Celanese Emulsions Dedicates Expanded VAE Plant in China
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Company Committed to Customers, Continued Growth in Asia
DALLAS, Texas (June 22, 2011) The Emulsion Polymers business of Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global technology and specialty materials company, formally dedicated its expanded vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) unit in Nanjing, China. The expansion, which doubles the original capacity of the VAE unit, came online in the second quarter. "This VAE unit expansion is a reflection of Celanese's commitment to the further development of vinyl-based emulsion solutions spanning a broad range of end use applications including areas such as low VOC, low odor paints with our EcoVAE® binder, specialty adhesives and building and construction applications. Today, we are servicing the needs of our customers with our differentiated product portfolio through two manufacturing units," said Phillip McDivitt, General Manager.
Commitment was the theme of the speeches by McDivitt and other Celanese executives during the daylong event hosting a large audience of customers, trade association representatives, company personnel and media. "As evidenced by this new emulsions facility, Celanese Emulsions is strongly committed to you, our customers in China and across Asia. We appreciate your trust in us to develop product solutions that drive value into your business. Your success is our success," said McDivitt.
Celanese's broader, corporate investment in China was also captured in words. "Celanese has shown a strong commitment to China and Asia with its continued investments here in Nanjing and across the region. There are now 8 units here at the Celanese Nanjing Chemical Complex and more are planned at this facility, which is already Celanese's largest complex in the world," said Josh Cheng, President of Celanese China. "In addition to our manufacturing investments, today we also celebrate the opening of the Celanese Shanghai Commercial and Technology Center which opened earlier this year. The CSCT houses hundreds of employees to service our customers in China and throughout Asia both on a business and technical level," Cheng said.
The final speech focused on the building of the new facility and the significant safety milestone that was achieved during the project. "At Celanese, we are so committed to safety that it is a pre-requisite for employment. During this expansion project, I am proud to say that we celebrated one million man hours of work without a lost-time safety incident," said Robert King, General Manager of the Celanese Nanjing Chemical Complex. The one million hours included both Celanese employees and contractors and is a testament to the focused attention on contractor safety at the company's facilities.
A traditional lion dance including dotting of the eyes was performed during the ceremony to bring good luck and fortune to the new facility and business according to traditional Chinese folklore. In addition to the festivities at the tent located outside the new unit, the attendees were also given a driving tour of the entire complex which included an explanation of the integration of the many chemical units. "Celanese makes acetic acid from coal, the acid is then converted into vinyl acetate monomer or VAM, which is the main building block for the VAE emulsions you purchase today," said King.
A highlight of the evening program was a brief video showcasing the company's efforts in the region and a time-lapse account of the building of the new plant. Celanese Emulsions leaders also spoke of the company's innovation programs and their pivotal role in the future success of the business. Technology leaders also highlighted the global research and development center in Frankfurt, Germany and the importance of the customer-facing application development team in Shanghai, China. "Celanese Emulsions has the strength and vision of a global leader with the regional resources to understand local requirements and meet our customers' expectations for performance and delivery," said McDivitt.
