Indorama Ventures Achieves A Record First Quarter 2022 Performance As The Global Economy Continues To Recover

BANGKOK, Thailand — May 12, 2022 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global sustainable chemical producer, today reported a strong 1Q22 result, building on its record FY 2021 performance as the pandemic continued to retreat, driving demand across the company’s global integrated portfolio.

IVL achieved 1Q22 Core EBITDA of $650 million, up 41 percent QoQ and 77 percent YoY, and a 4 percent increase in production volumes to 3.80 MMT. All three of IVL’s business segments grew as the company’s leading global position benefited overall in an environment of higher crude oil prices, increased ocean freight rates and a strengthening US dollar, led by resurging consumer demand and global mobility.

IVL’s Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD) business benefits from a high crude oil price environment, as its shale gas advantage supports MTBE and MEG margins. As ocean freight rates increase, IVL’s PET and Fibers segments gain due to increased import parity pricing in Western markets, where about two thirds of its portfolio is situated. Management’s agile response to hedging and levying surcharges has helped to partially recuperate the surge in energy and utility costs in Europe as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The re-opening of economies bodes well for demand across IVL’s portfolio. However, China’s ongoing pandemic lockdowns impacted downstream polyester demand resulting in weakened MEG spreads. IVL’s businesses trade in US dollars and a strengthening dollar has positive impact, reducing conversion costs in emerging economies where IVL has a strong local presence.

D K Agarwal, CEO of Indorama Ventures, said: “Our integrated product portfolio continues to play a crucial role in consumers’ daily lives, serving end applications focused on elevating safety and well-being. This is the cornerstone of IVL’s resiliency and has allowed the company to successfully weather volatility and uncertainty. At the same time, our strong focus on transforming our processes is continuing to yield efficiency gains and drive increased productivity.”

Combined PET segment reported Core EBITDA of $435 million, up 63 percent QoQ and 67 percent YoY supported by the reset of PTA/PET contracts at the end of 2021. IVL expects the tight supply-demand environment to continue through 2022, boosted by the upcoming peak summer season.

IOD segment achieved Core EBITDA of $126 million, up 3 percent QoQ and 258 percent YoY as MTBE margins benefited from higher crude oil prices, demand remains strong for downstream products, and as the commissioning of the Lake Charles cracker contributes to earnings in 2022. The integration of the Oxiteno acquisition, completed in April, will bring additional upside to IOD from 2Q22.

Fibers segment delivered Core EBITDA of $85 million, an increase of 4 percent QoQ and 17 percent YoY. Demand across the three Fibers verticals is stable with domestic sales yielding better profitability, while higher freight rates weighed on margins on export volumes from Thailand, Indonesia and India, and increased energy and utility costs impacted European operations.

1Q22 Performance Highlights

  • Consolidated Revenue of $4,444 milion, an increase of 12 percent QoQ and 37 percent YoY
  • Record Reported EBITDA of $784 million, a YoY growth of 63 percent, and Core EBITDA of $650M, a YoY growth of 77 percent
  • Production volumes up 4 percent YoY to 3.80 MMT
  • Reported Net Profit of THB 14,070 million, Core Net Profit of THB 10,578 million
  • Reported EPS of THB 2.47 (LTM1Q22: 5.98) and Core EPS of THB 1.85 (LTM1Q22:4.96)
  • Record Core EBITDA Margin at 15 percent

Posted: May 12, 2022

Source: Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL)

Techtextil 2022 Exhibitor Preview: Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions

NEUMÜNSTER / REMSCHEID, Germany — May 12, 2022 — At this year’s Techtextil, Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions will be presenting the trade audience with new applications, special processes and sustainable solutions focusing on the production of industrial textiles. Among other things, the company will be showcasing new technology for charging nonwovens that sets new standards with regards to quality and efficiency. Between June 21 and 24, the discussions in Hall 12.0, Stand C60 will be concentrating on airbags, seat belts, tire cord, geotextiles, filter nonwovens and their diverse applications.

More polyester for airbags

Airbags have become an integral part of our everyday automotive lives. The yarns used in them are made predominantly from polyamide. As a result of increasingly diverse airbag applications and also the increasing size of the systems used, polyester is today used as well, depending on the applica-tion requirements and cost-benefit considerations. Against this background, the Oerlikon Barmag technologies make an invaluable contribution. In addition to high productivity and low energy consumption, they particularly excel in terms of their stable production processes. Furthermore, they comply with every high quality standard for airbags, which – as in the case of virtually all other textile products used in vehicle construction – must provide the highest level of safety for vehicle occupants. And all this without any loss of function in any climate and anywhere in the world for the life-time of the vehicle.

Buckle up!

Seat belts play a decisive role in protecting vehicle occupants. They have to withstand tensile forces in excess of three tons and simultaneously stretch in a controlled manner in emergencies in order to reduce the load in the event of impact. A seat belt comprises approximately 300 filament yarns, whose individual, high-tenacity yarn threads are spun from around 100 individual filaments.

“With our unique, patented Single Filament Layer Technology, we offer a sophisticated and simultaneously gentle high-tenacity (HT) yarn process for manufacturing these lifesavers and other applications made from industrial yarn”, explains Dr. Roy Dolmans, Technology Manager IDY and R&D Filament Processing.

Invisible, but essential – road reinforcement using geotextiles

But it not just inside vehicles, but also under them, that industrial yarns reveal their strengths. Low stretch, ultra-high tenacity, high rigidity – industrial yarns offer outstanding properties for the demanding tasks carried out by geotextiles; for instance, as geogrids in the base course system under asphalt. Normally, geotextiles have extremely high yarn titers of up to 24,000 denier. Oerlikon Barmag system concepts simultaneously manufacture three filament yarns of 6,000 denier each. Due to the high spinning titers, fewer yarns can be plied together to the required geo-yarn titer in a more cost- and energy-efficient manner.

hycuTEC – technological quantum leap for filter media

In the case of its hycuTEC hydro-charging solution, Oerlikon Neumag offers a new technology for charging nonwovens that increases filter efficiency to more than 99.99%. For meltblown producers, this means material savings of 30% with significantly superior filter performance. For end users, the consequence is noticeably improved comfort resulting from significantly reduced breathing resistance. With its considerably lower water and energy consumption, this new development is also a future-proof, sustainable technology.

New high-tech Staple Fiber Technology Center

Extending to around 2,100 m2, Oerlikon Neumag in Neumünster is home to one of the world’s largest staple fiber technology centers. As of now, these state-of-the-art staple fiber technologies are also available for customer-specific trials.

The focus during the planning and the design of the Technology Center was on optimizing components and processes. Here, special attention was paid to ensuring the process and production parameters in the Technology Center system could be simply and reliably transferred to production systems. “We are not only able to run all standard products available on the market at our Technology Center, it also offers us the perfect prerequisites for the development of new processes and products”, explains Tilman Reutter, Technology Manager – Head of Staple Fiber Process. Here, the fiber tape processing line is modular in design. All components can be combined with each other as required. And comprehensive set-up options supply detailed findings for the respective process for various fiber products.

The Technology Center is also equipped with two spinning positions for mono- and bi-component processes. The same round spin packs are used for both processes, characterized by excellent fiber quality and properties and meanwhile very successfully deployed in all Oerlikon Neumag production systems. Furthermore, the spinning plant is complemented by automation solutions such as spin pack scraper robots, for example. “In future, we will be able to focus more strongly on the special requirements of our customers in the development of our product lines”, comments Tilman Reutter.

Posted: May 12, 2022

Source: Oerlikon Polymer Processing Solutions division

Techtextil 2022 Exhibitor Preview: AUTEFA

FRIEDBERG, Germany — May 9, 2022 — During Techtextil, visitors will experience the economic and technical advantages of AUTEFA Solutions as a full line supplier for carded- crosslapped needlepunch lines, aerodynamic web forming technology, spunlace, and thermobonding lines. Autefa Solutions nonwoven lines meet customers’ requirements for quality web formation, bonding, active weight regulation, and minimal maintenance.

The general trend is for weight reduction whilst maintaining physical properties providing savings in material costs and increasing operating speeds. Customers require machines and lines that are able to produce light weight fabrics without any compromises regarding material strength. Furthermore, growth in needlepunching technology remains strong, a good example is Artificial Leather, also in terms of sustainability. Autefa Solutions serves the growing demand for needled technical applications e.g., the filtration business and for paper maker felts. Sustainability is a huge topic, worldwide. With the increasing environmental awareness, the demand for renewable textiles is forthcoming, allowing the wood pulp technology segment to grow enhanced growth rates. Our customers are increasing the use of replacement fibers like recycled PET fibers, carbon fibers, reclaimed fibers as well as various natural fibers such as hemp or coconut.

Therefore, Autefa Solutions needle punching have special options like optimized bed and stripper plates, advanced needle patterns with conical bed plate holes, and optimized feeding system for pre-needle looms. A dust extraction system is available and recommended when processing recycled and natural fibers, glass and short fibers, and carbon and mineral fibers.

Autefa Solutions Needle Punching lines distinguish themselves by easy operation, less energy consumptions/gms, excellent and reproducible product quality with reduced operation cots. The needlelooms of the Stylus product family can process all fiber types. The needle looms are designed to suit the required output and speed by adjusting the number of the drive modules. Autefa’s needlepunch lines produce an even and homogenous lightweight fabric with outstanding technical performance in terms of tensile strength and evenness (MD/CD ratio). Needle punching lines are composed by several steps, like blending, carding, crosslapping and needling. The performances of such a line and the quality of the product in terms of appearance, evenness and mechanical characteristics depends on all steps. As a full line supplier, Autefa Solution has worked on all the different steps of the process to improve the performances and supply high quality line on all its components.

Autefa Solutions offers a complete range of nonwovens machinery, covering needlepunch lines, aerodynamic web forming, spunlace and thermobonding equipment. Application sectors range from hygiene and wipes through filtration, geotextiles, automotive, carpets, technical felts, wadding and insulation. In the premium nonwovens segment, Autefa Solutions is renowned for the quality, durability and performance of its technology for both forming and bonding processes, incorporating the famous brands Fehrer, FOR and Strahm. More information here: Autefa Solutions: Nonwovens

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: Autefa Solutions Germany GmbH

Techtextil 2022 Exhibitor Preview: Freudenberg Performance Materials

WEINHEIM, Germany — May 11, 2022 — Following their merger, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Low & Bonar, Mehler Texnologies® and Filc will be presenting their innovative solutions at a joint stand for the first time at this year’s techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt. The focus is on sustainability. Among the highlights are Evolon® RE, a microfilament textile for a wide variety of applications and markets, FILFLEX, a sustainable padding material for car seat covers, and the truck tarpaulin POLYMAR® 8556 ECO CF. Customers will find the world’s leading manufacturer of technical textiles at Stand C51 in Hall 12.1.

Evolon® textiles made from recycled PET

With Evolon RE, Freudenberg Performance Materials is presenting an even more sustainable version of its high-performance microfilament textiles. Evolon RE is manufactured from an average of 70-percent recycled polyester, which the company makes by cycling post-consumer PET bottles in-house. Evolon RE products are available for various applications such as technical packaging, in weights currently ranging from 80g/sqm to 300g/sqm. For high-tech wiping, lightweight Evolon RE is now available starting from 30g/sqm. The material meets the needs of cleaning specialists for more sustainable wiping solutions. Evolon RE offers the same high quality and material performance as all other Evolon textiles.

Tarpaulins made from recycled raw materials presented by Mehler Texnologies®

When it comes to tarpaulins on trucks, both protection of the transport cargo and advertising for the transport company place high demands on the material. Mehler Texnologies® tarpaulin material ranks among the premium products for truck tarpaulins. The company is a pioneer in sustainable development and is showcasing POLYMAR 8556 ECO CF. This unique material has a 25% share of recycled raw materials in the coating mass. In addition, the material is made with 100-percent R-PES yarns. The input materials undergo a complex separation and filtering process.

Sustainable padding material for automotive and furniture seat covers presented by FILC

FILFLEX is a soft and flexible padding layer made from nonwovens for automotive and furniture seat covers. It prevents leather from creasing and improves the dimensional stability of the seat covers. In terms of sustainability, its benefit is its 100-percent PET composition, making FILFLEX easy to recycle. FILFLEX offers customers easier handling during sewing and the seat covering process. End users benefit from the high seating comfort.

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: Freudenberg Performance Materials Holding SE & Co. KG

eVent Fabrics Expands Team In North America, China And Southern Europe

LEAWOOD, Kan. — May 11, 2022 — eVent fabrics®, a provider of high performance all-weather technology, has announced the expansion of its team with new sales team members in North America, Southern Europe and China. The expanded team will increase our reach of the eVent brand across the globe, offering improved service with more local touch points. Joining the eVent sales team is Temo Reyna, Senior Sales Manager, in North America, Lily Li, Sales Manager, in China and Cristian Massignani, Sales Agent, in Southern Europe to serve the company’s current and growing customer base.

“One of our first priorities under new ownership was to grow the eVent fabrics brand by building an experienced global team,” said eVent fabrics President Chad Kelly. “With the addition of three technical sales professionals who have a wide range of industry experience and performance fabric expertise, we are positioned to better serve our partners and offer world-class technology to more brands around the globe.”

In North America, Temo Reyna joined eVent in December 2021 and has over five years’ experience in technical outerwear and seven years’ experience in consultative product development. Most recently Reyna was a Sales Manager with AX Materials, providing performance glove materials to outdoor and professional brands across the globe. Reyna is based out of Sacramento, California and is an avid rock climber, fly fisher, and mountain biker.

Lily Li joined eVent fabrics in China in December 2021 with over seven years of experience in the fabric and textile industry. Previously, Lily was with Concordia Textiles as a Sales Manager where she grew her skills in water repellent and waterproofing treatments, coating, lamination, printing, embossing, and ultrasonic processes. Lily is based out of Shanghai and enjoys being in nature and hiking in her free time.

In Southern Europe, Cristian Massignani joins eVent fabrics this April with over twelve years’ experience working with performance fabrics. Based out of Cornedo Vicentino, Italy, Massignani currently works with ITTTAI Performance Fabrics of Italy, and will be sharing his time and knowledge of waterproof, windproof, protective, and sustainable fabrics with customers across Europe. Outside of the office, Massignani keeps an active outdoor lifestyle and enjoys surfing, cycling, skiing, and mountaineering throughout Italy and around the world.

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: eVent fabrics

INDA Announces Three Finalists For The World Of Wipes Innovation Award®

CARY, N.C. — May 11, 2022 — Sustainable products that solve problems are the themes for this year’s finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award® that will be presented at the 16th annual World of Wipes® International Conference, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, Ill.

The three products vying for the prestigious award are an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers from Bast Fibre Technologies, a dual-textured 3D cleaning wipe from Fitesa and an environmentally safe flushable wipe from Nice-Pak.

INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected the finalists from nearly 20 submissions based on their creativity, novelty, uniqueness, technical sophistication within the entire nonwovens wipes value chain and expansion of nonwovens use.

Participants at the 2022 World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference will have the opportunity to help select the winner following presentations by company representatives on June 28. The winner will be announced on June 30 at 11 a.m.

Kimberly-Clark Scott® 24-Hour Sanitizing Wipes was the recipient of the 2021 World of Wipes Innovation Award®.

This year’s in-person WOW International Conference is expected to draw 400-plus senior-level wipes professionals from all wipes segments, repeating last year’s strong live event that welcomed 475 wipes professionals from 14 countries to Atlanta, GA.

Finalists Announced

The three companies vying for the award (in alphabetical order) are:

Bast Fibre Technologies – Sero® Hemp Fibers

Bast Fibre Technologies’ sero® hemp fibers offer the nonwoven industry an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers. From dedicated European Union (EU) and US-based production facilities, BFT transforms raw bast fibers into premium natural fibers that are ideal for applications ranging from single-use and durable wipes to industrial applications. Suitable for minority or majority blends, sero® hemp combines easily with standard nonwoven fibers to produce fabrics that meet the industry requirements for strength, uniformity, and processing efficiency.

Fitesa – Dual Textured 3D Wipe

In response to the need for improved composite materials for cleaning surfaces, Fitesa introduced a newly developed 3D embossed, dual textured wiper. This novel nonwoven features exceptional cleaning capability, durability, dirt/debris capture, and fluid pick-up. Several configurations are offered, including MSM (Meltblown SpunBond, Meltblown), MSMSM (Meltblown, SMS, Meltblown), and more. All can be customized with scrubby surfaces and 3D embossed options as well as “Green” options such as polylactic acid. Features include exceptional abrasion resistance for wipe longevity, significantly improved debris capture capacity; and durability of wipe life compared to competitors. The wipe is produced with two different surface polymers to enhance roughness (scrubby-side) and softness (finish side).

Nice ’N CLEAN® SecureFLUSH™ Technology Flushable Wipes by Nice-Pak

After six years of rigorous testing and development, Nice-Pak introduced SecureFLUSH™ technology flushable wipes, a 100 percent cellulose nonwoven that is strong and durable yet breaks apart five times faster than the leading brand of two-ply toilet paper. A specialty “lock and key” design of plant-based fibers and formula leverages patent-pending technology to make the product strong and durable while breaking apart rapidly when flushed to ensure responsible care of plumbing and wastewater.

WOW 2022 Conference Highlights

This year’s WOW conference sessions focus on: Circular & Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends, and Developments in Flushability Issues.

Registration for WOW 2022 remains open and tabletop display reservations also are available. For additional details, see the conference website:

http://www.worldofwipes.org./

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

NCTO Annual Meeting: State Of The U.S. Textile Industry Address

WASHINGTON — May 11, 2022 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Chairman David Poston, who was elected for the 2022-2023 term, delivered the trade association’s State of the U.S. textile industry overview at NCTO’s 18th Annual Meeting on May 11.

Poston’s speech outlined (1) the U.S. textile industry’s resilience and significant rebound in 2021 (2) U.S. textile supply chain, economic, trade data, and (3) NCTO’s  policy achievements and priorities for domestic textile manufacturers.

Poston is president of Palmetto Synthetics, a specialty synthetic fiber producer based in Kingstree, South Carolina.

NCTO’s annual meeting was held May 10-11 in Washington, D.C.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 530,000 in 2020.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $64.4 billion in 2020.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $25.4 billion in 2020.
  • Capital expenditures for textiles and apparel production totaled $2.38 billion in 2019, the last year for which data is available.

Editor’s Note: Textile World will run the State of the U.S. Textile Industry remarks with accompanying data and figures in its upcoming May/June 2022 issue. Check the print or online issue in a few weeks!

Posted May 11 2022

Source: NCTO

 

 

 

ARTILECT’s S/S 2022 Collection Features Four-Season Nuyarn Merino Performance

BOULDER, Colo. — May 11, 2022 — ARTILECT, creator of the A/SYS technical apparel system melding the latest in performance with sustainability, introduces its Spring / Summer 2022 Collection. For the latest collection, ARTILECT worked in close partnership with Nuyarn merino wool technologies to develop several new fabrics that push the boundaries of performance, integrate sustainable materials including banana fibers, Tencel and cotton, and offer up to 8x the durability and product lifespan of comparable fabrics. ​ ​

The Spring / Summer line demonstrates the four-season performance of merino, further amplified by the unmatched performance of Nuyarn with 5x faster drying time, 35% more stretch, naturally, 35% less weight, and 50% more durable than comparable merino fabrics. ​

Highlight ranges of the new ARTILECT collection include:

Sprint:

An ultralight, 115gsm four-season merino offered in a technical tee and long sleeve for men and women. The silky smooth and soft fabric weighs nothing, yet offers Nuyarn’s incredible durability, moisture wicking and super fast dry times, matched with integrated reflectivity. Sprint is a slim fit design and an ideal choice for running, backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, and other high-output activities. ARTILECT’s Sprint series is available for women and men in short and long-sleeve tops.

Exposure:

The world’s first fabric made with merino and natural banana fibers, ARTILECT’s 125gsm Exposure range maximizes the unique natural durability, moisture absorption, and protective properties of banana fiber, matched with the incredible benefits of Nuyarn merino technology. Exposure provides UPF 50+ protection, is made with superfine 18-micron non-mulesed Australian merino, and is spun in an Oeko-Tex facility. The Exposure is available for women and men in a Tee and Hoodie.

Utilitee:

ARTILECT’s 150gsm CoolYarn is a unique merino / Tencel fabric that takes all of the natural benefits of merino wool and supercharges it for Spring and Summer with Tencel, a natural fiber derived from the wood pulp of responsibly farmed eucalyptus trees. Tencel is naturally cooling and odor-resistant, providing superior warm-weather comfort, moisture management and durability. ​

Artilectual:

In the never-ending quest to find the perfect tee and sweatshirt comes a world’s first from the ARTILECT Studio: Transcendent. Used throughout the Artilectual line of tees, crews and hooded sweatshirts for women and men, Transcendent is a 100% natural Nuyarn merino and BCI-certified cotton blended fabric that exhibits the ultra-soft hand of superfine merino wool with the density, body and drape of cotton.

ARTILECT’s new Spring / Summer 2022 collections are available at specialty retail and online at https://artilect.studio.

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: ARTILECT

JCPenney Names John Aylward As Chief Marketing Officer

LEWISVILLE, Texas — May 11, 2022 — JCPenney — the shopping destination for diverse, working American families — announces today the appointment of John Aylward as chief marketing officer (CMO), effective June 6, 2022.

Aylward assumes the role as the company focuses on strengthening loyalty among its 50 million shoppers and transforms how it connects with customers. Aylward will help advance the company’s omnichannel strategy to deliver a modern, seamless experience across stores and digital. He will lead the marketing strategy, creative, visual merchandising and store design, and customer engagement teams.

“The 120-year-old JCPenney brand is iconic. We must protect what the brand represents while evolving how it expresses who we are today,” said Marc Rosen, CEO. “John will help fulfill our potential at this pivotal moment when JCPenney stands alone as a one-stop retailer. Additionally, John’s passion for purpose-driven work will be an important asset as we continue to provide offerings that promote inclusivity and celebrate the diversity of our customers.”

Aylward joins the company from CARE, the global nonprofit dedicated to ending poverty, where he served as CMO for five years. He has been a marketer in the U.S. and internationally for leading brands including HSN, DSW, Starbucks and Gap. Aylward earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Cambridge, and he is a graduate of the TRIUM Executive Master of Business Administration program.

Posted: May 11, 2022

Source: JCPenney

Wacker Chemical Corp. Holds Grand Opening Of NCA Innovation Center And Regional Headquarters In Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — May 10, 2022 — Wacker Chemical Corp. today held a grand opening of its new Innovation Center and Regional Headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich. Corporate leadership hosted Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, along with several other state, county and township officials, in conducting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and touring the site.
The technology campus covers 18 acres at 4950 S. State Rd. and serves as the hub of leadership and innovation for WACKER’s North and Central Americas (NCA) region. The state-of-the-art center currently houses more than 200 team members, including the company’s NCA senior leadership team; the region’s leading chemists; IT and other technical experts, along with support functions.

Construction of the 140,000-square-foot site began by Wacker’s developer and contractor Kirco-Manix in December 2020, and Wacker team members moved into the building in mid-April 2022.

The $50-million-plus investment allows chemists, scientists and senior leadership that had previously worked out of three separate Michigan locations to collaborate in a single space and provides room for the expansion and growth expected by the global leader in silicones, polymers, polysilicon and biosolutions. The Innovation Center includes world-class labs; a full-service cafeteria; a 24/7 fitness center; and open collaborative work spaces.

Wacker will continue to produce elastomers, silicone fluids and silicone emulsions out of its existing operations in Adrian, Mich., where the regional headquarters was located previously. The Adrian site, established in 1969, remains a growing base of operations for the approximately 275 employees managing production there for the company’s WACKER SILICONES division.

“We are pleased to formally open this world-class Innovation Center today to our valued partners,” said Wacker Chemical President & CEO David Wilhoit. “The site will serve as an important anchor for our growing operations across North and Central America. This area is home to dozens of research facilities and educational institutions, making it one of the leading communities in Michigan and the entire nation for R&D, enabling the company to network with, and recruit from among, the best high-tech talent in the nation.”

“The Innovation Center will be Wacker’s new North American headquarters for a diverse and broad workforce and be a workspace for 300 Michiganders operating on the cutting edge of manufacturing and high-tech innovation,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This facility is a talent magnet, showing other firms that Michigan is the obvious answer when deciding where to expand or move their business. Our position as a global epicenter for high-tech manufacturing and innovation is clearer than it has ever been thanks to companies like Wacker. Let’s keep working together to grow the economy, create good-paying jobs, and conduct groundbreaking research that will define the future — right here in Michigan.”

Posted May 10, 2022

Source: Wacker Chemical

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