Rhodia inaugurates expanded US silica plant
The expansion work at Rhodia’s Chicago Heights dispersible silica production facility in the US state of Illinois is now complete and the enhanced site has been officially inaugurated. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony the company, along with customers, key business partners and public officials, celebrated the addition of an additional 16,000 tons to Rhodia’s North American output, a quantity that lifts capacity in the region by a third.
“One year after commissioning our new plant in Qingdao, China, this additional increase in production capacity confirms our continued commitment to leadership in highly dispersible silica,” commented Tom Benner, president of Rhodia’s Silica business unit. “We are also in the construction phase of a similar expansion at Collonges au Mont d’Or, France that will be completed in 2012. Combined, these three latest investments increase our global capacity of highly dispersible silica over 40 per cent, ensuring that we are prepared now to meet long-term growth expectations associated with demand for fuel-saving tyres.”
“Our teams are extremely committed to deliver value to our customers in the tyre and automotive sectors in their quest for sustainable solutions to end consumers’’, added Mike Quinn, general manager for Rhodia Silica in North America.
The Chicago Heights site, located south of the city of Chicago, was founded in 1995 and is one of eight Rhodia sites producing highly dispersible for tyres, battery separators and other key markets.
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