Kuraray to invest 4B yen to boost EVAL production capacity at Pasadena, Texas, facility by 12,000 tons/year to 47,000 tons/year; company says EVAL demand is growing steadily, especially for food packaging applications
Alison Gallant
TOKYO
,
October 31, 2011
(press release)
–
Addressing the Expansion in Global Demand for Barrier-Type "Mirabakesso"* EVAL
Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Fumio Ito; "Kuraray") today announces that it will boost the ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH resin; Kuraray trademark: EVAL) production capacity of Kuraray America, Inc., a wholly owned Kuraray subsidiary located in the U.S. state of Texas. Brief details are as follows.
* Derived from the campaign phrase Mirai ni Bakeru Shinsozai, which can be literally translated as "new materials that transform into the future"
Background of Capacity Enhancement
Overview of Capacity Enhancement
Kuraray Group's
EVAL Production Capacity
Current Capacity
Enhancement
Enhanced Capacity
Location
Kuraray America, Inc.
35,000
12,000
47,000
Texas, the United States
EVAL Europe N.V.
24,000
24,000
Antwerp, Belgium
Kuraray Co., Ltd.
10,000
10,000
Okayama, Japan
Total
69,000
12,000
81,000
Kuraray America, Inc.
Company name
Kuraray America, Inc.
President
Kenichi Abe
Capital
US$10.1 million (100% investment by Kuraray Holdings U.S.A., Inc.)
Employees
Approx. 210
Business
Imports and sales of Kuraray chemical and textile products; manufacture and sales of EVOH resin and thermoplastic elastomer
Location
2625 Bay Area Blvd. Suite 300 Houston, Texas 77058-1551, U.S.A.
* EVAL boasts superior gas barrier properties. Thanks to this feature, EVAL demand is steadily expanding, particularly for food packaging applications that offer better food preservation and for automobile fuel tanks that effectively prevent hydrocarbon emissions.
* In recent years, EVAL applications have expanded to include wallpaper, pipes for floor heating systems and thermal insulation boards for refrigerators.
* Previously, the increase in EVAL demand has been centered primarily in industrialized nations, such as Japan and the United States as well as those in Europe. However, demand is now rising in emerging nations. To secure a stable supply structure, Kuraray has concluded that it is necessary to boost its EVAL production capacity.
* EVAL is Kuraray's trademark for EVOH resin
* Kuraray was the first to commercialize this high-performance resin, which it launched in 1972. EVAL boasts the highest level of gas barrier properties among all plastics. Kuraray commands an approximately 65% share of the global EVOH resin market.
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