Oxiteno (São Paulo, Brazil; www.oxiteno.com), a leader in the manufacture of surfactants and specialty chemicals, celebrated the official opening of its first alkoxylation plant in Pasadena, Texas, on November 14th. This unit, planned to support mainly U.S. customers, has annual capacity of 375-million-pound, featuring best-in-class alkoxylation technology and engineering for high productivity of specialties, with reliability and safety.
The new plant adds to Oxiteno existing footprint in surfactants, ethylene oxide and derivatives in Latin America. That now places Oxiteno as leader in the production of nonionic surfactants and ethoxylates in the Americas. “We always felt the need to be more strategic and closer to our U.S. customers. And, at the same time, we also knew that this region needed a state-of-the-art alkoxylation plant to meet strong demands. We are now reinforcing our ongoing commitment to key stakeholders including employees, customers and community through our investment in a brand new innovative alkoxylation system,” said Timothy Madden, Chief Operating Officer of Oxiteno in the U.S.
Oxiteno has a wide range of technological advantages to boost quality, flexibility and productivity.” The industrial plant has high technology, that includes also low impurities, inherently safe with enhanced efficiency to bringing solutions for customer needs. A US Technology Center was opened to enhance the customer experience and intimacy in the U.S., despite the large-scale advanced Technology Center in Brazil,” adds João Parolin, Chief Executive Officer of Oxiteno.
The company has invested $200 million over six years including site acquisition, plant construction, and R&D facilities, while creating more than 120 jobs. The investments in the U.S. reflect the company’s long-term commitment to serving the domestic market at a different level and scale, complementing its existing production base in other important markets, such as Mexico and Brazil.
Over the last years, Oxiteno has been pre-marketing its products in the US market and has signed important co-manufacturing agreements for the Pasadena site. To support the U.S. expansion, Oxiteno has invested widely in research and development. In 2016, the company opened a technology center co-located at the University of Southern Mississippi to support the development of new products and react faster to market and customer requests. Oxiteno has operations in North and South America, Europe and Asia. In the United States, the company also maintains its main office in Houston, Tex., and a R&D center in Hattiesburg, Miss.