NatureWorks signs up D&L as local distributor

MANILA, Philippines - Two units of D&L Industries Inc., a manufacturer of customized food ingredients, have been tapped as local distribution partners of the world’s leading supplier of renewably-sourced biopolymers.

The deal marks D&L Industries’ fourth partnership with a foreign firm so far this year.

In a disclosure, D&L Industries said NatureWorks tapped First in Colours (FIC) and D&L Polymers and Colours (DLPC) as distribution and compounding partners, respectively, in the rapidly growing Philippine market.

“Seeing strong local market interest for renewably-sourced, performance products, NatureWorks tapped into First FIC’s vast sales network and DLPC’s manufacturing expertise to expand Ingeo into the Philippines,” D&L Industries said.

“There is a need for low carbon footprint plastics that offer a variety of performance features and also end of life options including industrial composting,” said Daisuke Takabatake, industry segment leader for NatureWorks.

NatureWorks is a global leader in the supply of biopolymers with Ingeo fibers and plastics made from renewable resources.

Specifically, FIC will bring Ingeo to its broad customer base of thermoformers, film extruders and injection molders.

“To achieve specific properties, DLPC for its part, will perform modifications and compounding of products,” D&L Industries said.

Takabatake said FIC and DLPC received the highest score in terms of technical support, compounding capability, the ability to carry inventories that shorten delivery times for customers.

FIC and DLPC are the leading providers of customized dry colorants, color masterbatches, additives and engineered polymers to the local plastics industry for a wide range of applications.

Lester Lao, managing director for FIC and DLPC, said bioplastics production is an exciting new category.

Ingeo manufacturing emits 60 percent less greenhouse gas and requires 48 percent less energy to create into resin as compared to such plastics as polyethylene terephthalate or PET.

D&L Industries said compounding and modification will be done at DLPC’s facility in Canlubang, Laguna.

“Existing capacity is adequate for the new business hence, no need to build another plant,” D&L Industries said.

Early this year, D&L and its subsidiaries entered into marketing and distribution deals with Swiss firm Omya for calcium carbonate and leading Australian food ingredients firms Manildra Group and MSM Milling for high oleic canola and canola meal.

It also signed an original equipment manufacturing agreement with Japan’s leading chemical engineering company Showa Denko K.K. Under the deal, D&L Polymer will provide a full scope of services including export supply and local sales.

Sales from high margin goods through partnerships signed early this year will allow the company to jack up its earnings to almost P1.4 billion for the entire year.

D&L customizes food ingredients, plastics, biodiesel and aerosols. The company is principally into the manufacturing of customized food ingredients, specialty raw materials for plastics, and oleochemicals for personal and home care use.

D&L, established in 1963, has more than 500 food ingredient formulations in four primary businesses: specialty fats and oils, refined vegetable oils, specialty ingredients and food safety products.