Resin, Rubber & Fiber Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 1,100 firms in the US manufacture resin and plastic materials, synthetic rubber, artificial and synthetic fibers, and filaments. The industry supplies distributors and a broad range of manufacturers, including producers of apparel, footwear, tires and auto parts, containers and packaging, plastic wrap, paints and coatings, elastic cord, latex gloves, insulative materials, vinyl windows and siding, hoses, and home furnishings.
Consumer Demand for Natural Alternatives
Consumer awareness of the health and environmental impact of synthetic resins, plastics, rubber and fibers is driving demand for safer and biodegradable products.
Dependence on the Manufacturing Sector
The manufacturing sector drives demand for resin, plastic, rubber, and fiber materials.
Industry size & Structure
A typical firm operates out of a single location, employs 88 workers, and generates about $103 million annually.
- The resin, rubber and fiber manufacturing industry consists of about 1,100 companies which employ about 97,000 workers and generate about $113 billion annually.
- Most companies are small, independent operators - about 76% have a single location and 42% employ less than 20 workers.
- The industry is concentrated with the 20 largest firms accounting for 60% of industry revenue.
- Large companies include DuPont, Dow, Firestone Polymers, LyondellBasell, and divisions of petroleum-producing companies like Chevron Phillips Chemical, and ExxonMobil.
Industry Forecast
Resin, Rubber & Fiber Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jun 21, 2024 - Sales and Prices Sliding
- Producer prices for resin, rubber, and fiber manufacturers fell 4.9% in April compared to a year ago, following a 6.2% decline in the previous annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Employment also shrank by 1.9% year over year in April. Average wages at chemical manufacturers moved in the opposite direction, up 4.3% in May versus a year ago to $30.67 per hour, BLS data show. Inventories and shipments of chemical products were flat in March year over year on the heels of a 15.4% decline in sales for basic chemicals, resins, and synthetics companies in the fourth quarter of 2024 versus Q4 2023, which continued the downward slide that began in mid-2022.
- Under a new EPA rule to reduce the risk of cancer for people living near industrial sites, over 200 US chemical plants will be required to curb their emissions, The New York Times reports. The rule specifically targets ethylene oxide, a chemical that’s used to sterilize medical devices, and chloroprene, which is used in the manufacturing of rubber in footwear. EPA has classified both chemicals as likely carcinogens. Most of the facilities impacted by the new EPA rule are in Texas, Louisiana, and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, as well as in the Ohio River Valley and West Virginia, according to NYT. EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the new rule will cut toxic pollutants by 6,200 tons annually and reduce emissions of ethylene oxide and chloroprene by 80%. Under the rule, chemical manufacturers must monitor vents and storage tanks for ethylene oxide and chloroprene emissions and plug any leaks.
- With the world’s natural rubber supply under pressure from disease and rising demand, scientists at Ohio State University are working to bolster the US rubber market by extracting latex from two sustainable North American plants, RubberWorld reports. The research focuses on a species of dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) and the guayule shrub, which seeks to improve efficiency and increase latex yield. “We need to have efficient extraction methods for any and all alternative natural rubber-producing species, especially at a large scale,” said lead researcher Professor Katrina Cornish, adding, “And they have to be low-cost … to compete in the tire market in the long term.” The US produces synthetic rubber but depends on imports of natural rubber. In 2019, 10% of the natural rubber supply was lost to disease. If South American leaf blight were to reach Southeast Asia, it could rapidly wipe out most of the world’s natural rubber supply.
- As the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles, tiremakers are bringing specially designed tires for EVs to market, Tire Review reports. EVs go through tires 30% faster than gas-powered vehicles, says Bridgestone, which has developed its first EV-specific replacement tire that protects range and improves durability. The tiremaker’s new Turanza EV grand touring tire – designed for all Tesla models and the Ford Mustang Mach-E – was designed to account for the unique vehicle dynamics of EVs and features the company’s new Enliten technology, which aims to solve the wear-and-tear problem, which can contribute to air quality issues. It also incorporates 50% renewable and recycled materials using synthetic rubber associated with recycled plastic. It’s made at Bridgestone’s passenger car tire production facilities in North Carolina and Monterrey, Mexico, where adjustments were made to accommodate the use of Enliten technology, including new rubber mixing and tire construction tools and technologies.
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