Soaps and detergents: a tough balancing act for chemical suppliers. (Cover Story).(industry overview)(Industry Overview)

Chemical Week, January, 2003 by Schmitt, Bill

Suppliers of chemicals to the soaps and detergents industry say the sluggish economy and shifts in supply and demand made 2002 another wobbly year for their strategic tightrope walk--balancing volatile raw material costs and relentless downward pressures on product pricing; managing commodity businesses alongside specialty lines that have different dynamics; and helping formulators to juggle innovation with cost-cutting.

Makers of cleaning product ingredients, including a wide range of intermediates and surfactants, say they have kept their equilibrium by becoming more efficient; expanding into higher-growing niches; making cautious and focused investments to upgrade capabilities; tapping into complementary chemistries throughout their organizations; and...

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