Materials firm Penn Color Inc. has opened a new manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand.
In a news release, officials with Penn Color in Hatfield, Pa., said that the new plant is "a significant step" in expanding the firm's manufacturing capabilities. They added that the plant is near major industrial areas and the largest ports in Thailand.
The new facility allows Penn Color to supply colorant and additive masterbatch concentrates to markets throughout the Asia-Pacific region, officials said. Scott Stamback, EMEA/Asia sales vice president, added that the plant "has been planned with remarkable levels of flexibility to meet the most demanding technical and quality requirements, for packaging, consumer goods, building products and transportation."
The new plant is designed for future expansion to meet increasing demand in the APAC region and beyond. It uses the most recent technology for energy efficiency of its primary equipment, including a major portion being powered by solar-generated electricity.
"The team has managed to deliver on time despite having to navigate the challenging waters of the pandemic during the early stages of this project," Stamback said.
The new plant is Penn Color's second project to be completed in Asia this year, joining a technology center that opened in Singapore in January. Officials said the two facilities "were designed to play to their respective strengths, to provide together unmatched speed to market and flexibility."
Penn Color spent $3 million on the 6,500-square-foot Singapore location, which will create 10 jobs in its first two years of operation.
"The inauguration of Singapore and now Thailand demonstrates our commitment to meeting customer expectations for advanced color and functional additive masterbatch technologies in the Asia-Pacific region," President and CEO Kevin Putman Jr. said.
Penn Color is one of North America's 30 largest makers of compounds and concentrates. The firm's products include a wide range of color and additive concentrates, as well as pigment dispersions for inks and coatings.