Saudi Engineering Plastics Compounding Facility to Help Processors in Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India, says Sabic CEO
Saudi-based thermoplastic resin manufacturer Sabic has opened its first engineering thermoplastics compounding facility at its manufacturing affiliate, Saudi Specialty Chemicals Company (Specialty Chem), in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. It has also opened a polypropylene compounding plant at the same location.
With the goal of enabling customers to further differentiate their products and brands from competition, Sabic says these facilities will make it easier to access a diverse material offering, provide local options for custom colour matching and provide the potential for shorter lead times.
“These new facilities allow Sabic to further enable its customers’ success by providing them greater access to the diverse portfolio of unique products from Sabic’s Innovative Plastics business, and helping them to deliver further differentiated solutions to the market. Both the engineering thermoplastics compounding and polypropylene investments bring Sabic closer to its customers in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India, enabling them to get to market faster,” said Mohamed Al-Mady, Sabic Vice Chairman and CEO.
In the initial phase, the engineering thermoplastics plant will compound grades using a range of Sabic’s engineering resins, including Lexan polycarbonate, Cycoloy ABS/PC, Xenoy PBT and PET/PC, and Valox PBT. These are commonly used engineering thermoplastics spanning multiple industries from consumer electronics to healthcare, from transportation to building and construction.
The polypropylene plant will produce glass, chalk and talc filled grades that will strengthen Sabic’s global footprint and serve customers in auto and non-auto sectors.
Sabic recorded a net profit of SR24.72 billion (US$6.59 billion) in 2012. Sales revenues for 2012 totaled SR189 billion (US$50.40 billion). Total assets stood at SR338 billion (US$90.13 billion) at the end of 2012.
Sabic’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. Sabic has significant research resources with 18 dedicated technology and innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India, China and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.
Sabic manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Riyadh, Sabic was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilisers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of Sabic shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.