Ferro Corp. recently reported net sales of $392 million in the first quarter of 2014, vs. net sales of $418 million in the first quarter last year. Value-added sales, which exclude precious metal sales, decreased 2% to $378 million from $387 million in the first quarter last year.
The company’s Performance Colors and Glass and Performance Coatings segments had the highest levels of sales growth with value-added sales, increasing by 8% and 3%, respectively. Value-added sales in the Specialty Plastics segment increased by 1%, but declined in the Polymer Additives and the Pigments, Powders and Oxides (PPO) segments. Adjusting for 2013 dispositions and the impact of phthalates deselection, value-added sales declined by 3% in PPO and 1% in Polymer Additives.