Royal DSM NV is undertaking a major expansion of its plastics materials plant in Evansville, Ind.
In a Feb. 26 news release, officials with DSM in Geleen, Netherlands, said that the firm "is future-proofing and expanding the capacity of its high-performance materials compounding plant" in Evansville. They added that with the investment, DSM will enhance the site to produce the next generation of advanced materials, including bio-based thermoplastics.
The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021. The amount of the investment or details of the expansion were not included in the release. Officials added that the "extensive modernization and expansion of the site" is being driven by increasing customer demand for advanced material solutions for electrification, metal replacement and lightweighting in multiple industries.
The expansion will include new production technologies, which will increase efficiency and sustainability throughout the facility, they added. The project will help to meet increased regional demand for DSM's grades of nylons 6, 6/6, 4/10 and 4/6, as well as the firm's PET, polybutylene terephthalate, copolyester and polyphthalamide materials.
"As demand from our customers for sustainable sources of advanced materials grows, so does our need to invest," Jud Gibson, Americas commercial vice president at DSM Engineering Plastics, said. "The expansion of our North American operations helps to ensure we have the right tools to meet this need today and in the future."
DSM Engineering Plastics President Shruti Singhal added that the investment "reinforces our focus on North America being a key growth market for our business."
Singhal joined DSM last year. He has more than 25 years of experience in plastics and specialty chemicals.
At K 2019, DSM rolled out bio-based grades of its Stanyl nylon 4/6 and Arnitel copolyester resins.
"There's growing momentum around the circular economy," Singhal said at the event.
DSM employs 23,000 worldwide and has annual sales of around $11 billion. It has set a goal of offering bio-based or recycled grades of all of its materials by 2030.