Covestro LLC has officially started an expansion at its New Martinsville, W.Va., production facility, which will increase the company's annual production capacity of thermoplastic polyurethane in North America by 25 percent through debottlenecking.
The expansion supports the company's Texin product line, which is used in applications such as automotive instrument panels, medical devices and footwear, according to a statement from Pittsburgh-based Covestro, the U.S. business of Germany's Covestro AG.
The New Martinsville project is part of a global investment strategy, with the additional capacity needed as worldwide demand for TPU continues to rise, Covestro said.
The capacity increase at New Martinsville follows the announcement of a TPU capacity expansion at the Covestro facility in Taiwan.
The company is able to meet growing customer demand while exploring new market opportunities for its TPU business, said Brian Long, head of TPU commercial operations for Covestro in North America.
Covestro said the New Martinsville facility was the first in North America to produce Texin, starting about 50 years ago.