ST. LOUIS and DUSSELDORF, Germany, Oct. 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- At the Glasstec 2006 exhibition in Dusseldorf, Germany, the Saflex(r) unit of Solutia Inc. (OTCBB:SOLUQ), which is the world leader in the production and sale of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers, today announced it has begun the design and engineering of a new manufacturing line for its Saflex(r) PVB interlayers at its plant in Ghent, Belgium. Upon the successful completion of the design and engineering phase, the company would begin the construction phase, targeting startup during the second half of 2008. This expansion will bring the total number of Saflex production lines at the plant to three.
"We are making significant investments across our Saflex business in order to meet the growing demands of our customers worldwide," said Luc De Temmerman, president, Performance Products, Solutia Inc. "This project is a key part of our global growth strategy for the Saflex business, which also includes our recent acquisition of a plant in Puebla, Mexico, and the construction of our new plant in Suzhou, China."
The new Ghent manufacturing line is being designed to produce 3.2-meter-wide rolls of Saflex PVB interlayers. These specific interlayers are used primarily to make laminated glass for the growing European architectural market. The new line also will provide the Saflex business with greater flexibility in how it operates its plants worldwide.
"By designing a third manufacturing line at Ghent, we are taking a key step forward in our strategy to optimize our production on a global scale in order to provide the highest degree of responsiveness, quality and innovation to our customers," said Dirk Duquet, director of manufacturing for the Saflex business.
The new manufacturing line is being designed for construction within the current boundaries of the Saflex Ghent plant, leveraging existing infrastructure and the plant's 40-plus years of experience in manufacturing Saflex products. In addition, the new line is being designed to employ the latest technology, enabling the production process to be highly automated.
"Our customers recognize the Ghent plant as a proven supplier of the world's premier PVB interlayers," added Duquet, "and this expansion will enable us to very efficiently take that tradition of quality to an even greater scale."
The Saflex Ghent plant employs 300 people and began operation in 1961. The plant maintains ISO 14001 registration for its environmental management systems, OSHAS 18001 registration for its occupational safety and health management systems, as well as several registrations for its quality management systems, including QS 9000, ISO 9001 and TS 16949.
Saflex manufactures PVB interlayers at Ghent, Belgium; Puebla, Mexico; San Jose Dos Campos, Brazil; Springfield, Mass., USA; and Trenton, Mich., USA. It also operates a PVB finishing and distribution center in Singapore, and is constructing a new Saflex PVB interlayer plant scheduled to begin production in Suzhou, China, in mid 2007.
In addition to being the world's largest producer and seller of PVB interlayers, Saflex is the global leader in PVB innovation, quality and reliability. When laminated between layers of glass, PVB interlayers greatly enhance the performance characteristics of glass, providing benefits such as security, solar protection, sound attenuation and safety. Laminated glass made with Saflex PVB is used extensively in both the automotive and architectural markets. For more information, please visit: http://www.saflex.com.
NOTES TO EDITOR: Saflex is a registered trademark of Solutia Inc.
Corporate Profile
Solutia (http://www.Solutia.com) uses world-class skills in applied chemistry to create value-added solutions for customers, whose products improve the lives of consumers every day. Solutia is a world leader in performance films for laminated safety glass and after-market applications; specialties such as water treatment chemicals, heat transfer fluids and aviation hydraulic fluid and an integrated family of nylon products including high-performance polymers and fibers.
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