Global materials firm Ampacet Corp. is expanding its operations in South America.
Tarrytown, N.Y.-based Ampacet has added a twin-screw extrusion line at its plant in Bahia, Brazil. The new line will double the plant's production capacity, officials said in a recent news release. In Buenos Aires, Ampacet has installed equipment for advanced color and special effects additives.
The expansion in Bahia will add 16 jobs while also shortening lead times and speeding up product shipments to customers in Brazil. Combined with plants in São Paolo and Santiago, Chile, Ampacet now will be able to supply all regions of South America with the newest specialty additive materials. South American market applications for Ampacet materials include biaxially oriented polypropylene for food and non-food packaging and polymers for products for mining, construction and agriculture.
“Our goal is to establish Ampacet as a center of excellence for color and specialty additives in South America,” South America Vice President Alvaro Mendoza said in the release.
Ampacet acquired its Buenos Aires plant in 1999, and in 2002 began operations in São Paolo, where specialty colors and effects are currently produced. In 2003 the company acquired its first Bahia facility, followed by the opening of a new facility in Bahia in 2011.
Earlier this year, Ampacet officials confirmed expansion projects in Canada and Australia. Recent new products for Ampacet include paper 2.0, a polyethylene-based concentrate that can be used to make a cost-effective alternative to standard paper. Potential applications include tape, shipping envelopes and stand-up food pouches.
Ampacet is a leading global producer of color and additive masterbatch concentrates. The firm employs more than 2,000 at 24 plants and has annual sales of more than $1 billion.