Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) is building a production plant for precipitated silica in South Carolina to supply the tire industry. The industry needs high-quality precipitated silica for producing fuel-efficient tires with good wet grip properties, which can save up to eight percent fuel in comparison to conventional car tires. In North America, the demand for tires with reduced rolling resistance and the associated higher fuel efficiency is experiencing above-average growth. Evonik is building the new plant near Charleston, South Carolina, close to the production plants of large tire manufacturers. The world-scale facility, with an investment volume of around $120 million, is to be completed in 2018.
Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG, said: “The investment is an important part of our strategy to expand our position as a global partner for the automotive supplier industry. With the construction of the plant in the Southeastern United States and the planned acquisition of the silica business of Huber, we are strengthening our Resource Efficiency growth segment and are extending our leading market positon as a silica provider.” With Huber Silica Evonik intends to acquire a business that is specialized in applications in the consumer industry such as in the dental area. A few days ago Evonik announced the acquisition for 630 million US dollars.
“The proximity to the key customers in the tire industry was decisive in choosing South Carolina. We want to provide global tire manufacturers with the supply security and flexibility they expect from us in local production. That’s why we invest in sites that are close to our customers,” said Johannes Ohmer, member of the Board of Management of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, explaining the motivation to choose the site for the new production plant in Charleston. The new plant will be located in the Bushy Park industrial area near Charleston.