Kuraray Eyes Growth in U.S. Gulf Coast Region

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Kuraray America Incorporated (Houston, Texas), a subsidiary of Kuraray Company Limited (Osaka, Japan), is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber and resin production and has a presence in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. with two operational and one planned plants in the Houston area. In those three plants, there are seven active capital projects valued at approximately $380 million to support future growth plans.

Kuraray operates two plants in Pasadena, Texas. One is part of the Septon business unit, which produces elastomers (or high-performance thermoplastic rubber) utilizing a unique isoprene technology. The plans to construct a new $25 million elastomers unit and a $3 million warehouse storage expansion to house the additional capacity are expected to begin construction by the third quarter of 2014.

The other plant in Pasadena is part of the EVAL business unit and produces ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), which can be used in food, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and industrial packaging and automotive applications. There is an expansion under way at the plant, with the expectation that the new production line will begin manufacturing by this summer. Upon completion of the $50 million expansion, Kuraray will continue to evaluate further plans to increase capacity with the construction of another possible EVOH unit in a couple of years.

Down the street, Kuraray is nearing the kick-off for the construction of a new polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) plant. The new plant, being built my Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Company (Tokyo, Japan), is expected to begin construction on a 40,000-metric-ton-per-year plant during the second quarter of 2013, and hopes to start manufacturing by the third quarter of 2014.

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