Operational market players

In the context of a previous analysis performed by Zoulias et al. (2006) the operational market players for hydrogen-based autonomous power systems were identified. Following further analysis these market players can be qualitatively categorized in the following groups ... 

By promoting co-operation between market players in the chain the government aims to strengthen the organic sector in the Netherlands. This co-operation is reflected in the chain agreements and a joint communication plan to improve consumer information. The government s job is to facilitate matters and to spur on the process. 

Successful specialty chemicals companies can still reap rich rewards and create value in the future, by concentrating on two key factors for success they have to develop strategies which allow them to shape leading positions in markets or arenas that fit their competitive advantages, and achieve superior operational performance at the business unit level. In this chapter we map out the key strategic levers that specialty players can pull to achieve this, and assess what is needed to fulfill them. 

Specialty companies are facing an ever tougher environment. Eventually, the extent to which a company will manage to outperform other players, be they existing players, financial investors or new low-cost entrants, will depend on its ability to develop a strategy which will enable it to shape a leading competitive position in a market or arena that can allow it to tap into its advantages, and to achieve superior operational performance at the business unit level. 

Since gas players have invested cautiously despite continuous growth, they have managed to increase their capital productivity and prevent value leakage during the last five years. Compared with specialty chemicals companies, industrial gases players have shown a relatively stable market-to-book ratio over the last ten years. Current valuation levels are driven by a relatively stable operating performance and substantial growth expectations. 

Some steps have already been taken in the chemical industry during the deep restructuring of the 90s, many players changed their organization from a functional to a customer and market orientation and, at that time, some also abandoned the traditional focus on simple functional excellence in manufacturing or logistics, and developed a more customer-centered and integrated approach to their operations. These companies have discovered the potential benefits for all company stakeholders inherent in SCM. 

Nevertheless, improving or even innovating SCM design and operations is a reliable way to boost ROIC and therefore market value, as supply chains link nearly all parts of a company s business system. When Dell developed its radically new supply chain model, it was really thinking out of the box , and probably no one would have believed it would soon become the reference in (and outside) its industry, and one of the biggest and most valuable players in its sector. Similarly, other industries have indicated ways that the chemical industry can take in the near future. 

Canada with a nameplate production capacity of 5.53 milhon tonnes of ethylene is a major player in world petrochemicals. Most of the product is devoted to the US market, particularly the northern states which are remote from the integrated operation of the US Gulf. Most of the operations are large gas based operation based in Alberta Table 1.2. 

All of the cracking operations use naphtha as feedstock. The future developments of Taiwan s petrochemicals business are linked to developments in the refinery sector which provide the feedstock. Until recently, the supply of petroleum products was in the hands of the government owned Chinese Petroleum Corporation (another CPC ) which operated three refineries and a condensate splitter. These operations supplied the downstream petrochemical plants with naphtha. However, the advent of Taiwan s entry into the WTO has broken this monopoly and FPC has established itself as Taiwan s first private refiner. The FPC refinery was built with the intention of facilitation feed supply to its new crackers. This opening of the petroleum market is allowing the entry of other players and some of the world oil majors have begun to enter the market. 

Merck believed that it lacked experience in the OTC market and in 1989 developed a 50-50 joint venture with the leading consumer products company Johnson Johnson to become a major player in the OTC market. The joint venture, Johnson Johnson/Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. 0JM), drew employees from both parent operations, acquiring scientific and regulatory expertise from Merck with marketing and sales expertise from Johnson Johnson. 

Such a market for trading chemical contracts would effectively help the industry separate the risk of asset ownership from both production and financial risk. Imagine, for example, if a pure commodity player could conclude forward contracts to lock in the price on most of its output volume and input raw materials. It could outsource the sales and logistics process to efficient transactional market makers and low cost logistics speciahsts, leaving it to focus purely on being distinctive in low cost operations. 

The benefits of consolidation can include superior capacity utilization, the sharing of best practice process improvements, the elimination of overlaps in the distribution system, and the use of geographically closer plants for sourcing. Research and development and sales and marketing expenses can also be cut back by eliminating duplications in operations. Some non-traditional players (e.g., financial investors) have been able to slash their sales, general and administration costs by as much as 40 percent on the back of consolidation moves. 

Nicad batteries are used in a large variety of appliances, including compact disc players, cell phones, pocket recorders, handheld power tools, cordless telephones, laptop computers, camcorders, and scanner radios. A few automobile manufacturers have explored the possibility of using nicad batteries in electric cars. For example, the Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan built and marketed an experimental car called the Libro EV that operated on either traditional lead batteries or on nicad batteries. 

The most prominent player in the field of cresols from coal tar had been SASOL of South Africa that has been operating coal chemical plants using pressure gasification of bituminous coals based on Lurgi process. In these plants, initially phenol and ortho-cresol are separated from the cresylic acid mixture using fractionation, and a mixture rich in cresols (upto 94%) containing some xylenols is produced and the product is marketed as mixed cresols (primarily para cresol, meta cresol, and small percentage of mixed xylenols and a very little quantity of unrecovered phenol). It has been reported that for select customers, SASOL can supply upto 99% pure cresols (metal + para cresols). 

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