Excel Polymers links with Japanese major in Chinese joint venture

2 January 2007 – Excel Polymers of the US is linking up with Japan’s Mitsui & Co in a new joint venture to make rubber compounds in southern China. The ownership of the new venture is to be 61% Excel, formerly a PolyOne business, with Mitsui holding the remaining shares.

Operating under the Excel name as EXLP Global (Foshan) Co Ltd, the greenfield facility will be located on the Shunde Science and Technology Park in Guandong province about 100 kilometres northwest of Hong Kong.

Using proprietary Spectrum./Prism technology developed by Excel Polymers, the plant will have capacity of nearly 25,000tpa of a wide range of synthetic and natural rubber compounds on two lines when it opens in early 2008. Customers will come from the automotive, printing, industrial and consumer markets.

Excel is headquartered in Ohio and runs eight plants worldwide including one in the UK. The company already operates a Chinese unit in Shanghai, which was recently expanded. The business, previously known as PolyOne Elastomers and Performance Additives Group, was acquired by Lion Chemical Capital and ACI Capital in 2004.