9/26/2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The grand opening of Kureha PGA LLC Belle Plant was held Monday, Sept. 26. The new Kureha PGA polymer plant is located at the DuPont site in Belle, W.Va. The specialty plastics facility is dedicated to the production of polyglycolic acid (PGA), a high performance polymer. The plant conducted its initial operation in mid-June 2011 and began commercial production in August. It is expected to produce 8.8 million pounds of PGA per year.
The polymer is marketed under the trade name Kuredux® PGA. Its properties include high strength, biodegradability and low gas permeability. Kuredux® has been certified as a biodegradable plastic in the United States, Europe and Japan. When Kuredux® is used in multi-layered PET bottles as an inner layer, the bottle can be recycled using standard PET recycling processes.
Since Kuredux® PGA reduces the amount of CO2 that escapes from a carbonated soft drink bottle, these multi-layered bottles may soon provide longer shelf life to the consumer, while maintaining their excellent recyclability, all due to this unique plastic produced in West Virginia. In addition to beverage containers, target applications include food packaging, medical (suture) applications, electronics applications, oil recovery and other industrial products.
“Its unique combination of source reduction, recyclability and inherent barrier characteristics makes Kuredux® PGA a material offering great promise for packaging and industrial applications,” said Kureha President and Chief Executive Officer Takao Iwasaki. “We are thrilled to be here at Belle and be part of the great legacy of the Kanawha Valley. We look forward to joining in this area as an active member of the community and leading employer in the region.”
“The new Kureha plant is a clear indication that companies are attracted to West Virginia because of our educated and skilled workforce,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said. “From employment opportunities associated with the construction phase of this project to today’s production, West Virginians have already benefitted from this new partnership between Kureha and DuPont. In addition, the benefits of the polymer produced at Kureha’s plant will be seen worldwide as consumers and manufacturers continue to embrace biodegradable materials for the benefit of our health and our environment.”
“This plant and what it means to our state is very important to me,” said Senator Jay Rockefeller.
Rockefeller traveled to Tokyo to meet with Kureha’s former President and CEO Hiroshi Tanaka and current Kureha President and CEO Dr. Takao Iwasaki in 2005 to encourage them to consider West Virginia for future investment. Kureha officials had originally traveled to West Virginia in 2003, and again in 2005 for trade missions hosted by Senator Rockefeller and the Discover the REAL West Virginia Foundation.
“Since my days as Governor, I have always fought hard to bring manufacturing jobs like Kureha to the state. Beginning with their first trade mission here in 2003 until now, I’ve continually said Kureha is a great fit for West Virginia. I know that they will be a great partner, providing jobs and economic development for the state well into the future. I’m proud to welcome them here and honored to be associated with Dr. Iwasaki and his team.”
“I continue to be honored that a company with the history and vision of Kureha has chosen our state to debut technology for the first time ever in the world. I thank all of our friends at Kureha here and in Japan for working with us to make our shared dream a reality here in Belle, West Virginia,” said Senator Manchin, who was governor of West Virginia when ground was broken for the Kureha facility in April 2008. “There is no question, West Virginia is one of the best places in the world to do business and I believe we have the best workers in America. West Virginians want to work, and this is an excellent opportunity for more West Virginians to provide for themselves and their families. As I’ve always said, we’re not looking for a handout, we’re looking for a work permit. To create more good-paying jobs, we’ll continue to work with partners like Kureha and bring them to our state.”
“West Virginia is proud that Kureha chose the Mountain State as the site for its new production facility,” said Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. “It’s always exciting—and humbling in these tough economic times—when businesses expand and create jobs. This is a true testament to the work ethic of the talented manufacturing workers in our state. I look forward to building a long-lasting community relationship with Kureha,”
Groundbreaking for the facility was held on April 7, 2008. Construction began in January 2009. Peaks of approximately 400 workers/day were employed to build the facility, located on the DuPont site inside the Belle plant’s fence line. The construction was completed and equipment installed in February 2011.
Kureha will obtain its primary feedstock from DuPont’s Belle, W.Va., facility, reported to be the world’s largest glycolic acid plant. Kureha expects to procure the bulk of the plant’s requirements locally, including raw materials, operating supplies, warehousing and transportation services.
Currently the plant occupies 3.5 acres and employs a staff of 35. The plant has the capacity to produce 8.8 million pounds (4,000 metric tons) of Kuredux® PGA per year.
Kureha PGA LLC is a subsidiary of Kureha America Inc., the North American subsidiary of Kureha Corporation. Kureha Corporation is a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and plastics used in consumer packaging, household products, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and other industrial applications. Kureha Corporation is headquartered in Japan. For more information, visit
www.kureha.com and
www.kureha.co.jp.
Contact Information
Tom Provost
304-513-0100
provost@kureha.com