Kuraray, a company dealing in specialty chemicals and functional materials, has set up a new Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH) resin manufacturing facility at Kuraray America, its U.S. subsidiary.
The new facility complements the global strategies of the Kuraray Group for its main business of PVOH-related products and vinyl acetate.
Subsequent to the business expansion in Europe, Singapore and Japan, the latest move will provide a favorable manufacturing base for Kuraray, particularly in North America where shale gas can be purchased easily. The four manufacturing bases will provide high-quality products, based on Kuraray’s proprietary manufacturing methods. The new facility, which will be located in La Porte, Harris, Texas, will be capable of meeting present and emerging market demands in Central and South America as well as in North America.
During the initial phase, the production capacity of the facility will be 40,000 tons/year. The facility is likely to be completed by September 2014.
Kuraray supplies products and solutions to a number of sectors that range from food packaging to the automotive industry. The company strives to develop products that offer both value and quality to its customers. The firm’s offices are situated across the globe and its corporate headquarters are based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray’s main businesses include manufacturing and marketing of thermoplastic elastomers and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH resin), and export and import of textile and chemical products. Currently, the company has 210 employees.