New plant for Rhodia Engineering Plastics confirms commitment to Korean market and prepares for growth in Japan

Rhodia Engineering Plastics will move its polyamide production plant currently located at Anyang in Korea to a new-state-of-the-art facility at Onsan early in 2003.

Rhodia has utilised the manufacturing facilities at Anyang since 1999 when it acquired the Hyosung Engineering Plastics business. While Anyang provided the immediate resources to serve Rhodia’s customers throughout Korea and Asia, the company’s global growth strategy required the development of a world-class production platform to meet the needs of the region’s polyamide engineering thermoplastic customers well into the future.

The new plant will be located within the Rhodia Polyamide Asian upstream site at Onsan which is on Korea’s South East coast near to Busan, concentrating Rhodia’s Korean polyamide activities in one location. The new Engineering Plastics plant will reflect the latest advances in production techniques, assuring Korean customers of continuous improvement in product quality and service. It will also create an ideal base from which to serve the Japanese market.

This new step in Rhodia Engineering Plastics’ strategic development in Asia will build on the company’s strong foundation already in place for more than ten years. The company’s history in the region began with its first compounding plant in Taiwan in 1991, this was followed by a second plant in Shanghai in 1994 and latterly the acquisition of Hyosung Engineering Plastics in Korea in 1999.

Until the start-up of the new plant at Onsan, which is scheduled to come on-stream early 2003, Anyang will continue to supply Rhodia customers, with the transition being phased to ensure the continuity of products and services.

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