in some European countries, like Germany, usage of polyethoxylated tallow amine is restricted due to its toxicity. Similarly, in the United States, fatty alcohol ethoxylates are increasingly replacing APE/NPE in the crop protection, construction, and textile industries.

Environmental concerns, such as an increased focus on fuel economy and emissions reductions, are driving growth of dispersants in lubricants. In paints and coatings applications, the market continues to shift towards water-based paints and coatings that require a higher amount of dispersing agent and thus consume more surfactants.

“Another trend seen in Europe and the United States is the shift towards higher quality products,” comments Kunal Mahajan, the project’s manager. “For example, textile manufacturers are increasingly focusing on producing high performance textiles, such as nonwovens. This provides an opportunity to surfactants suppliers to focus on offering differentiated technical solutions to such manufacturers.”

In 2015, the European market (EU-28, Norway, and Switzerland) consumes nearly a billion tonnes of surfactants. While mono-and diglycerides remain the leading surfactants in volume terms, fatty alcohol ethoxylates are leading in terms of value. In the United States, which consumes approximately 1,200 million tonnes, alkyl aryl sulphonates remain the leading surfactants in terms of value.

Large global multinational companies, such as BASF, Clariant, Huntsman, Stepan, and AkzoNobel, are the top five leading suppliers in Europe, together accounting for close to half of the total market value. In addition, many regional companies, such as Leuna Tenside, Bozzetto, and Erca, among others, have a strong presence in one or a few European countries. Huntsman, BASF, and Stepan are the three leading suppliers in the United States.

In the following five years, alkyl polyglucosides are expected to be the fastest growing surfactant due to their characteristics and favorable environmental profile. Food and crop protection applications are expected to be the fastest growing applications for surfactants consumption in the next five years.

To learn more about these two markets, REGISTER for our complimentary webinar on September 20, 2016.

Industrial Surfactants: Multi-regional Market Analysis and Opportunities provides a detailed independent appraisal of the three key markets—China, Europe, and the United States—including current and forecast demand by major product and end-use industry, product grades and prices, applications, distribution channels, supplier sales, and technical and market trends. This program comes as two key deliverables: a detailed report for each of the regions and a fully interactive database.

About Kline
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for nearly 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – July 18, 2016 - Driven by consumer interest in all things natural, the market for natural OTCs increases by a strong 11.4%, compared with the overall OTC market that grew 4.2% in 2015. Natural nutritional products, including supplements for heart and brain health, grow at the fastest pace of over 30% in 2015. The natural cough/cold/immunity market, the largest category, accounting for approximately 40% of the total natural OTC market, is also growing at high single digits and according to Kline’s recently published study, Natural OTCs: Impact of Non-drug Products on the U.S. OTC Market.

“Consumers are using these products both for prevention and immune boosting properties as well as to help aid healing when they are sick,” states Laura Mahecha, Healthcare Industry Manager for Kline Market Research. “The message of strengthening the body’s natural defenses against upper respiratory issues such as cold, cough, and allergies that have been widely advertised by brands such as Emergen-C, Zarbee’s Naturals, and Zicam resonates with consumers.”

The immune-boosting claims made by probiotic brands such as Culturelle, Align, and Schiff Digestive Advantage also resonate with consumers, and this category’s sales increase by double digits. These products offer improved immunity via the digestive tract and are taken regularly in order to be effective. “Probiotic brands are sold at relatively high retail price points and most consumers take them daily, which deliver strong sales gains for retailers and the manufacturers of these brands,” says Mahecha.

More than half of the consumers surveyed by Kline indicate that they use natural OTCs more now than one year ago and nearly two-thirds of consumers say they use them now more than five years ago, which indicates a growing interest in natural OTCs. There is also a growing range of retail outlets where natural OTCs are sold including traditional drug, food, and mass merchandiser channels in addition to alternative classes of trade, such as natural/specialty stores, including Whole Foods and Sprout’s, nutrition and supplement stores, such as GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, and the online channel.

“Natural OTCs will continue to be important to consumers and therefore are expected to grow at strong rates in the future. They will also continue offer competition to traditional OTC brands over the next few years,” concludes Mahecha.

The market for natural OTCs consists of a number of diffuse suppliers. Some suppliers are small start-up organizations, such as The Honest Company and Zarbee’s Naturals. Others are small to medium-sized companies focused on homeopathy, such as Hyland’s, Boiron, and Similasan. Natural companies that have been acquired by large multinational companies of traditional OTCs gained the support and resources of their new parent companies. Premium natural products, with strong margins and growth that often outpaces the traditional OTC market, are an attractive target for manufacturers of traditional OTC products, which continue to acquire smaller natural OTC companies as a way to enter new categories and channels of distribution.

To learn more about this vibrant market, REGISTER for our complimentary webinar covering key research findings.

Natural OTCs: Impact of Non-drug Products on the U.S. OTC Market is a comprehensive market assessment of non-drug products competing with traditional OTCs, including an analysis of the market’s size, consumers’ perceptions, and company profiles. This report focuses on major products, companies, and consumer attitudes towards such products.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for nearly 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – June 1, 2016 - Kline, a respected provider of world-class consulting services and high-quality market intelligence, announced that Ian Butcher has decided to retire as Kline Senior Vice President of Global Business Development within the Chemicals and Petrochemical industries after 35 years with the company. Frances Davidson in North America and Hardeep Parmar in Europe have currently replaced Butcher, both in positions of Director in the Chemicals Practice of Kline’s Management Consulting business. Butcher will continue working for Kline as a senior advisor to help make a smooth transition.

Butcher is a seasoned consultant to chemical industry who during his extensive tenure worked in a variety of functions from Commercial Director to his current position as Member of the Board of Directors, Senior Vice President and Officer of the company and Managing Director of Kline’s Belgium office. He, along with his team, has assisted many chemical and petroleum corporations in Europe, North America, and the Middle East to identify new business opportunities and new markets, to monitor and improve client relationships, and in due diligence assignments for acquisitions. Based on his lifetime experience in the chemicals, industry Ian has written a white paper about his personal observations: Nostalgia’s Not What it Used to Be: The Chemical Industry’s Evolution Over 35 Years.

“Ian has been an invaluable member of our leadership team and has enjoyed a highly successful career, especially in his most recent role as our senior client liaison,” commented Joe Tarantola, CEO of Kline. “While we are excited about the additions of Hardeep and Frances to our team and pleased that Ian will continue to work with them towards a seamless transition, we will miss his tireless dedication to driving the growth and success of our Management Consulting Practice. Meanwhile, we wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Frances Davidson, who recently joined Kline’s U.S. office, brings over 25 years business development and project management experience in oil, refined products, chemicals, and polymers industries. She comes from Townsend Solutions, a plastic and chemical industry consultancy where she was a business development director. In this role, she has helped various major petrochemical/oil companies with their significant business objectives by providing strategic consulting and research projects across the chemical process industries.

Projects that Davidson has delivered include the identification of buyers for new products or new locations, logistics optimization and expansion plans, and operational cost reduction through analysis of competitors’ costs and positioning, throughout the supply chain or various acquisition, business growth, and market analyses strategies.

Hardeep Parmar, who has recently joined Kline’s London office, brings invaluable experience of the petrochemicals and chemical industry accrued at consultancies including Nexant, Jacobs Consultancy, and Arthur D. Little, United Kingdom. Parmar was responsible for providing commercial insights and recommendations to support corporate clients developing investment strategies to support expansions and entering new markets.

Parmar delivered projects which included strategic vision workshops to support the development of strategic business plans and consulting services advising institutional investors of world-scale projects in the Middle East and Africa, as well as transactional advisory services delivering technical and commercial due diligence projects for the intermediate and specialty chemical segment, among others. She also provided market research and commercial advisory services to investors in specialty chemicals and the renewable energy industry including solar, biofuels, and “green” chemicals.

Mark DeDecker will take over as Managing Director of the Brussels office, while Butcher maintains a Directorship of Kline Europe SA.

About Kline & Company
Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the agrochemicals, chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for almost 60 years. For more information, visit www.KlineGroup.com.

PARSIPPANY, NJ – May 23, 2016 - North America is the largest synthetic latex polymers consuming market globally, accounting for nearly 30% of the total market share in 2015. Acrylic emulsions, most of which are produced locally, are the most consumed polymers in the region, according to Kline’s continuous program Synthetic Latex Polymers: Global Business Analysis and Opportunities, which covers North America, China, and India in its second year.

The United States is the largest market for synthetic latex polymers in the region, with an estimated share of over 80%. Mexico and Canada are nearly the same in terms of market size, with industry structures based on imports from the United States, local production, and some imports from Europe and Asia.

Paints and coatings is the leading end-use segment in North America in terms of volume and value. Adhesives and sealants, paper, nonwovens, and construction are among the largest applications in the region due to the rapidly growing demand for end-use products. Acrylics, pure acrylics, vinyl acrylics, and styrene acrylics are the leading product categories in North America, with over 58% of latex consumption by volume in 2015.

“While styrene-butadiene-based latexes suffered in 2011-2012 because of the price rise of butadiene and styrene monomers, with the reduction and stability in prices of these monomers, the demand of these latexes has stabilized, and even regains lost market share in, for example, the carpet industry,” comments Shilpi Mehrotra, the report’s project manager.

The synthetic latex polymers supplier landscape is consolidated, with the top seven suppliers accounting for almost 80% of the merchant market volume. Additionally, suppliers focus on application-depending product portfolios since there is rivalry among companies that have to compete within the same market segments. Distributors play a minor role in the market route as the largest market players tend to build long-standing customer relationships in most segments.

Dow Chemical and BASF are the leading suppliers in the North American market, together accounting for nearly 45% of the total share. Dow is the major supplier in acrylics-based chemistries, while BASF’s portfolio leans heavily towards styrene-butadiene latexes.

The North American market for synthetic latex polymers is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 1.5%, forecast to reach USD 10 billion by 2020. The growing GDP is expected to positively affect the consumption of each product considered. However, other variables affecting market development will be different from one product to another. For instance, RDP will be the fastest growing chemistry because of its ease of use and the growing construction industry, while X-SB will decline because of the waning production of paper and carpets in the region. A decrease in consumption of synthetic latex polymers is expected in the paper, leather, and polishes and waxes applications due to the increasing offshoring of manufacturing.

For more details from the North American market for synthetic latex polymers, register for Kline's upcoming WEBINAR. To hear highlights from other synthetic latex polymers markets, register for the WEBINAR focused on India or request the recording from the European session.

Covering the complex market of synthetic latex polymers since the 1970s, Kline published reports on Europe, CIS, and Brazil in 2015 and just released two new regional analyses—North America and India—from its continuous synthetic latex polymers program, with China forthcoming. Volumes on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Rest of the World are scheduled to be published in 2017.

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