Major investment in leather chemicals for Lanxess

This is the single largest investment by the company’s Leather Chemicals business unit to date in China. Approximately 150 new jobs will be created through this investment. The facility, with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons, will be located at the Changzhou Yangtze Riverside Industrial Park. It is planned to go on stream by the first half of 2013 and will produce premium Lanxess leather chemicals for the local Chinese market such as Tanigan, Isoderm, Euderm and Levotan for various applications such as tanning, dyeing and finishing.
‘China today is the largest market for leather chemicals worldwide, with steady growth expected," said Lanxess, CEO Axel C Heitmann at a press conference in Changzhou. ‘This new investment also underlines our successful strategy of focusing on the booming BRIC nations, led by China.’ (BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India, China).
Since 1998, Lanxess have been operating a production site and research and development centre in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. The site produces chemical products for leather processing and treatment, with an annual output of 30,000 metric tons.
Leather chemicals produced are to improve leather softness, water resistance, as well as ability to conceal minor defects and reduce soiling. The Leather business unit is part of Lanxess’ Performance Chemicals segment. It has approximately 1,100 people worldwide and production sites in Leverkusen (Germany), Filago (Italy), Rustenburg, Newcastle and Merebank (all South Africa), Zárate (Argentina), Wuxi (China) and Madurai (India).
Lanxess are a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of €5.06 billion in 2009 and currently around 14,500 employees in 23 countries. The company is represented at 42 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.