• Major driver: 2012 drought
• Price increase of 15% on Varn® Anti-Set-off Spray Powder,
  effective January 1, 2013

Plymouth, MI USA (December 1, 2012) – Flint Group North America has announced a 15% price increase on Varn® Anti-Set-off Spray Powder used in offset printing applications.

Like all graphic arts spray powders, Varn® Anti-Set-off Spray Powder is starch-based, made primarily from corn and other grain products.

The starch industry is experiencing a supply / demand imbalance due to years of sub-par crop yields, exacerbated by the 2012 drought. “Forecasts show that North American corn production in 2012 will be at its lowest since 2006,” notes Michael Kellen, Business Director, Pressroom Chemicals. “Conditions like these, paired with competing demand by industries such as ethanol, have caused costs of most food-grade starches to rise.”

As a result of these market conditions and rising raw material costs, Flint Group is implementing a 15% price increase on Varn® Anti-Set-off Spray Powder on all orders shipped within the US and Canada after January 1, 2013, subject to existing contracts.

Flint Group will continue to monitor market conditions, leverage our global resources and mitigate adverse raw material trends to the greatest extent possible.