MOSCOW (MRC) -- Solvay, a world leader in polyamide-based performance materials, is building a Technyl polyamide compounding unit in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, with initial annual capacity of 10KT, said the producer on its site.
This new facility is expected to become operational in the third quarter of 2017 to serve the region’s and America’s growing automotive and consumer goods markets.
Mexico is the second largest producer of automobiles and commercial vehicles in the Americas and is ranked seventh worldwide with annual production exceeding 3,5 million units in 20151. In addition, many consumer goods and electrical equipment players are located close by, offering new opportunities for Solvay.
"This new plant will help us to support our fast growing Technyl polyamide business in North America, in addition to our current capabilities," states Vincent Kamel, President of Solvay Performance Polyamides. "Many of the world’s top automotive OEMs are located in the region, which makes it an ideal base for us to serve both local and U.S. markets and contribute with our solutions to cleaner mobility."
To minimize investment cost and time to market, Solvay is partnering with Chunil Engineering, one of its major customers. Solvay is planning additional investments to serve the NAFTA2 market.
"Our collaboration with Chunil Engineering - a global automotive tier 1 - enables us to optimize the site’s infrastructure including the use of power, water and waste treatment," explains Peter Browning, General Manager of Solvay’s Engineering Plastics Business Unit. "As our business develops we will expand this modular 10KT unit’s capacity to meet the rapidly growing needs of our customers in the region."
As MRC wrote previously, in early 2016, Solvay unveiled its plans to sell its polyamide business and gave investment bank Goldman Sachs a mandate to find a buyer,
Solvay Engineering Plastics Business Unit is the global specialist in polyamide-based engineering plastics, with more than 60 years of experience in the development, manufacture and marketing of a complete range of high-performance materials under the Technyl brand for demanding applications in automotive, consumer goods and electrical markets. With a growth strategy bolstered by six production sites worldwide, the Business Unit employs its expertise and innovation capabilities in order to serve the needs of its customers more closely through a global network of technical and R&D centers.
Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with about 30,900 employees spread across 53 countries. It generated pro forma net sales of EUR12.4 billion in 2015, with 90% made from activities where it ranks among the world’s top 3 players.
MRC