Solvay has completed its installation of its new thermoplastic composites manufacturing facility in Greenville, South Carolina. The installation will add a new line and 30 additional jobs at the 27,000-square-foot facility.
The company underwent the expansion to help it meet a growing demand from energy companies, supported by increasing aerospace and automotive demand. The new product line will have the ability to manufacture unidirectional composite tape from a range of high-performance polymers including PVDF, PPS and PEEK.
“The thermoplastic composites solutions that will be manufactured in our Greenville facility will help our energy, aerospace and automotive customers achieve better environmental responsibility by making cars and planes lighter, thereby reducing emissions,” said Mike Finelli, president of Solvay’s growth platforms. “Our new capacity and differentiated technologies will allow us to expand with our customers as TPCs gain momentum in a growing number of applications and play an important role in the energy transition.”
Solvay’s TPC portfolio includes Evolite, which offers lower total cost of ownership in markets such as energy and automotive, and APC tapes, which offer significant weight and cost advantages in aerospace and urban air mobility applications.
The Greenville facility expansion is the latest in strategic investments Solvay has made in its commitment to the TPC market. Recently it has added two new R&I centers in Brussels and Alpharetta, Georgia, and additional capacity at its TPC plant in Anaheim, California. It also has joined the TPRC consortium.
Greenville County Council Chairman and Greenville Area Development Corporation Board Member Willis Meadows said, “We’re pleased that Solvay is once again expanding operations in Greenville County. Solvay is a leader in our business community and a world-class manufacturer, and we appreciate their investment here. Their decision is an important affirmation of our continued focus on advanced manufacturing and on supporting existing industry.”
Solvay is a global leader in materials, chemicals and solutions. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, water and air treatment and more. In the United States, Solvay has 11 R&I centers, nine headquarters, eight offices and 45 production sites. It also has locations and plants throughout the world.
