ICIS acquisition of CDI strengthens North America position – ICIS & CDI executives

The acquisition of polymer data and analytics provider Chemical Data (CDI) by ICIS strengthens its position in North America while giving CDI a new global platform.

- Acquisition of CDI fits with “four C’s” rationale: country, content, customer and capability
- CDI strengthens ICIS in the North America market
- CDI gains access to ICIS global marketing and sales teams
- CDI can now accelerate its global growth, technology and sales plans
- CDI had been approached by more than a dozen companies before partnering with ICIS
- Record demand for PE for packaging in North America
- PE product shortages caused by outages and project delays
- First wave of US polymer expansions did not hit margins as badly as anticipated
- Pandemic may cause companies to reconsider timing of further PE expansions
- PE exports now account for 40% of US production, and this may grow to 50%
- PP near-term outlook is more negative with large project due onstream and margins under pressure
- New capacities will keep margins and spreads ‘contained’
- But big wave of new US PP over next 12-24 months has been delayed
- US seeing V-shaped recovery in automotive
- PVC demand is improving with an outage contributing to very low inventories
- Crisis is driving change across the chemical industry
- Industry pivoted quickly to help solve challenges of pandemic

Listen to this podcast interview with Dean Curtis president and CEO, ICIS; Jason Brown, president of CDI and Brian A. Pruett, CDI’s senior vice-president, PE & PP Sales & Business Development.

Interview by Will Beacham