|
Zoltek (NASDAQ: ZOLT) is a materials company headquartered in St. Louis, MO that engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of commercial carbon fiber for various applications. Their primary customers are in the sectors of wind energy, alternative energy, lightweight automobiles, construction and infrastructure, and oil exploration. Zoltek sells commercial carbon grade carbon fibers under the Panex trade name, and oxidized acrylic fiber under the Pyron trade name.〔Johnson, Todd. (Carbon Fiber Manufacturers. ) About.com.〕 ==Company Goals and Challenges== Zoltek states that its intent is to lead the commercialization of carbon fibers. According to Zoltek, their goal is to provide low cost carbon fibers to manufacturers which seek high-performance composite materials with specific requirements like high strength and low weight.〔(Zoltek Companies, Inc. History. ) Funding Universe.〕 One of the main obstacles to successful fulfillment of their business plan so far has been the wide fluctuations in the market prices of carbon fibers. While Zoltek aims to produce carbon fiber that is available in a steady supply at below average prices, the economic turmoil in 2007 to 2009 eroded prices throughout the industry. This glut in supply reduced the size of Zoltek's market niche, and reduced company profit margins. Zoltek has said that it expects such fluctuations to continue until the carbon fiber market is three to four times larger than its size as of January 2011 〔Zoltek Shareholders Meeting January 2011 Presentation".()"〕 However, Zoltek states that its business model over the medium to long term remains compelling as carbon fiber gains mainstream acceptance among manufacturers and consumers.〔 Among the other challenges that Zoltek faces are the length of time it takes a manufacturer to incorporate a new material like carbon fiber into its manufacturing process, as well as the high cost of carbon fiber compared to other materials. Although Zoltek aims to sell below the average prices of other carbon fiber manufacturers, some of which sell to specialized industries like aerospace, carbon fiber remains expensive compared to other materials like steel and aluminum.〔 Zoltek's revenue and stock price declined in 2009 following the economic crisis, but the company has stated that its successes during that period included increasing production capacity and reducing debt. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zoltek」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|