The new market development facility, on the company’s Sterlington site in Louisiana, will help bring new products to market as well as optimize the manufacture of its existing portfolio.
Angus Chemical’s nitroparaffins are used in many markets including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and paint.
Neutralize pH
In the world of personal care the compounds act as pH buffers to provide the required level of alkalinity in a range of cosmetic and personal care products.
“This new facility allows for process optimization of our existing nitroparaffins, as well as the flexibility and creativity to create new products from various feedstocks,” said CEO of Angus Mark Henning.
The company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company, announced job cuts last week at Sterlington site.
Seventeen full time positions will be affected in the Sterlington restructuring, which is part of a Dow Chemical initiative to eliminate 5,000 jobs worldwide.
Commenting on the job cuts Henning said: “The [Dow] transformational strategy is very important for Angus as it best positions the business for sustainable activity throughout 2009, and prepares us for growth when the economy recovers.”
According to plant manager Karen Kay, no more reductions are planned for the site.
Production at a number of the Angus plants was temporarily stopped due to dropping demand for products, however the two largest should return to full operation within the week.
“Angus is very pleased to have our plants back up and running,” said Kay.
“This demonstrates that the transformational strategy is working, which allows Angus to focus on growth and deliver sustainable activities for 2009.”