Hexion Inc. (Columbus, Ohio) announced that it is restarting operations at its Montenegro, Brazil manufacturing site to reflect improving market conditions and customer demand for wood adhesives in the region.
“Following extensive retraining for our associates and taking all the appropriate steps to ensure the safe operations of the site, we are pleased to restart production,” said Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have a long track record of serving the Brazilian market and the Montenegro site is a key part of our ongoing strategy to serve our valued Latin America customers. The restart of the Montenegro site was possible due to the commitment of its associates, increasing market demand and the joint efforts of all stakeholders in region of Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul.”
Hexion opened the Montenegro site in 2010 to serve the engineered wood products market in southern Brazil. The site had been temporarily idled since May 2020. Hexion will also continue to operate normally and maintain commercial activity at the Company’s plants in Curitiba Paraná and Tacuarembó, Uruguay. The Company expects a smooth and coordinated transition for its customers that will be supplied out of the Montenegro site in accordance with contractual and legal obligations.
The Montenegro plant is strategically located to serve large customer plants in the region that use urea formaldehyde (UF) resin in the production of engineered wood panels such as particleboard, interior-grade plywood and medium density fiberboard. These engineered wood materials in turn are used in various applications including the production of furniture, cabinetry and other wood products.
The facility includes state of the art environmental and safety protection, with recycling and reuse of waste streams, strict environmental control and monitoring systems. The plant complex is located on 42 acres of land, including a 3.7 acre preserve of native trees. When the site originally opened, Hexion participated in a reforestation project that planted more than 2,000 native trees on the property, and an additional 400 native trees in the region. In addition, the company has continued to periodically support environmental education programs in the area.