Materials firm Penn Color has completed a $12 million expansion of its production plant in Venray, Netherlands.
The expansion has added new production capabilities for highly concentrated color and additive masterbatch concentrates based on PVC and engineering resins, officials with Doylestown, Pa.-based Penn Color said in a news release.
They added that the expansion also supports production of high-end specialty coatings. The site now will produce concentrates for PVC profiles and siding, calendered PVC films and high-value engineering resin applications. The plant currently makes thermoplastic concentrates for packaging, water-based inks and coatings for wallcovering and flooring.
Emphasis on sustainability was a large part of the design process, officials said. Energy-efficient additions to the plant include solar panels, heat recovery from production processes and heat pumps instead of traditional heating and cooling.
Upgrades also include a new customer innovation center for client collaboration sessions. The new center showcases Penn Color's new rapid digital color matching and prototyping system, officials said. The expansion also includes lab space, warehouse storage and office upgrades.
"With the expansion at our Venray facility, we are investing in our client's future, ahead of their needs," President Kevin Putman Jr. said in the release.
"In doing so, we are able to capitalize on future opportunities and expand our partnerships with our clients," he added. "The new Venray site provides enhanced levels of service, support and access to world-class capabilities."
Grand opening ceremonies for the expansion will take place on Oct. 12.
Penn Color's product mix includes color and additive concentrates, pigment dispersions and engineered coatings. Worldwide, Penn Color has annual sales of more than $200 million and employs more than 650 at eight plants — five in the U.S. and individual plants in the Netherlands, India and China.