U.K. masterbatch maker Colloids Ltd. said April 17 it plans to build a $6 million factory in Suzhou, China, its first outside the United Kingdom.
The Knowsley-based company said the 3,700 square meter facility would open in the third quarter, with an initial capacity of 3,500 metric tons, targeted at both its western customers and the local market, particularly in automotive, electrical, white goods and consumables.
“In view of our annual growth rates, this new masterbatch plant in the Changshu Economic and Technological Development Zone represents a key strategic building block that enables us to serve the emerging local markets on-site,” Russell Livesay, managing director and chief executive officer, said in a statement.
Colloids makes white, color, additive and black masterbatch at two facilities in the U.K., in Knowsley and Rushden. It employs 130 people, with annual turnover of $55 million. The company is part of the Tosaf Group, a supplier of masterbatches and concentrates with 10 factories and 800 employees worldwide.