February 15, 2016
Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals held an opening ceremony on February 12, 2016 (local time), at Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary for sale and technical support of performance plastic compounds1owned through its US subsidiary Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc. (APNA).

The ceremony was attended by some 70 people including government officials, customers, and other related parties from Mexico, the US, and Japan.

Continued demand growth for plastic compounds is forecasted in Mexico, where various manufacturing facilities are increasingly located, especially by US, European, and Japanese manufacturers in the automotive industry. To meet this growing demand, the new subsidiary in Mexico was established in June 2015 and began performing sales and technical support in September 2015.

Asahi Kasei Chemicals is focused on strategic global growth in the field of plastic compounding operations. The company has compounding facilities and sales offices in Japan, China, ASEAN countries, North America, and Europe, and continues to reinforce its global network to swiftly respond to customer needs. While Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico enables an increased market share to be gained in the growing Mexican market for plastic compounds with marketing and technical service clearly focused on the needs of customers in Mexico, Asahi Kasei Chemicals will continue to study the possibility of local manufacturing of plastic compounds in Mexico.

The opening ceremony

Members of Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico

Outline of the new subsidiary in Mexico

Name: Asahi Kasei Plastics Mexico S.A. de C.V.
Location: Querétaro, Mexico
Establishment: June 2015
President: Iichiro Kitsuda
Ownership: 100% owned jointly by APNA and Asahikasei Plastics (America) Inc.2
Operation: Sale and technical support of Thermylene™ PP, Leona™ PA66, and other performance plastic compounds
Start-up: September 2015

Corporate profile of Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.

Location: Fowlerville, Michigan, USA
Establishment: July 2000 (company name changed in August 2005)
President: John W. Moyer
Shareholder: Asahikasei Plastics (America) Inc. (100%)
Operation: Manufacture and sale of Thermylene™ PP, Leona™ PA66, and other performance plastic compounds
Capacity: 105,000 tons/year in Fowlerville, Michigan
30,000 tons/year in Athens, Alabama (start-up scheduled in February 2016)

1Synthetic resin containing glass fiber, flame retardants, and other additives to provide additional performance characteristics.

2Wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Chemicals.

Press Releases

Asahi Kasei Corporation issued this content on 15 February 2016 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 February 2016 01:34:11 UTC

Original Document: http://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/en/news/2015/e160215.html