News from Notch Consulting, Inc.

The Economic Times reports that Aditya Birla Group said it has completed the USD 875 million acquisition of Atlanta-based Columbian Chemicals Company.

“The completion of the acquisition of Columbian Chemicals is indeed a milestone in our carbon nlack business. At one stroke it doubles our capacity, from one million tonnes to two million tonnes,” Santrupt Misra, a member of the newly-formed Board of Columbian Chemicals, said in a company release.

The acquisition, announced in January, helped the Aditya Birla Group to extend its geographical reach and in giving a foothold in North and South America, strengthening position in Europe and in emerging markets.

“Columbian Chemicals’ excellent R&D capability, multiple speciality products, the customer connect in North America and South America, coupled with committed teams, will add to the strength of the carbon black business,” Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said.

The newly-constituted Board for Columbian Chemicals would be chaired by Kumar Mangalam Birla. Other Directors in the Board include Rajashree Birla, Rajiv Dube, Santrupt Misra, D D Rathi and Kevin Boyle, CEO, Columbian Chemicals.

The China Carbon Black Institute has announced the dates and location of the Carbon Black China 2012 conference, which will be held at the Sanli New Century Grand Hotel in Hangzhou, Zhejiang from April 20-24, 2012.

As the largest and most influential academic conference on carbon black in China, Carbon Black China (CBC) has been held successfully for 12 sessions (one session every two years). For over 20 years, Carbon Black China has been playing an important and positive role in world carbon black industry.

In addition to two days of academic and technical papers on China’s carbon black industry, the conference includes a sight-seeing program, which will include the West Lake region of Hangzhou, the famous Romance of the Song Dynasty show in Song Dynasty Town, and the Xixi Wetland Park. Notch Consulting Group is proud to be a member of the advisory committee for this conference and to present a keynote address.

An oil tanker carrying carbon black oil (CBO) was freed yesterday after becoming stuck in mud for several days about 5 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The 800-foot tanker Ratna Puja was southbound when it got stuck Monday night. Ships were able to get around the stranded vessel, but the incident highlighted the dangers of the swollen Mississippi.

Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana’s second district used the incident to warn that such events may become more frequent.

Richmond said he has addressed the matter with the White House and the Army Corps of Engineers. Record water flow in the Mississippi River this spring has deposited additional sediment and reduced the operating depth of the river, putting large cargo ships at risk of running aground. Richmond warns closure of the Mississippi to heavy cargo traffic would cost the country as much as $295 million a day.

“The solution is simple,” he said in a statement. “The president must immediately request a supplemental appropriations bill to fund the Army Corps of Engineers dredging work. In the long term, Congress must use the $6 Billion in shippers’ tax money set aside for this very purpose in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.”

From the Wall Street Journal comes word that the European Commission has cleared India’s Aditya Birla Group to buy U.S. company Columbian Chemicals, in a move that would bring together two of the four largest world producers of carbon black, a chemical mostly used in the production of tires.

“The Commission has concluded that although the merger would create one of the three largest companies in the sector, European customers would continue to enjoy healthy competition,” it said in a statement.