The production expansion is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2020. With this investment, the specialty chemicals company will significantly increase production capacity for high-temperature resistant polymethacrylimide (PMI) foams in North America.
“The investment in Mobile strengthens our global position as a reliable partner and solutions provider of high-performance, lightweight PMI-based rigid foams and enables us to meet increasing demand in North America over the long term,” said Christina Walkosak, head of the High Performance Polymers business line, Americas, for Evonik.
The expansion of Rohacell production in Mobile includes construction of an additional production hall. Moreover, all shipping logistics will be combined in the new facility.
It was in 2008 that Evonik ventured across the Atlantic to start production of Rohacell high-temperature resistant PMI foams in Mobile.
“For many years now, we have been seeing consistently high global demand for our high-performance foams, particularly from the aerospace industry and the electronics market, and we are responding to the marketplace by expanding our production capacity accordingly,” added Walkosak. Two years ago, Evonik stepped up its Rohacell production in Germany by 20%. “Now we’ll be significantly increasing our output in North America to be able to support our customers’ growth appropriately.”