Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) announced that it has named the Greater Houston area as its regional headquarters for all of its Americas-based business. Naming the Houston area as the regional hub was a natural next step given that it is in the heart of the U.S. petrochemical industry and has been a core Sabic location for the last 25 years.
“Today’s announcement signals the importance of the Americas to Sabic’s future growth,” said Yousef Al-Benyan, Sabic vice chairman and acting CEO. “As we continue to consider investment opportunities in the region, we are building a strong hub that will support our growing business presence. This Greater Houston-area team will play a key role in enabling Sabic to more effectively serve customers in the North and South American markets.”
In building this regional headquarters, several Americas functional teams will be led from the Houston area, including a number of roles that are currently based in Pittsfield, Mass. With the relocation of roles, Sabic will consolidate operations and exit its Pittsfield office in 2016. Sabic expects to complete the majority of role relocations by midyear, subject to ensuring an orderly transition and maintaining capability and business continuity. The company is also evaluating Pittsfield’s Polymer Processing Development Center (PPDC) and its location.