Dalton, Ga.-based floorcovering manufacturer Shaw Industries Inc. has sold its controlling share of
Augusta, Ga.-based nylon 6 polymerization facility Nylon Polymer Co. LLC (NPC) to its partner in
the joint venture, DSM Chemicals North America, part of the Netherlands-based life sciences and
material sciences company Royal DSM NV. Terms of the transaction, effective Jan. 1, 2010, were not
disclosed.
NPC was one of several Augusta-based assets owned by Shaw, including its Evergreen Nylon
Recycling Facility and a caprolactam production facility, among others. These facilities remain
fully operational, according to Hal Long, Shaw’s executive vice president of operations.”
NPC’s primary operation is for the polymerization of nylon, and with all our other
polymerization capacity, this was excess,” Long said, explaining that Shaw has nylon polymerization
capacity throughout its Fibers division and also sources product from other suppliers. “DSM’s needs
are for plastics engineering, so the transaction is really a win-win for both companies.”
“This acquisition represents a major expansion of our polymerization capabilities in the
Americas,” said Koen Devits, president, DSM Engineering Plastics Americas. “It helps us to fully
exploit our strong backward integration at the Augusta site, where DSM also produces caprolactam, a
key raw material for Akulon® [Polyamide 6 thermoplastic material used in a range of applications].
The acquisition is also needed to support the additional sales opportunities we have generated,
especially in the automotive, furniture and packaging industries, and it illustrates DSM’s strong
commitment to the Americas market.”
January 12, 2010
