OBERHAUSEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the successful conclusion of the recent feasibility study, the chemical company Oxea is proceeding to expand its production platform for oxo products in Bay City, Texas. This expansion will not only significantly increase the manufacturing capacity of the site and make for more efficient manufacturing processes, it will also enable Oxea to add new products to the portfolio in the future. The expansion, which will increase the plant’s output by 25 %, is planned to come on line in the second half of 2014, in conjunction with a scheduled maintenance turn-around.
“Oxea is a leading merchant supplier of Oxo products, including aldehydes, alcohols, and acids, and is continuing to invest to satisfy the rising demands of the merchant market. The majority of our added capacity will be used to satisfy growth in our current customer portfolio and to allow the room to evaluate additional customers,” said Miguel Mantas, Member of Oxea’s Executive Board and responsible for Marketing and Sales. “This expansion takes advantage of the US shale gas economics, and it enables us to meet the needs of our regional customer portfolio and help them grow in their business,” he added.
“Using Six Sigma methods and subsequent test runs with our proprietary Oxea production technology we identified several opportunities to improve and expand our oxo production facilities at Bay City. Thanks to the creativity and the flexibility of our employees we expect this expansion project to be implemented quickly, efficiently and at minimal cost,” commented Dr. Martina Flöel, spokesperson for the Oxea Executive Board, who is also responsible for Production and Technology. “Our investment into this important expansion project reinforces our commitment to the North and Latin American markets as some of the world's most important industrial regions, and is in line with our strategy of growing the business and enhancing the efficiency of our operations," Flöel continued.
Oxea is a global manufacturer of oxo intermediates and oxo derivatives, such as alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, specialty esters, and amines. These products are used among others for the production of high-quality coatings, lubricants, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, flavorings and fragrances, printing inks and plastics. In 2012, Oxea generated revenues of EUR 1.5 billion with its 1,406 employees in Europe, the Americas and Asia. For more information on Oxea, please visit www.oxea-chemicals.com.
