Solutia looks for Flexsys plant site in Asia-Pacific
Solutia Inc. announced Wednesday that its Flexsys subsidiary is evaluating sites to build its eighth Crystex brand insoluble sulfur manufacturing facility, this time in the Asia-Pacific region. Crystex is a vulcanizing agent used in making tires.
Flexsys currently has seven plants that produce Crystex, including facilities in Kuantan, Malaysia, and Kashima, Japan.
Jim Voss, president of Flexsys and senior vice president of Solutia, said in a statement that Asia continues to be a rapidly growing market for Flexsys, specifically China and India. Those countries see most of the growth in the Asian tire production market, according to the company’s release paydayloans.
Flexsys makes products used in making tires and other rubber goods, such as belts, hoses, seals and footwear. It has annual sales of more than $650 million, about two-thirds of which is outside the U.S. The subsidiary is in the process of shutting down a facility in Wales by 2011 and exiting the market for three product lines produced there.
St. Louis-based Solutia Inc. (NYSE: SOA) develops specialty chemicals, fibers, fluids and other performance products.