Clariant to launch strategic production facilities in Zhenjiang, China

Leading specialty chemical company Clariant is building a surfactants plant in Zhenjiang, Eastern China to help meet the needs of the country’s growing demand. The new facility is scheduled for production in the middle of 2009. The new plant will primarily serve personal care, paints and coatings as well as metal working industries. Other products available at the plant will include chemicals for textile, oil, mining and homecare sectors.

The new surfactants plant in Zhenjiang is well located on the Yangtze river between Nanjing and Shanghai, with good access to Clariant’s key customers in the region. This facility, together with Clariant's existing plant in China, in Tianjin, will complement the company’s already well-established manufacturing capabilities in Asia for Clariant’s Functional Chemicals Division.

Three other production facilities are operating in Japan, Indonesia and Australia. Clariant’s business in China has grown substantially in recent years, with a high annual growth rate, e.g. in the personal care sector. The decision was taken to build a new surfactants plant in Eastern China, to further sustain this growth.

“In line with the company’s strategy to further develop our business in the rapidly growing markets of Asia, this investment demonstrates Clariant’s long-term commitment to China. Despite the current economic downturn, the medium and long-term prospects for the region are strong.

The new facility is built to the highest environmental and production standards and will ensure we have the capacity to serve our customers' needs in the future,” said Siegfried Fischer, member of Clariant’s Executive Committee with responsibility for the Functional Chemicals Division.

Clariant in China has more than 1,300 people working in laboratories and facilities in over 30 cities.