Dow To Expand Its Manufacturing and R&D Facility In Correggio, Italy
Correggio to become a world-class R&D facility for Dow Polyurethane Systems business
The Dow Chemical Company has announced plans to expand its facilities at Correggio, Italy, in a move that will position the site as Dow's global research and development center for polyurethane systems formulation and application technology.
The Company also plans to increase production capacity of the Dow Building Solutions plant that manufactures STYROFOAM(tm) brand insulation products by 30 percent, and to optimize the site's formulated polyurethane systems manufacturing plant, targeting improvements in productivity and logistics. The expansion of the Correggio facility, which is subject to appropriate government and regulatory approvals, is a $20 million investment and is scheduled for completion in 2009.
The expansion supports Dow's strategy to drive growth in its Performance portfolio aligning its research and development (R&D) effort with customer needs and strengthening its position in key markets around the globe. As a market leader, Dow continually strives to be at the forefront of industry innovation and development in order to offer customers a broad portfolio of tailored solutions.
"Development of new applications that create value for customers is at the core of Dow Polyurethanes (PU) Systems' strategy," said Juan Antonio Merino, general manager, Dow PU Systems. "This expansion will further enhance our ability to combine our more than 50 years of experience in urethane chemistry with the entrepreneurial spirit of innovation that drives the PU Systems business. Our customers will get a broader range of differentiated products and advanced systems technologies based on their specific needs."
The R&D center expansion includes a new application laboratory, a new pilot plant area with scale-up capabilities, and additional space for polymer testing capabilities. The upgraded, expanded R&D facility will comprise a chemical lab, a material characterization lab, an application lab equipped with molding and prototyping units for in-house trials and testing, and a pilot plant for the production of small scale fully formulated polyurethane systems.
The Correggio facility produces and commercializes polyurethane tailor-made solutions to customers globally. The site is located 150 km south of Milan and currently houses almost 170 employees. The expansion is expected to include the hiring of 30 new employees over a three year period.
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