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Austria’s polyolefins producer Borealis has made its official North American entry with the recent inauguration of its new PP compounding plant in Taylorsville, N.C. The move is considered a hallmark in the company’s global expansion efforts. The 50,000 sq.ft. facility, with rail siding in place, adds an additional 66 million lbs/yr of capacity to strengthen Borealis’ and sister company Borouge’s global capacity for TPOs and short-glass fiber (SGF) PP compounds..

Among the first compounds produced in the new facility are those used to make automotive interior and exterior parts for major OEM and Tier customers. The plant is ideally located in the southeast region of North American to meet the growing needs of customers. The company worked diligently with state and local authorities in North Carolina to execute a brownfield investment with the possibility for further expansion that will benefit both the local economy and the automotive industry. In addition to compound manufacturing, the new facility also features state-of-the art in-house testing and product development capabilities.

Said Roland Janssen, managing director for Borealis North America, “Borealis has long been committed to the global automotive industry. Adding a compounding facility in North America helps drive our growth while also benefiting our customers through regional supply and product development capabilities. The industry is further supported by an experienced commercial and technical team with representatives in both the southeast and the Detroit area. The team is ready to introduce Borealis solutions and support customers in their technical implementation of new vehicle programs.”