01/23/2012 |

Kuraray Europe GmbH celebrates its tenth anniversary in Frankfurt - A speciality chemicals producer driving forward growth

Kuraray Europe GmbH is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its acquisition of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) business from Clariant at Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Today, Kuraray is the leading European producer of PVA (Mowiol^®, Poval^®), PVB (Mowital^®, Pioloform^®) and PVB films (TROSIFOL^®). Its products are used in many areas of daily life. TROSIFOL films are marketed worldwide for laminated safety glass for buildings, vehicles and solar installations. The company’s product portfolio also includes chemical specialities, activated carbon, thermoplastic elastomers, industrial fibres, man-made leather and dental products.

Over the past ten years, Kuraray has invested steadily in its European operations and the expansion of production capacity. At the end of 2004 the company took over the TROSIFOL film business from HT Troplast in Troisdorf. In 2007 it acquired the man-made leather business of amaretta GmbH in Aßlar and in 2008 it took over the PVB business of Wacker Polymer Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Munich.

"Since 2002 we have raised sales significantly from around EUR 140 million to roughly EUR 470 million," Dr. Matthias Gutweiler, Managing Director of Kuraray Europe GmbH, told some 350 employees and guests at the anniversary celebrations on January 20, 2012. Over the same period, the workforce has increased from 240 to 650. "We will continue to grow and invest in the future,"
he said. "Kuraray Europe GmbH aims to grow sales to EUR 650 million by 2018 and will remain the largest foreign subsidiary of the Kuraray Group.”

Mowiol production in Höchst Industrial Park is currently being expanded. Construction of a sixth production line will increase capacity from 70,000 tonnes p.a. at present to 94,000 tonnes p.a. by 2013. At the same time, process improvements will greatly improve the energy efficiency of production. Total investment will be EUR 58 million.

Dr. Matthias Gutweiler, Managing Director of
Kuraray Europe GmbH,
during the anniversary celebration.

Among the 350 guests attending the celebration on January 20
were many executives of Kuraray Japan including Yasuaki Wakui,
Representative Director and Chairman of the
Kuraray Group and his wife (center).

Kuraray Europe GmbH
Kuraray Europe GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the global speciality chemical company Kuraray Co., Ltd., which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray was founded in 1926 and now has around 6,500 employees and annual sales of about EUR 3.2 billion. It is one of the largest suppliers of polymers and synthetic microfibres and an international leader in the development and use of innovative high-performance materials. Kuraray Europe GmbH is based at Höchst Industrial Park in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and has around 650 employees. For further information please visit www.kuraray.eu.

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