At the opening of the China Glass exhibition in Shanghai, Solutia Inc., the world leader in the production and sale of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers, announced 13 April 2005 that it has begun th…
At the opening of the China Glass exhibition in Shanghai, Solutia Inc., the world leader in the production and sale of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers, announced 13 April 2005 that it has begun the design and engineering of a new Saflex PVB interlayer plant in China. On the successful completion of the design and engineering phase, the company would begin the construction phase, aiming to start up in mid 2007. The plant is being designed to meet the growing demands of the Chinese automotive market by manufacturing PVB interlayers for use in windscreens. “The China plant is a critical component of the global growth strategy for Solutia“s Laminated Glazing Interlayers (LGI) business,” said Mitch Pulwer, General Manager, LGI, Solutia Inc. “We are dedicated to meeting the growing needs of our customers worldwide, and to building capacity in line with market demand. This announcement reflects our commitment to providing customers in China with an on-the-ground source of the world“s premier PVB interlayers. We will continue to invest in all world areas as both technology and capacity needs arise.” The new Solutia plant is being designed for location in an industrial community such as the greater Shanghai area, building on Solutia“s current LGI presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Solutia began expanding this presence in 1998 with a finishing center, distribution center and regional customer service center in Singapore. The company says these investments have been instrumental in establishing the high level of logistical support and customer service necessary to meet growing Asian demand.