BYK is expanding its operations in the Shanghai region to meet the anticipated growth in demand in the key Chinese market. The Asia region accounts for one third of sales, and has made a substantial contribution to BYK in past decades. The new, integrated site is fully aligned to the needs of BYK’s development partners and customers, offering the exceptional technical service they expect.
“The new site will significantly enhance our presence in the Chinese market, and will enable us to focus on individual customer solutions in the growing Asian market,” declared Martin Babilas, CEO of ALTANA AG, during the opening ceremony. “The new and ultra-modern facility is embedded in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) where we enjoy, ideal framework conditions for our innovative, differentiated additive solutions.”
“Creating customer value is the core of our strategy at BYK. Optimum technical laboratory support, product innovations, and fast, reliable supply chains play a crucial role in this strategy. Thanks to the facility being opened today, we can offer our Chinese customers more direct services, as well as differentiated products that will provide an additional impetus to our business in the region,” explained Stephan Glander, BYK Division President.
The new five-hectare site in Shanghai (around 54,000 sq.m.) is home to laboratories, a distribution center, and administration and was constructed in just two years. BYK invested around 38 million euros. Some 100 employees will work here it is in full operation.
Each year, BYK invests 7 to 8% of its revenue in research and development. The new site stands for expertise and innovation, success factors of BYK in specialty chemicals throughout the world.
BYK is a leading provider in the field of additives and measuring instruments. Additives are chemical accessory agents that improve product characteristics such as scratch resistance or surface gloss - even when dosed in small quantities. Additives can be used to set the flow properties of liquid materials such that ideal conditions prevail for problem-free manufacturing and application processes.
The coating, printing-inks and plastics industries are some of BYK's main customers. Yet BYK additives also improve product characteristics and manufacturing processes in the oil and gas industry, the production of care products, the production of adhesives and sealing compounds, as well as in building chemistry. BYK testing and measuring instruments effectively assess the quality of paint, gloss and appearance, as well as the physical characteristics of coating, plastic and paper products, and are an essential part of quality assurance.
As a globally-operating specialty-chemicals company, BYK has production sites in Wesel, Kempen, Moosburg, Schkopau and Geretsried (Germany), Deventer, Denekamp, Nijverdal (Netherlands), Widnes (Great Britain), Wallingford, Chester, Gonzales, Louisville, Earth City (USA), as well as Shanghai and Tongling (China). The company today employs more than 2,300 people worldwide and is a member of the ALTANA Group.
This press release is also available in the Internet at www.byk.com/press
