PITTSBURGH (March 19, 1:05 p.m. ET) — Bayer MaterialScience LLC will move the technical center that supports its polyether and flexible foam businesses from South Charleston, W.Va., to Pittsburgh.
Bayer said the move, which is expected to take 12-18 months to complete, “is being undertaken to reduce complexity in the structure of Bayer's polyurethanes business and to realize synergies from consolidating the work with existing R&D facilities on the Pittsburgh campus.”
About 30 employees will be affected, BMS said in a news release.
The technical center supports the manufacturing effort through process development as well as helping customers through process and applications development.
Bayer's polyurethanes business produces raw materials for polyurethane foam used in the construction, automotive, appliance, furniture and other industries.
The company added that the tech center move will not affect its ongoing efforts to attract an ethane cracker to its sites in West Virginia.