Evonik builds new production plant for Personal Care and Household Care ingredients in Brazil

• Evonik Board member Patrik Wohlhauser and Business Unit Head Dr. Claus Rettig on the ground in Brazil to kick off start of construction phase
• Start-up for oleochemical project in Americana, São Paulo, scheduled for 2014
• Local production enables Evonik to meet customer requirements and underlines Evonik’s commitment to the growing markets in Brazil and South America

Evonik’s endeavour to build a new production facility for cosmetics and consumer goods in Americana in the Brazilian state of São Paulo is moving ahead rapidly. The mid-double-digit million euro investment will go on stream 2014 and will create around 80 new jobs in total.

"The total production capacity of around 50,000 metric tons p.a. is spread across different technologies to be able to offer a broad portfolio of locally manufactured products to our customers in the Personal Care and Household Care industries," explains Patrik Wohlhauser, member of Evonik's Executive Board and responsible for South America. The portfolio will include specialty surfactants, conditioning agents, emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners and fabric softening actives amongst others.

"The production facility in South America expands our global Consumer Specialties production network and gives us a better access to the growth markets in South America. We chose Americana for this project because of its proximity to most of the Brazilian customers in the relevant industries," comments Dr. Claus Rettig, who heads up the Consumer Specialties Business Unit.

Evonik already supplies customers in this region today through its service and logistics center in Guarulhos (Brazil). "We have not only significantly increased our sales force capacities in the region in the last two years. We have also set up an application lab this year to fulfil our customers’ technical support requirements," adds Weber Porto, Evonik’s Regional President South America. Considering the rapid growth of the South American economy, Evonik plans to further step up these activities to prepare the ground for the inauguration of the plant in 2014. The rapidly growing market demand was also the reason why Evonik decided to increase its production capabilities to the now possible capacity of 50, 000 metric tons p.a.

Evonik has production facilities for cosmetic ingredients in Europe, the USA and Asia. In addition to this project, Evonik is currently building another production plant for ingredients for cosmetics and household consumer goods in Shanghai (China) to serve the Asian market.

Evonik’s move to enlarge its production footprint for Personal Care and Household Care ingredients is spurred by important megatrends. In line with the health and well-being megatrend Evonik’s customers are benefitting from the increasing importance that end consumers attach around the globe to their personal appearance and soundness. The product portfolio that Evonik plans to manufacture locally is based on renewable resources which fit nicely with consumers’ request for a higher level of sustainability in the production of consumer goods.