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[November 2000]
Degussa-Hüls is Stepping up its Coating Raw Materials Business in NAFTA New Polyester Resins Facility in Alabama
The Degussa-Hüls Group has a new production facility for saturated polyester resins in Mobile, Alabama, USA. The group has thus added a new stage to its coating raw materials operations in North America, almost a year after the new isophorone plant came on stream there.
The main market for the polyester resins produced at the new plant is coil coating of wide steel and aluminum strip. The advantage of this process is that the strip can be formed and processed after coating. Applications for these polyester resins, which Degussa-Hüls markets as Dynapol®, include domestic appliances, autos, construction, metal packaging and technical adhesives.
The new state-of-the art facility is a response to increased demand for high-quality polyester resins in NAFTA. "The NAFTA market for polyester resins has been growing steadily and this trend is continuing," reports Dr. Klaus Burzin, who heads the Creanova division at Degussa-Hüls. "We have therefore extended our capacity in Mobile by adding a new production plant to make sure we can meet future demand from our customers." The production capacity of the new plant is 15,000 tpa and it will supply NAFTA and some neighboring markets. "By investing in this plant we have advanced from West European to global market leader in high-quality polyester resins for can and coil coating and technical adhesives."
Dr. Jörn Rüter of Degussa-Hüls' Executive Board sees the investment as a further major step in the globalization of Creanova's coating raw materials operations. In recent years, Degussa-Hüls has invested in the entire isophorone chain from acetone through isophorone to various derivatives. The new facility strengthens the Mobile site.
Creanova Inc., one of the company's US subsidiaries, also operates another production plant for polyester resins at the Mobile site. This plant mainly manufactures saturated polyester resins (Dynacoll®) for reactive hot melts. Production efficiency can be enhanced considerably by combining the two plants.
The new facility raises Degussa-Hüls' total production capacity for saturated polyester resins to over 50,000 tons. The group has invested roughly EUR 600 million in Mobile over the past five years.
Degussa-Hüls has about 44,000 employees and reported sales of EUR 6.1 billion in the first six months of 2000. The Creanova division is also the market leader in isophorone chemicals and colorants. Coating raw materials will be one of the core areas of business of the new Degussa AG, which is to be created from the merger of Degussa-Hüls and SKW Trostberg AG.
ENDS