Evonik Industries is building a U.S. based precipitated silica plant to serve the North American tire industry, Tyres & Accessories reported.
Expected to be completed in late 2017, the company plans on building a plant in the Southeast in “close proximity to major American tire production sites.”
The company is reportedly on a growth path, and the U.S. plant will be its largest investment in North America in five years.
“We are going to continue expanding our precipitated silica capacities – a global program that we started five years ago. The resource efficiency megatrend fuels the demand for our products. Interest in energy-saving tires is continuously growing in North America. That’s why we are planning to build the plant close to our customers – the large tire manufacturers,” said Johannes Ohmer, management member of Evonik’s resource efficiency segment.
Evonik’s global capacity for precipitated silica increased by around 30% between 2010 and 2014. A recent plant expansion at the company’s facility in Chester, Penn. increased annual capacity by 20,000 tons, according to Tyres & Accessories.