Rubber Chemicals Lanxess to Close Plant in South Africa

German based speciality chemicals giant Lanxess plans to streamline its rubber chemicals production by shutting down a South African plant and bundle activities in the US and Europe.

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LANXESS AG

Leverkusen/Germany – Lanxess will discontinue the production of several vulcanizstion chemicals: Aging inhibitors Vulkanox 3100 and Vulkanox DPPD, which are produced at the Isithebe site in South Africa, will be discontinued and the plant will be closed, the company stated. Also, the production of Vulkacit MOZ at Kallo, Belgium, will run out during 2014.

Kallo will in turn take over the production of vulcanisation accelerators Vulkacit DZ and Vulkacit NZ from Bushy Park, US, to Kallo. The North American Bushy Park site is taking over production of the accelerator Vulkacit CZ.

Rubber Chemicals Production Cuts at Lanxess

“These measures enable us to enhance our efficiency and competitiveness. Moreover, we can focus our portfolio on innovative, sustainable and profitable products in order to accommodate the trend toward increasingly high-tech products within the tire industry also in the future,” says Luis López-Remón, Head of the Rubber Chemicals business unit at Lanxess.

The site closure in Isithebe will affect some 40 employees. Following the realignment, headcount in Bushy Park will remain unchanged at around 60 while the number of positions in Kallo will decrease by around 45 from currently 205.

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